#MyBlackHistory Call to Action: Give All Kids Access to Opportunities and Believe in Their Big Dreams

It never occurred to me that I couldn’t be anything I wanted to be. As I child, I dreamed of being Diana Ross, a doctor, an engineer, a business owner and a host of other things.…

I’m Singing a Redemption Song for #MyBlackHistory ’Cause Songs of Freedom Are All I Ever Had

My job now is to live life fully and to ensure my kids are powerfully educated to do the same. There is no better emancipation of mental slavery.…

Do You Know This Hidden Figure? Meet Legendary Black Educator Dr. Anna Julia Cooper

A multitude of hidden figures silently loom in our shadows, yet those who know understand that as Black people we stand on the shoulders of…

#MyBlackHistory Is a Shoutout to the Grandparents That Help Raise and Advocate for Kids

Despite having a third-grade education, they made sure reading was fundamental for not only their children but every child they came in contact with.…

#MyBlackHistory Is Making Sure Parents Like My Mom—An Immigrant Housekeeper—Have Ways to Be Involved in Their Child’s Education

My mother immigrated to America from Haiti in 1971 at the age of 20. “Ingrid,” she would say, “make sure you do what the teacher says, without school your life will be hard like mine.”…

#MyBlackHistory Is Knowing That Knowledge Is Power and It Starts at Home

As an adult, as a mother and as a student I know that education is the key to just about anything. It is important for children to see the people around them striving to learn more, know more and be more so that they know that it is possible.…

We’re All Implicated in Systemic Racism

Race weighs heavily on my mind these days, not just because it’s Black History Month but mostly because my work in education reform is focused…

#MyBlackHistory: My Mom Had to Lie to Get Me Into a Good School. No Parent Should Have to Do That.

In a nation as wealthy as America, no parent should have to lie about their address to get their child into a high-quality school. Sadly, I have heard this same tale from many, many other Black families.…

#MyBlackHistory: Here’s Why I Became an Engineer and How I’m Helping Kids Do It Too

When I was just 9 or 10 years old, I found out that I had a true love and passion for science. Now I want to see that other kids get that chance.…

#MyBlackHistory: Why I’m Celebrating Every Black Genius From City Blocks to the White House

We will never meet a Black child who is not a genius and there is no secret to how we support them: We first treat them as human and then we then support them with love. …