Black Lives Matter in Schools This Month and Every Damn Month

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019, I had the honor of speaking at the Black Lives Matter in Schools Week of Action rally. The audience was…

Forget the School-to-Prison Pipeline, For White Boys It’s the School-to-Politics Pipeline

Tonight, President Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union address. Like many other U.S. citizens, I see our current president as deeply flawed,…

How Anti-Blackness Can Show Up in Our Teaching and We Don’t Even Recognize It

Just before winter break, my various timelines were awash with pictures of a young man forced to have his hair cut by a wrestling referee.…

My Student Asked Me If I Was Racist So I Told the Truth and Said Yes

“Mr. Wright, are you racist?” My West Philadelphia classroom, which had been filled with the sounds of shuffling papers, squeaking chairs, and the quintessential high-paced…

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…

To Future White Teachers, Here’s a Resource Guide So You Don’t Have to Ask Your Co-Workers to Explain Racism

Yes, I’m addressing you directly as White teachers. That may feel uncomfortable. You’re going to have to get over that, or this is going to…

I Want So Badly to Be an Anti-Racist Ally and Yet I Still Mess Up Sometimes

“Dear @MrTomRad, we have a lot of common peeps and I respect your work. While I can appreciate what you’re trying to do with this…

Why Meek Mill’s Release From Prison Matters More to Your Students Than You Think

The enslavement, segregation and brutality of Black communities has been the bloody heirloom to White America for centuries. And the prison-industrial complex has been a…

Hey Kanye, I’m an English Teacher But I’ve Got a History Lesson for You

Welcome to my class, Kanye. Before you arrived, I read this quote from you telling me that learning is important to you and that you…

It Doesn’t Just Happen at Starbucks. Teachers Need Racial Bias Training Too.

Last week, two Black men were arrested for sitting in a Starbucks here in Philadelphia. They were waiting for a friend who arrived shortly after…