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…

A Student Who Is Ineffectively Taught by an Anti-Racist Teacher Is Not Receiving Justice

Last Sunday educators, students, and families marched in Philadelphia demanding a long overdue anti-racist action in the city’s schools, insisting that anti-racism “be the overarching…

Award-Winning Teachers Demand 4 Anti-Racist Policies to Ensure Schools Are a Place of Liberation

As educators, and also as community members, parents, and learners, the undersigned 2018 Teachers of the Year, rise in solidarity with Black Lives Matter against…

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:…

We Don’t Recognize America’s Independence Day Over Here in Wakanda

“Independence Day” is upon us. But Black fam’, before we get geeked to partake in such traditions as backyard barbecues and celebratory fireworks commemorating a…

I’ll Believe Y’all Are Serious About Black Lives Mattering When You Send More of Our Kids to College Instead of Prison

I’m hearing a lot of people now all “rah-rah” for Black lives mattering. Meanwhile, I’m over here rolling my eyes at it all because to…

Join an Honest Conversation About Race in Schools and Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline

“Structural racism in school systems. Implicit bias among school professionals. White privilege (and, when confronted, White fragility) among school staff. Curriculum and materials devoid of…

Lakisha Young Talks About How Oakland Is Tackling the Reading Crisis

Lakisha Young is the executive director of The Oakland REACH. Her work began through witnessing the disparities faced by Black and Brown students, including members…

When Cops Outweigh Counselors, Schools Set Students Up to Fail

Black Lives Matter. This statement has sparked inspiration, fear and anger across this nation, but this has always been the message that Black people in…