I’m Tired of My Community Not Having Access to the Schools We Deserve

My little brother is a 10-year-old who loves to create slime, play video games and make friends. He’s growing up in a time where a…

I’m Teaching My Students How to Read and Think Beyond the Headline

We’ve all been there. A tempting headline, a picture too startling to keep our fingers at rest. We skim through the article. We write a…

6 Things Black Students Need to Hear After Nipsey Hussle’s Death

“He was a former gang member…and in other news…” That’s what my favorite local news station, WGN, had to say about Ermias Joseph Asghedom—better known…

Women’s History Month Is a Time for Young Girls to See Themselves

March is Women’s History Month. For those of us who are history buffs and/or have the job of teaching history, these themed-month celebrations are really…

It’s Time to Call American Public Education What It Is: A Caste System

A super selective public high school in New York handed out acceptance letters to 895 kids like how Oprah was handing out cars to her…

As Long as There’s White Privilege, We’re Going to Need Affirmative Action

Affirmative action: For years, some people have balked at it, while others have been actively trying to dismantle it. But we need to embrace it,…

White People Get Big Mad When You Force Them to Think About White People

White people get big mad when you force them to think about White people. I knew this. I know this. Also, they will almost never…

Stop Giving White Kids a Slap on the Wrist for Being Racist

Ladies and gentlemen, the kids are not alright. In fact, they’re baby racists perpetuating hateful ideologies and getting away with it. Over the past few…

Too Many Black Students Aren’t Learning Their History in Schools

When I was in school, I was starved for information about who I really am. I ached to hear stories about people who look like…

For White Teachers Teaching White Boys in the Suburbs

We talk too much about White boys. But, also, really. When we talk about them, we don’t say nearly enough. We don’t talk enough about the boys in our classrooms.…