Continuing the Legacy of Education and Liberation (ft.Ilyasah Shabazz)

Show Notes:
Shayna Terrell interviews Akil Parker, CEO of All This Math, about the importance of math in the black community. They discuss how math can be a tool for liberation and critical thinking, as well as the evolution of math education. Akil emphasizes the connection between math and problem-solving, and how math can empower individuals and communities. The episode highlights the role of math in black history and its significance in ancient civilizations like Kemet. This conversation explores the importance of math and math literacy, highlighting its application in everyday life and financial matters. Akil also breaks down the concept of Histematics, which connects math and history.

Takeaways

Math is a tool for liberation and critical thinking in the black community.

Mathematics is essential for problem-solving and developing analytical skills.

Math literacy is equally, if not more important, than English language literacy, especially in financial matters.

There is a strong connection between math and black history that should be explored and celebrated.

Positive math education experiences and mentorship are crucial for students' success in math.

"Histematics" which combines math and history, can provide a deeper understanding of both subjects.

Black mathematicians and their contributions should be recognized and celebrated.

Ernest Crim III, a former high school educator and viral Black history influencer joins the show to discuss the importance of teaching history, the role of black educators, and the challenges of combatting a Eurocentric curriculum. Mr. Crim shares his journey to becoming an educator and his motivation to connect young people to black history. He also discusses his success on social media and the importance of reaching young people with positive and truthful content. The discussion highlights the lack of historical knowledge and education for young people, the importance of intergenerational spaces and African worldview, and the absence of comprehensive Black history education in schools.

Shayna Terrell and Dr. Greg Carr are here to help you out this Black History Month.They highlight the contributions of Carter G. Woodson, the founder of what is now Black History Month, and emphasize the importance of black educators in preserving and teaching black history. They also discuss the lives of black historians and the need for black institutions to uplift the community.

 The conversation emphasizes the need to celebrate and learn from black history throughout the year, not just during the designated month. Shayna and Dr. Carr discuss the commercialization of Black History Month and the need to go beyond February to celebrate and teach Black history. They highlight the importance of addressing curriculum battles and book banning in education. They also explore the challenges of the future, including the impact of technology and social media algorithms on society. They stress the need to merge past and present history in education and flood airwaves with Black history to combat erasure.

Takeaways

Black History Month was founded by Carter G. Woodson to emphasize the study and celebration of black history. Today's Black educators play a crucial role in preserving and teaching black history.

Black historians, such as Woodson and W.E.B. Du Bois, often returned to their communities to uplift and educate.

Black institutions are essential for building and supporting the black community.

Black History Month should serve as a reminder to celebrate and learn from black history throughout the year. Black History Month has become commercialized, with some individuals and organizations profiting from it.

Black history should be celebrated and taught beyond the confines of February.

We should be focused on the evolution of technology, social algorithms, and how "content" is fed to us. 

Merging past and present history is essential to provide a comprehensive understanding of the world.

Isaiah Thomas discusses the intersection of education and politics, emphasizing the need for increased funding and support for schools. 

He shares his personal journey in education, highlighting the impact of mentorship and programs like Freedom Schools. Thomas emphasizes the importance of teachers and mentors in shaping the lives of young people and calls for higher wages for educators. 

He also discusses the role of the federal government in education and the need for systemic changes in how schools are funded. Thomas concludes by urging listeners to participate in elections and support candidates who prioritize education.

Takeaways

• Mentorship and programs like Freedom Schools can have a profound impact on young people, shaping their future aspirations and instilling a sense of service.
• Teachers and mentors have the power to make a lasting impression on students, not just through academic instruction, but also by how they make students feel.
• The intersection of education and politics is crucial, as elected officials have the power to allocate resources and make decisions that directly impact schools and students.
• Higher wages for educators are necessary to attract and retain talented individuals in the teaching profession.
• The federal government should provide more funding and support for education, including addressing capital deficits and investing in innovative approaches to learning.
• Changing the funding model for schools, particularly by increasing resources and making education a top priority, can lead to better outcomes for students.
• Individuals should participate in elections and support candidates who prioritize education and are committed to improving the education system.

Host Shayna Terrell celebrates the birth of the young king Adonis, and returns to her hosting duties on the Black Educator Pipeline Podcast, speaking with returning guest Dr. Greg Carr ahead of MLK day 2024.

The two discuss how the same sanitized, whitewashed stories get told on this holiday every year, as well as discussing how we can best start the new year while fighting for the education and liberation of our Black students. 

What should we be most concerned with in 2024? What do we need to leave behind in 2023 and how do we continue the beautiful struggle and resistance in building a better world? Dr. Carr (Associate Professor of Afro-American Studies at Howard University) helps us answer these questions in the return of BTBEP. 

Michael Simmons

Michael Simmons has been a domestic and international human rights activist for 60 years. Beginning as an organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and later as Director of European programs for the American Friends Service Committee, Michael’s work has taken him to Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. For 18 years, he co-founded and ran the Ráday Salon, an independent human rights learning and discussion program in Budapest, Hungary. He also taught courses on African American History and US Elections at the Budapest campus of McDaniel College.

Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, Ph.D

Dr. Simmons is a retired Professor Emerita in African American and Religious Studies and affiliated Faculty in Women Studies at the University of Florida. She obtained her BA from Antioch University in Human Service, her MA in Religious Studies & her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa.

Simmons became active in the Civil Rights Movement during her freshman year at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1962. She became a SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) field secretary two years later in the summer of 1964 when she joined hundreds of other college-age volunteers who traveled to Mississippi to work in the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project. Since her years with SNCC, Simmons has served as an organizer with the National Council of Negro Women, serving as their Mid-West Field Director for their Project Woman Power and later with the American Friends Service Committee, where she held a number of program and administrative jobs for over 20 years.

Dr. James D. Anderson, the renowned author of The Education of Blacks in the South 1860-1935, and Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, joins Building the Black Educator Pipeline to discuss the history of Black education in this country.

Dr. Anderson's scholarship focuses broadly on the history of U.S. education, with a subfield in the history of African American education. In this episode, he shares what inspired him to become a researcher into the history of Black education and his own life journey. He shares the history of Black people working to build their own system of education and the obstacles they faced along the way. 

Host Shayna Terrell and Dr. Anderson discuss competing educational philosophies for Black folks in the South, and how we see some of the same debates in modern discourse. They discuss the politics that went along with fighting for improved education for Black students and compare the current state of education with the past. 

Finally, Dr. Anderson shares what he believes is leading to the attacks on African-American studies, as well as the increase in book bans, and censorship of certain curriculums throughout the country. 

James D. Anderson is Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

In 2021, Anderson was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the oldest honor societies in the nation. He was sworn into the Board of Trustees at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and inducted into the Stillman College Educator Hall of Fame—both in 2020.

Additionally, the AERA awarded him a Presidential Citation in 2020, its highest award. In 2012, Anderson was selected as a Fellow for Outstanding Research by the AERA and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Anderson was also elected to the National Academy of Education in 2008.