center for black educator development

(5:00- 28:40) How they got into education

(28:45-46:00) Bridging the gap between old and new school

(46:00- 1:00:02) Freedom and saying ‘gay’ in black spaces

(1:00:02 - 1:16:00) Being fearless and authentic

(1:16:30 - 23:00) What should be done after BMEC

(1:00- 6:48) Who is Dr. Maulana Karenga past and present?

(6:52-8:11) What is pan-Africanism?

(8:11-18:00) What inspired Dr. Karenga to be an educator

(18:24 - 25:40) Using education for collective liberation/freedom and following the ancestors

(25:45 - 39:40) What is Kwanzaa? And why did Dr. Karenga create it?

(39:40- 42:50) When the haters say Kwanzaa is a “made-up holiday”

(42:50 - 50:40) What does Kwanzaa mean to the African diaspora

(50:40- 59:44) How can educators incorporate principles of Kwanzaa in school curriculum and activities

(59:44-1:03:00) Dr. Karenga thanks Black teachers

Guest Bio

Jéri L. Ogden is an educator, writer, and facilitator with a passion for and emphasis on equitable practices and cultural competence. Jéri graduated from Howard University with a B.A. in Communication and Culture and from American University with an M.Ed in Educational Leadership and Policy. Upon her undergraduate graduation, she spent one year working at DC’s first all-boys public charter school as a substitute teacher and assistant director of the after-school program before her training as a Summer 2010 DC Teaching Fellow. Jéri has taught at both public and charter schools in DC and Houston, as well as an international school in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
 

With over 14 years of progressive teacher leadership, Jéri most recently served as the Director of the Professional Learning Community at ASCD. In addition, she is the founder of P.U.R.P.L.E., a consulting firm that provides purposeful, uplifting, and restorative professional learning experiences to organizations and communities. Jéri is currently pursuing her Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Organizational Innovation at Marymount University. She is a former member of the adjunct staff at Trinity Washington University where her courses focus on restorative practices, relationship building in school systems, and empathy. Her work is rooted in the philosophy that equity is not a buzzword.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeri_teaches

Website: http://jeriogden.com/

We welcome Edwin Mayorga, Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Studies and the Program in Latin American and Latino Studies, and co-researcher of the Education in our Barrios Project (#BarrioEdProj) to BTBEP podcast!

In this episode, Mr. Mayorga shares about his journey and what inspired him to become an educator. He shares with host Shayna Terrell how race and culture can be at the forefront of how we engage today’s youth, and the importance of affirming our own identities and the identities of the students we serve.

As #HispanicHeritageMonth comes to a close, the episode centers around Latinx communities, educators and students and what "culturally relevant curriculum" looks like for these communities. Edwin Mayorga shares about his "Barrio Education Project," the term "LatinX," and the importance of Black and Brown unity in this work. 

Enjoy one of the greatest hits of the Building the Black Educator Pipeline Podcast, with this season one episode featuring Joyce Abbott, the inspiration behind Quinta Brunson's critically acclaimed show, Abbott Elementary!

In this flashback episode that was originally live-streamed, Mrs. Abbott shares memories of having Quinta Brunson as a student, well before she would go on to creating the hit show Abbott Elementary. She also discusses what it felt like to be the inspiration behind the show's name and what lessons we can draw from the hit series. 

Mrs. Abbott also talked to host Shayna Terrell about what inspired her to be an educator and why she has stayed in the classroom for so long, as well as how her time in the military shaped her and the impact it add on her as an educator. 

Finally, the conversation touched on the importance of Black educators, bridging the gaps between schools and communities, and how we can truly achieve educational justice.

In this throwback episode from season one of the Building the Black Educator Pipeline Podcast, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad joined the show to break down the rich history of Black educational excellence and how it can help reframe the way we think about curriculum and instruction today. 

Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad is an Associate Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture at the University of Illinois Chicago, where she studies Black historical excellence within educational communities. Dr. Muhammad’s scholarship has appeared in leading academic journals and books, including Research in the Teaching of English, Urban Education, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Language Arts, and Written Communication. She has led a federal grant with the United States Department of Education to study culturally and historically responsive literacy in STEM classrooms.

Dr. Muhammad is also the author of Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy, in which she presents the concept of Historically Responsive Literacy, derived from the study of literacy development within 19th-century Black literacy societies. In this episode, Dr. Muhammad explains how this framework is essential and universal for all students, especially youth of color, who traditionally have been marginalized in learning standards, school policies, and classroom practices.
 

In this episode of the Building the Black Educator Pipeline Podcast, Host Shayna Terrell speaks with Lynn Jennings and Eric Duncan of Ed Trust during their recent "Creating and Sustaining a Diverse Teacher Workforce Convening."

The Education Trust is a national nonprofit that works to close opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color and students from low-income families. Through our research and advocacy, Ed Trust supports efforts that expand excellence and equity in education from preschool through college, increase college access and completion particularly for historically underserved students, engage diverse communities dedicated to education equity, and increase political and public will to act on equity issues.

Lynn C. Jennings, Ph.D., is the senior director of national and state partnerships for The Education Trust. She leads strategy and advocacy initiatives to ensure school systems are equipped to provide an excellent education for the nation’s most underserved students.

Eric Duncan is a P-12 data and policy senior analyst, specializing in policies related to educator quality and increasing the racial diversity of the educator workforce.

Larry Irvin, CEO of Brothers Empowered to Teach shares his unique life story of overcoming adversity and what led to him becoming an educator. 

The mission of Larry's organization, Brothers Empowered to Teach is "to provide mentorship, apprenticeship and pathways to careers in education through early exposure to teaching and targeted experiences cultivating an organic love of teaching children."

In this episode host Shayna Terrell and Larry discuss a few of the core values of BE2T, including “remaining relevant” and "defying convention.” 

The conversation touches on how we can better support aspirating black educators to be respected for their intellect and instructional expertise and not used for the relational value with students. Irvin also shares tips for school leaders to support and sustain Black male educators as well as recruit more young men into the field of education.

Shayna and Larry discuss the impact that Black male educators have on kids and how policy changes can increase their numbers. 

Mama Debra Watkins, Executive Director of ABEN joins the Building the Black Educator Pipeline Podcast to discuss the work of her organization, A Black Education Network. 

ABEN combines and disseminates evidence-based research findings, education strategies, and culture through offering professional development opportunities, student-focused programming, and curricula designed to empower the educators of Black students and Black students themselves.

Host Shayna Terrell and Debra Watkins discuss what African-centered education looks like and why it is important for Black students. They also cover how education can serve as a vehicle for liberation and discuss how we can achieve justice for Black students. 

Dr. Kristal Moore Clemons has advanced racial and gender equity through her work in K-12 education, higher education, and nonprofit management. In her academic leadership, she has shaped curriculum and fostered positive academic experiences in face-to-face and online environments. 

She is the national director of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools® program. This program uses culturally relevant pedagogy and high-quality books to deepen scholars’ understanding of themselves and all they have in common with others in a multiracial, multicultural democratic society. 

Dr. Clemons is a native of Chicago, Illinois and a graduate of DePaul University having earned her B.A. in Women’s Studies and Political Science. She earned an M.A. from Washington State University in American Studies, her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Education-Culture, Curriculum and Change and a graduate certificate in Women’s Studies from Duke University. She and her partner reside in Virginia with their children.

Host Shayna Terrell of the Center for Black Educator Development speaks with Maisha Sullivan-Ongoza about the role that Black mothers have historically played and continue to play in organizing and achieving societal change.

Maisha retired in 2014 from the Philadelphia Chapter of Say Yes to Education, Inc, which served as a Family Scholarship program and has served as adjunct professor at various universities in the Delaware Valley. She was also a popular radio talk show host for six years of “Fertile Ground” which focused on African American and African diaspora culture, history, communities and struggles.

 She previously served as a Director within the Rendell mayoral administration in Philadelphia, PA, as part of the Mayor’s Children and Families Cabinet. UPDATE: You can now catch Building the Black Educator Pipeline on your preferred podcast platform. Make sure to follow the show leave a review if you value these important conversations.

Sharif El-Mekki is the founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development, which is focused on revolutionizing education by dramatically increasing the number of Black educators. “People are naive enough to think that once you enter a school, racial bias disappears,” says El-Mekki. “If a Black child has a Black teacher, they have a higher sense of belonging, they’re less likely to be suspended or expelled. They have more access to rigorous courses, higher attendance, better grades.”

El-Mekki sees the work as a form of activism. “Educational justice and racial justice are connected and cannot be separated,” he stresses. Join us to learn more about a truly different approach to equity in the classroom and beyond.

This episode is part of Add Passion and Stir’s ongoing series Rebuilding which connects with leaders from across media, restaurants, education, government, and beyond to learn they’re reimagining and redesigning their industries to make sure everyone feels a sense of belonging.

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