School to Prison Pipeline
Stop Trying to ‘All Lives Matter’ The Black Struggle for Educational Justice
Outrage: White People Won’t Be Satisfied Until We Make Our Struggle About Them I get tired of people trying to “All Lives Matter” my advocacy—especially White…
What Oklahoma Teachers Can Learn From the Montgomery Bus Boycott
On this day in Montgomery, Alabama, 63 years ago, Black people strategically rebelled against one of White supremacy’s ‘systems.’ That day, Black folks got into…
Being a School Principal and a Parent of a Special Needs Child Took Me Under, But I’m Coming Back
For five years, I was principal of one of the most difficult schools in my urban district. In those five years, I had eight supervisors.…
Why the Department of Education Finally Needs to Accept That Education Is a Civil Right
As a 5-year old kindergartner, I was threatened with my first suspension for being talkative and “disruptive” in class by my almost 70-year-old White teacher.…
Our Students Need Every Educator to Speak Up to Ensure DeVos Hears Our Support for Restorative Justice
In my decade in Chicago Public Schools as a social worker and currently as a behavioral health specialist, I’ve learned a great education goes beyond…
If School Rules Aren’t Building a Sense of Community, Let’s Be Brave Enough to Rewrite Them
When I was in elementary school, my parents told me that when I had to go to the bathroom, I should ask my teacher for…
We Need to Keep Talking About Serena Williams and the Dignity of Black Children
By now we’ve all seen the headlines after the most recent U.S. Open in which Serena Williams lost to Naomi Osaka. Yet the headlines weren’t…
What Happened to Serena Williams at the U.S. Open Happens to Black Girls in School Every Day
Serena Williams, decidedly the greatest athlete of our generation, is no stranger to the obstacles of being a strong, Black woman. This past weekend at…
Betsy DeVos on the Verge of Removing Civil Rights Protections for Students of Color
Let’s just call her Betsy DeVoid. Our secretary of education earns a name-change because of her predilection for voiding guidance that protects our most disenfranchised…
Nick Didn’t Need Another Suspension. He Needed to Know I Loved and Believed in Him.
Nick was a sixth-grader who, before joining my classroom, had been suspended from several of his previous schools. He is easy to pick out in…
