MDRC’s Post

🎉 As my birthday week reflections continue, and thanks to EVERYONE who has given me recommendations on their favorite history books, today I focus on another transformative event in our nation's history. I want us to remember the brave actions of the Little Rock Nine, a group of young Black students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas amidst severe racial tensions in 1957. In fact, the crisis at Little Rock escalated to such an extent that on September 24, 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower found it necessary to deploy the National Guard to enforce the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision from 1954. This marked the first time a sitting president had deployed federal troops to enforce civil rights since Reconstruction. I encourage you to dig deeper into this chapter of our history— I bet you’ll find TONS of relevance to today’s landscape. [https://lnkd.in/gaF9ZCGk] The Little Rock Nine faced unimaginable challenges with a dignity that inspires us all. They were not merely students; they were pioneers of justice. This story is a poignant reminder of the crucial role of education in shaping a just society. At The CAFE Group, through our 1954 Project, we draw inspiration from such historical milestones to fuel our commitment to advancing educational equity through more equitable philanthropic practices. We work to ensure that future generations are empowered to pursue justice and innovation without facing the barriers that once seemed insurmountable. 🎁 Continuing with my birthday week theme, I ask each of you to share stories or books about other events or figures that have deepened your understanding of history. If you didn’t get a chance to name one yesterday, please take a moment to do so now. Let’s draw inspiration from our past to build a better future…for ALL of us. #TheCAFEGroup #CivilRights #LittleRockNine #EducationEquality #HistoryLessons #SocialJustice #BirthdayReflections #LoveIsMySuperpower

🎒 NEW CASE STUDY: The Black Mothers Forum (BMF), established in 2016 to combat institutional racism in Phoenix-area schools, responded to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic by creating a network of microschools. With Black leadership and a focus on racial justice, BMF fills a unique niche in a region where Black families are often underrepresented. In 2022, CRPE documented BMF's efforts to launch these microschools.  Our newest case study from Travis Pillow and Eupha Jeanne Daramola revisits Black Mothers Forum, with an eye toward the pedagogical tensions and questions of sustainability. From a single location, the BMF’s network has grown to five microschools across two locations, with plans to start more microschools in the 2023-24 school year. Arizona’s school funding laws provide support for these microschools to operate, but are they sustainable? Learn more:

RESPECT The Haven Community Development Corporation is collaborating with the Center For Transforming Communities on their public health initiative. Advocating for equitable public health policies and programs in communities of color to improve the physical, mental, spiritual and social well being of the black community. We are attending a powerful Measuring Love training. Basically asking how do you measure and show love to the black community. While going through this training I thought about the Black Code of Conduct that RESPECT The Haven CDC has adopted for our 95 percent Black community of Whitehaven. Dr. Claud Anderson, author of Powernomics, The National Plan To Empower Black America says every Black community should adopt a Code of Conduct. How we will love each other, care for each other and support each other. RESPECT The Haven CDC believes by following these rules of conduct we will grow in LOVE and RESPECT for one another. My question to you is how do you measure love?

BSR offices in the U.S. will be closed today in observance of Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in America, as Union soldiers marched on Galveston, Texas in 1865. 159 years later, we acknowledge the continued impact of racialized systemic oppression on Black communities throughout the United States and beyond. Whether your company chooses to recognize or observe this holiday, there is an opportunity to approach its commemoration in a way that advances DEI and social justice efforts within your organization. For BSR members, several resources developed by our Equity, Inclusion & Justice (EIJ) team are available in the member portal to help you get started, such as: Allies+: Ally, Advocate, and Accomplice: https://lnkd.in/gZnn_95H; and Inclusive Leadership: https://lnkd.in/gXmT9wrm. For all viewers, we're also pleased to share The Social Justice Guide for Business: Moving Beyond Crisis to Action, developed by BSR's Center for Business and Social Justice: https://lnkd.in/d-ZyUKtZ. We welcome you to engage with these resources and/or reach out to our team, ready to partner with you to further your DEI ambitions and programming. Email us at web@bsr.org. We stand resolute that to achieve sustainability, we must promote equity and justice. #happyjuneteenth, #DEI, #sustainablebusiness

Newman's Own Foundation with a grant opportunity for organizations focused on food justice for kids. Paul M. Angell Family Foundation with a grant opportunity for certain Latino arts organizations. From their websites: > Newman's. "Is your organization working towards food justice for kids in the United States? If so, this is your chance to receive up to $100,000 in grant funding over the next 2 years and deepen your impact! Apply by June 11, 2024." > Paul M Angell. "Mini grants are available for small Latino arts organizations which have budgets of under $200,000.00. Awards are $5,000.00 for grounds with budgets up to $100,000.00 and $7,500.00 for groups with budgets from $100,000.00 up to $200,000.00." Applications due June 7.

Check out Jana Boddy, as she advocates for kindergarten classrooms rich in play! You can read more about her in the Fall issue of Young Children.

Low-income Black + Latino students are 𝟴𝘅 less likely to graduate from high school if they are not reading proficiently by 3rd grade. When children cannot read, they cannot learn. When we say ""every child deserves to read"", we mean 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 child. Investing in high quality early learning through 3rd grade benefits ALL children, ALL families, and ALL communities. Learn more: https://brnw.ch/21wIRs9

The #NAACP dropped a resolution on charter schools, and some folks are acting like Black people can’t have a mind of their own. You can be Black. You can be proud. And you can DEFINITELY want to choose your child’s school. #SorryNotSorry this ain’t just about charter schools, it’s about choice. For Black families, opportunity hasn’t always been abundant. We’ve had to fight for everything we have, including the right to choose what’s best for our kids. This isn’t about abandoning public schools, it’s about having options. The narrative around charter schools used to have me singing the same tune. Grandparents were educators, I led racial justice movements – the anti-charter school message was all I knew. Times change, and education needs to evolve too. Some public schools are amazing, some... not so much. Choice empowers parents to find the environment where their child can thrive. This isn’t about blind support for charter schools – it’s about demanding quality education for ALL kids, regardless of zip code or race. #EquityInEducation So, let’s move beyond the stereotypes. Black families deserve a seat at the table, a voice in their child’s education, and the right to choose the path to success. What are your thoughts on school choice? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments! #UnitedWeEducate #BlackExcellence #SchoolChoiceForTheFuture #PowerToThePeople #EveryKidThrives #BreakingTheCycle https://lnkd.in/eh8qWXB8

Today participants met at the Atlanta airport and took a shuttle to Montgomery, Alabama. So many amazing people doing this type of work in various parts of Illinois. The conversations are so uplifting and hopeful. Tomorrow we will go on tours and reflect together. About the Project: Journeys to Justice: Reckoning with Illinois’ History and Legacy of Anti-Black Terror This project brings together community partners and community-engaged scholars who are involved in the research and commemoration/memorialization of historical anti-Black race riots, massacres, and lynchings across the state of Illinois. Within the Illinois Journeys to Justice coalition, project partners embrace a trauma-informed approach to research and commemoration, centering health and justice for communities most impacted by the history and ongoing legacies of racial terror. Core partners represent Southwestern Illinois, Central Illinois, and Chicago, with plans to expand to all corners of Illinois- advancing a statewide approach to one of Illinois history’s most defining themes. The core project activities are a trip for Illinois residents to the Equal Justice Initiative sites in Montgomery, Alabama (September 2024)- the nation’s most significant institution for commemorating racial violence- with a follow-up symposium and workshop at the Old State Capitol Historic Site in Springfield (April 2025). Our intended audience for the workshop and symposium consists of members of communities impacted by the legacy of anti-Black terror, community members, and cultural professionals engaged in the research and commemoration of such events; higher education academic researchers, scholars, and teachers; secondary and middle grades social science teachers; undergraduate and graduate students; and state, local, and federal governmental officials. #journey #justice #truth #history #illinois #antiblackness #terror #tours #alabama #community #togetherwecan #bethehealing #reparations #healing #oneness

Up for some social studies PD this weekend? Check out this conference, in person for the NY folks, or virtually. I'll be speaking about how to re-imagine social studies activities for k-6, moving away from harm and to celebration. https://lnkd.in/euATG2an