We Don’t Have to Wait for Permission to Create Restorative Model Schools

If our goal is to uproot the systemic racism and other prejudices that live within the structure of our educational system and in every school…

A Teacher’s Power to Stop Violence Is Rooted in Relationships

During my 15 years of teaching, I have broken up many fights. I have been hit in the ear so hard that it rang me…

Accountability for One Killer Cop Won’t Protect Our Kids From the Systemic Harm They Face Daily

Here’s where I am after all of the shit that went down this week … Black people aren’t safe and will never have peace under…

Here’s Why Dumping the Discipline Question on the Common App Really Matters

This is a year unlike any other. I am sure you have heard this over and over again as, over the past seven months, our…

Statues Are Only One Kind of Monument to White Supremacy

Every year, I ask my students to identify phenomena in our world that are both imagined and real. In other words, what are some things…

Getting Pepper-Sprayed by School Police Shouldn’t Be a Part of My Job

I have only felt the terrible sting and discomfort of pepper spray one time, and that was when I was teaching and coaching teachers in…

What Does It Mean to Demilitarize Our Schools?

My son was eight when he told me he was going to “quit school.” At first, I laughed, but after he said it again and…

Now Is the Time to Remake Our Schools With Equity in Mind

This week, the school reopening conversation is largely about when we reopen schools. Some people, including our president, want schools to reopen widely, as soon…

Black Girls Need Police-Free Schools

We are at a precipice. Advocates and school leaders in nearly 100 districts all over the country have called for the removal of police in…

Q&A: 12-Year-Old Amir Lumumba on Why Schools Need More Counselors and Fewer Cops

On Thursday, July 9 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. ET, brightbeam’s Director of Activism, Zakiya Sankara-Jabar will moderate a virtual town hall called #ReimagingingSchoolSafety. Special guests include:…