Seriously, Betsy? The Civil Rights Act

On Friday U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos released a statement celebrating the 56th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, passed in 1957 by a Republican-controlled…

Are You An Anti-Racist Educator? Here Are Seven Questions to Help You Decide.

Last week, something in my spirit told me to create an Instagram post on Canva that stated the following:  Okay people, the jury is out! …

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…

This Juneteenth I’m Challenging Educators to Emancipate Themselves From a Colonized Curriculum

When Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, this marked the end of slavery in the United States … that is what a lot of people…

From Kindergarten to High School, Schools Show They Don’t Give a Damn About Black Lives

Across the globe, millions of people are protesting police brutality and systemic racism in response to the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor…

I Haven’t Been Doing a Great Job Talking About Racism With My White Children. It’s Time to Step It Up.

I’m going to admit something: I have not been doing a super job talking about racism with my four White stepkids. And part of the…

Now Is the Perfect Time for White Teachers to Do ‘The Work’ of Anti-Racism

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted, well, everything, but at times I find that I have more time to communicate, virtually if necessary, with family and…

It Was the Worst Moment of My Teaching Career, And I Was the Problem

One of the best teachers I have ever known has a tattoo on the inside of her wrist of the snake from “The Little Prince.”…

We’re Teaching Black History Month All Wrong

News flash: We have been celebrating Black History Month all wrong.  Black History Month (originally “Negro History Week”) was started by Carter G. Woodson in…

Let’s Help Our Young People Unlearn What White Supremacy Taught Them

True story. The other day I was recording an episode of my podcast with 11th graders at a school on the far south-side of Chicago.…