True Social Justice & Racial Equity Is Hard Work
Dear parents of school-age children: Please don’t be so hard on yourself if “e-learning” at home is hard for you. Teaching is a profession, where folks go to school, shadow other teachers and get continued training each year. Teachers are educated professionals who spend an inordinate amount of time, energy, […]
Reflections on the night before Good Friday: Christians all over the world like to celebrate two important parts of the Journey of Christ to the Cross. On Thursday, we celebrate the “Last Supper” and “the washing of the feet.” Both super important and extremely ritualized in the Christian tradition. But […]
Having a child with a disability, and becoming disabled myself, has put me through a boot-camp that prepared me for the war for quality services for folks with disabilities. I had to learn a new language (so many acronyms!), preferred labels, federal laws, state laws, service providers, what is an […]
“Tell me, who I have to be. To get some reciprocity.” Lauryn Hill Anthony Clark, one of the best, most committed community leader, social justice leader, and all-around coalition builder, is running for Democrat Congressman of our IL-7th district. As someone who cares very much about social justice and racial […]
“The most powerful ancestor you have is your mother’s mother.” unknown Story of Saretha and ShaRhonda I’m in the hospital now. It’s 2:22 on August 31st, 2019. I received a full hysterectomy less than 12 hours ago. I’m doing surprisingly well, considering all the different ways this could have gone […]
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 1915. He had a very simple theory to promote the liberation and success of Black people: Black history has to be taught without centering Whiteness. […]
When we think of legally segregated and unequal schools, we usually think of the Jim Crow system of “Black and White” schools. Most of us know from our social studies classes, that the United States Supreme Court ruled that segregating children by race was unconstitutional and that there were no […]
Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History Month, was very clear about the purpose and lessons that should be taught to Black, and all races, of children in schools, about Black History during the month of February. Black History was to serve educational purposes. Carter G. Woodson, who was […]
Many White folks, especially northern white liberals who voted for Obama, would argue they are not racist, even while they actively cause harm to Black folks by their racist actions. Since so many people don’t know what racism is or how they are racist, here are three racist things that […]
Each year, my daughter and I give a speech at her school’s MLK Mass. I often talk about race to adults in very direct, blunt language. I wanted to make sure I kept my moral compass about being “real about racism” but also to have it age-appropriate and understandable […]