Teaching About Race Does Not Make You Un-American

“The Holocaust was an atrocity.” This was the example I gave my eighth graders as we were learning our words of the week. And with…

No English Teacher Gets to Tell Me How to Understand Toni Morrison

This week, the entire nation is mourning the death of writer Toni Morrison. Book lovers of all races, ethnicities, genders and sexualities recognize the genius…

Here’s Why President Trump’s Tweets About ‘The Squad’ Are Nothing New for Black Women in Education

On Sunday, the 45th president of the United States told four congresswomen of color to “go back” to the countries from which they came.  ….and…

Having a Mock Slave Auction Isn’t Teaching Students About Slavery, It’s Just Racist

As an educator, I am sometimes left with more questions than answers. One question that I have is how come conducting a mock slave auction…

Dear White People: When it Comes to Educational Equity, You’ll Have to Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

Is the public school system rooted in White supremacy culture? Damn right it is. And This brings me to question why teachers in New York…

The Discomfort of White Adults Should Never Take Priority Over the Success of Our Black and Brown Students

“I didn’t come here to teach those kinds of kids.” It’s alarming to think that adults charged with helping students of color succeed in school…

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…