Want to Build a Wise, Engaged Citizenry? Read Banned Books in Schools, Especially by Authors of Color

Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison’s words would have made her a literary giant no matter what, but her position as one of our country’s ‘most-banned’ authors…

They Won’t Just Fix the Schools for Us, We Have to Make Them Do It

Dear parents, Guess what? If you hate your child’s school or aren’t satisfied with the quality of education they’re receiving, you shouldn’t expect anyone to…

A Student Left in Handcuffs. We Need to Do Better So It Stops Happening.

There was the day that a sixth grader was upset, was blocked by an administrator from exiting a room and pushed his way past. Within…

Black and Brown Students Can Learn, But You Have to Want to Teach Them

We complain about what’s wrong with the public education system all the time. Admittedly, I’m probably on the long list of tough critics.  Some of…

Democratic Presidential Candidates Aren’t Talking About K-12 Education and That’s Why We Crashed Their Debate in Houston

All eyes may be on the third round of Democratic presidential candidates’ debates happening tonight. But let me direct your attention for a second to…

If Black Male Teachers Benefit Students, Why Are They Underrepresented?

Two percent and shrinking. It’s a statistic that may seem small enough to be insignificant … until you understand what the number represents. Black males…

Black Male Educators Have Sounded the Alarm, But Will We Listen?

For years, Black males have been underrepresented in P-12 education. While there have been many efforts to diversify classrooms by adding more Black male educators,…

Don’t Integrate Schools Just to Benefit White Kids

White progressive educators and parents, I know lots of you. And I know you think diversity in schools is important. But you all are pushing…

The Suffragettes Were Not Allies to Black Women, They Were Racist

This week America celebrated the 99th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s passage, which granted women the right to vote. However, like much of American history,…

White Teacher, Here’s How You Can Successfully Partner With Black Families

The show was going really well. We were in Pittsburgh, taping a live 8 Black Hands podcast episode at the State of Black Learning Conference,…