The last couple of weeks have been very difficult for me as a Black male. I’m not the type of person that tries to avoid the conversations or topics that have come up, but lately, I can’t get away from them and that is probably for the best because it will make me a better…
Every year, top high school basketball players perform a familiar song and dance. First, there is the strong showing on the AAU circuit. That is followed by their high school basketball season in which they typically take home most of their state’s accolades. They play in some high school all-star games in a final bid…
Education is often hailed as a great equalizer. We teach children that good grades lead to good jobs, which in a just and equitable world would give all students access to opportunities. However, we often fail to acknowledge that prejudice, inequality, and racism doesn’t disappear when the school bell rings. Black students often face systematic…
I grew up in a two-parent household. My mom and dad married less than two months before my second birthday, and they have been married ever since. On July 6, they will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. My father has had and continues to have a strong influence on my life. His mother nicknamed him…
Quick thought experiment: Close your eyes. Recount all the “world history” you can think of off the top of your head: events, historical figures, mythology, concepts, eras, or anything else that may be applicable. Now that you have those thoughts in your head, look at a world map. How many of the things you thought…
As Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ravages the country, many people have begun to adapt to daily life under the “new normal.” Many people were concerned about the impact the virus would have on the future. Chief among those worried were educators who had only recently received budget increases they had fought years for. Many sources,…
I don’t feel emotionally safe at my current school. Typically, I avoid writing about my current job. I am a middle school academic dean who supervises an evaluates nine educators. I never want any person I supervise to believe I am bashing them online. I’m in a position of power, and I must use it…
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has put a stop to almost everything. Most of the conversation has been based around the closure of schools and stores or even entertainment and fun like the NBA and concerts. These things are coming back, albeit in a different form than we may be used to. However, there is another casualty…
When Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, this marked the end of slavery in the United States … that is what a lot of people learned in school. Honestly, it is more nuanced than that. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued to free enslaved Africans in the Confederate states. Even if students learned that component, many…
The societal turmoil, protests, and unrest is a cry for justice. The focus is on Black lives; however, this goes beyond Black lives being protected from police brutality. Black lives must also be protected from educational malpractice. For decades, researchers have shown there is an achievement gap between Black and white students. More recently, concerns…