Status Quo, Stop Putting The Burden of Your Unjust Forced Integration Efforts on the Backs of Our Black Children!
Are there superior and inferior races in public education?
Why Connecticut Parents are Challenging Racial Quotas in Our Kids’ Schools
It’s been 65 years since the Supreme Court ruled in the historic Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. That landmark ruling, the outcome of 13 courageous black parents’ challenge to an unjust public education system, was a milestone in the civil rights struggle. But if you thought the battle to end discrimination against black and Hispanic kids in public schools was won, guess again: Communities are still being fractured by…
2019: THE YEAR OF BLACK & BROWN PARENTS ESCAPING THE BURNING SCHOOL HOUSE OF SO-CALLED INTEGRATION – AT LEAST IN CONNECTICUT.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Happy New Year! That was the collective chant across the globe twenty-four hours ago. Sad to say, yesterday, January 1, 2019 marks the end of the holiday season of goodwill towards all. The gifts of love that appeared abundant, since November 2018, will fade fast, especially for vulnerable children. As the saying goes, we are back to business as usual. While many slept in late yesterday and recouped from the new year eve celebrations, many Connecticut…
The Black Parent’s Fight Against the Hoarding of Information and Opportunity in Education
Today I carry no title other than human being. Yes, I am a proud Black woman and a mom but I am still mentally reeling from and dealing with so many tentacles of raw emotion from my visit last week to the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. They represent America’s first national memorial dedicated to victims of racial terror lynching and a new museum dedicated to slavery and its legacy, lest we forget….
The Sad Reality: When The Laws Meant To Protect Black Children Actually Harm Them
As a Black mom, aka mama bear, and an education advocate for equity and educational justice, I often reflect on Black history. Why? Because I am afraid if we do not learn from the past, as a people and as a country, we risk bringing back Jim Crow hidden in neatly packaged 21st century laws. And I, for one, will not accept that for my children, your children or the generations to come. These Black history reflective moments have…
Parents, Voting Isn’t Enough To Keep Children Safe In School and Justly Educated
Hey parents and guardians of children, many of us are experiencing some serious anxiety right about now, because once again, we are in back to school mode and primary/general election season. This means, as parents and guardians, it is our absolute unapologetic right and responsibility to ensure every education decision-maker, and those running for public office remember that our children’s safety, the quality of their education and their overall well-being is a priority. And THAT is non negotiable. “Children should…
Why The Mark Janus Supreme Court Ruling Should Matter To Black Parents
In 2010, I learned about the California Parent Trigger law introduced by retired Senator Gloria Romero. This California parent empowerment law gives parents the legal power to improve the educational experiences of their children. As a result of this California parent empowerment law, I was awakened to “hope” for Connecticut marginalized children, knowing that there was a law on the books that can now help black parents, like me, help our children who are trapped in schools that cannot or…
What California’s Unsung S/Hero Shirley Ford Meant To Me
Whether you have a Ph.D., or no D, we’re in this bag together. And whether you’re from Morehouse or Nohouse, we’re still in this bag together. –Fannie Lou Hamer It is a sad day for those who fight unwavering to seek justice in education. We have lost an authentic voice in education reform. She was a children and parent’s champion, my inspiration, my role model, and my friend, Ms. Shirley Ford. The truth is, I am full of mixed emotions…
Why “Now” Matters? Because 63 Years Is Long Enough Our Kids Can’t Wait No More
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Martin Luther King, Jr. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Happy New Year! That was the chant across the globe 15 days ago. January first marked the end of the holiday season of good will towards man and the gifts of love that appeared abundant, since November, now seem to be fading fast for children,…
A Black Moms Perspective: One of the Most Significant Events That Happened in Education in 2017
Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced. James Baldwin For this mom, being the Founder and a very conscious, unapologetic Black parent leader of an all-volunteer, parent led organization, leaves little time and energy to gather my thoughts to write a timely blog. Yet, I felt I could not go into 2018 without sharing some of my reflections about October 13 -15, 2017, within downtown Philly. Black Male Educators –…