Pedro Santana’s Post

In 2019, I published, St. Louis School Desegregation: Patterns of Progress and Peril (Palgrave Macmillan). In the book, I use Missouri history to show why school desegregation still matters. At the time, I wrote about the death of Michael Brown as a worst-case scenario. Brown attended a segregated school and Officer Darren Wilson, who killed Brown, also attended a segregated school. I made the argument that if that if black teens and white police officers are meeting for the first time in the middle of a heated exchange, disaster will ensue. Now, we see more dangers of school segregation. A presidential candidate does not know that slavery was the central cause of the Civil War. This false narrative was carefully crafted by Southern schools who refuse to follow the Brown ruling in 1954. What types of decisions will a politician make regarding race, inequality, and discrimination if she was educated in a segregated school? How many other elected officials, corporate leaders, or Supreme Court justices were also educated in segregated schools? It matters because their education is shaping contemporary policy. Let's ask the hard questions. If we are as great as we claim, then we are strong enough to handle the challenges of learning hard history. Our future depends on it. #desegregation #americanhistory #teachers #teachertraining #privateschools The Miseducation of Nikki Haley https://lnkd.in/gxBi9CWa

What is the color combination of all of the pigments? The American freedom celebration, Juneteenth, compels us to advocate for human rights and humanitarianism, to speak truth against current illicit takings, and to feel peace in our hearts and in our communities. I feel such pride in my community which celebrates Juneteenth with festivals all week. The Richard Allen School, which hosts Juneteenth, was a segregated school until 1954, when school segregation was ruled unconstitutional. Brown. Delaware garnered national attention in the few months post-Brown v. Board of Education (May, 1954), when eleven 10th graders were admitted to a public school in Milford, DE, which soon closed after a supremacist rallied 1500 parents to oppose the Supreme Court mandate, and the school Board resigned. In September, 1954, the Board reconvened and decided to remove the eleven students "in the interest of the welfare of the children and the community as a whole." Eight years passed before school integration there was resumed. In 1963, in Birmingham, Alabama, Gov. Wallace refused to implement the 'Brown' law still years after it was enacted, so President Kennedy federalized the National Guard to safely escort students to school. The forced integration sparked civil rights violence based upon fabled supremacy of one color as better than another color, still a full century after Juneteenth. Juneteenth celebrates the day in 1865 when Southern slaves in Galveston learned they had been freed 2 years earlier by the Emancipation Proclamation. The Federal Order No. 3, delivered by General Granger, required “absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves,” and forged a new relationship “between employer and hired labor.” The U.S National Colored Troops, comprised of recently-freed Northern enslaved persons, coincidentally attended the announcement, and indicated that they would deliver the Order if Granger recanted his duty. In 1866, this select army became the Buffalo Soldiers, which are powerful icons at my state's Juneteenth celebrations. Juneteenth is also an allegory that represents ongoing, prosocial community manifestation. Sometimes enforcing equality is easy as a summer breeze. And it helps everyone. Happy Juneteenth! #Juneteenth #Healingjustice #Equalityiscurative #Freedom #communityartproject

Big win for charter schools! Black and Brown parents were under attack by the status quo, integrationist white people who want to control the bodies, minds and souls of Black and Brown children by discrediting their parents’ choice to put them in a charter school. These charter schools not only affirm their kid’s cultures, but they make them feel safe and provide more opportunities for quality education. That is what we want and NEED for our future leaders. Big win!! https://lnkd.in/gcaWA4ac Sahan Journal #charterschools #mneducation #educationnews

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

As the flaggrant bastardizing, villainizing, and erasure of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) campaigns across the U.S. continues, I am reminded that these mobilizing mobs of bigots and bootlicking plutocrats are the same mobs that undoubtedly would have shown up to lynchings with a picnic basket and a hammock 60-100 years ago. These racists are the same fragile as-a-dandelion ilk as those who screamed, taunted, and hurled eggs at the Little Rock Nine school children for integrating their alabaster, swaggerless schools. The current anti-DEI rhetoric is just a rebrand of white supremacist plantation politics in newfangled packaging. #LiberatoryJEDI #educationalequity #traumainformed #humancentered #transformativehumancentereddesign #healingorganized

I made this post last October & these are still my sentiments today!! EDUCATION FOR OUR CHILDREN IS STILL A PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY!! What’s happening in our public schools in Wisconsin is a #CRIME & I’m ready to hold EVERYONE involved accountable!!! ✊🏽 It’s NOT about public, charter, or choice … The facts are our children aren’t safe in our public schools & our children continue to #FAIL!! It’s NOT just a principal or teacher problem it’s a #SYSTEMIC problem!! Stop distracting us with this PUBLIC, CHARTER, CHOICE argument!! Our children are also failing because our #BLACK adults have allowed it!! We let anyone educate our children, indoctrinate them without input!! BLACK PEOPLE HAVE FAILED BLACK CHILDREN AS WELL!! You want our children back in public schools then provide safe environments, better lunches, renovate/ remodel or build new school buildings, make the class environments conducive for learning to take place, SMALLER class sizes, BETTER PAY FOR TEACHERS, make parental involvement mandatory, hold yourselves accountable … Invest in our inner city schools .. Our students shouldn’t have to attend “white” schools or conform to receive a GREAT public education.. .. If our public schools provided quality education there would be no need for alternative education .. .. I CHOOSE our CHILDREN/ Students!! For the record I’ve taught for public, charter, & choice schools .. I’ve also coached teachers who were also employed at public, charter, & choice schools .. I’m talking what I’ve experienced NOT heard .. The most travesty in education I’ve seen with my own eyes over the last 23 years came from our public schools! We MUST do better!! Wherever they are safe & are receiving a nonconforming, non biased, and effective education that’s where the money needs to go & that’s where our kids need to be!! .. I’ll save my opinion about hiring more district leaders & educators who live in the community for another time.. WE NEED MORE EDUCATORS IN OUR SCHOOLS WHO ARE INVESTED IN OUR COMMUNITY NOT JUST THOSE WHO ARE “helping po folks & their kids” .. I digress for now!! 🤣✌🏽✊🏽💚🙏🏽 #2023growup #drjohnson #educator @milwaukeemps @mteaunion @naacp @leonwrussell @derricknaacp @govevers @mayorofmilwaukee

On September 25, 1957, a landmark event in the American civil rights movement occurred when **Little Rock Central High School** officially desegregated, becoming a pivotal symbol of the struggle for racial equality in the United States. This event was marked by the courage of nine African American students who boldly integrated the previously all-white school in Little Rock, Arkansas, amidst severe hostility and resistance. The nine students, who became known as the **Little Rock Nine**, aimed to attend the high school following the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954, which ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Despite this landmark ruling, the path to integration was fraught with challenges, particularly in the South, where segregationist sentiments ran strong. On the first day of school, September 4, 1957, the Little Rock Nine arrived at the school only to be met by an angry mob and the Arkansas National Guard, who were ordered to prevent them from entering. The situation escalated, drawing national attention and revealing the deep-seated racial tensions in the country. President **Dwight D. Eisenhower** responded to the crisis by sending federal troops to enforce the students' right to attend the school, demonstrating the federal government's commitment to upholding civil rights. On September 25, after weeks of turmoil, the Little Rock Nine finally gained entry into Central High School, escorted by U.S. Army soldiers. Despite facing verbal and physical abuse from fellow students, they persevered with courage and dignity, becoming trailblazers in the fight for civil rights and equality in education. Their efforts shed light on the injustices of segregation and inspired countless others to advocate for change. The story of the Little Rock Nine is a powerful testament to resilience and the relentless pursuit of justice. Their bravery not only changed the course of their own lives but also paved the way for future generations of students to attend integrated schools, helping to dismantle the system of segregation in the United States. As we commemorate this pivotal event in history, we reflect on the importance of standing up for what is right and the impact of collective action in driving social change. **What lessons can we learn from the resilience of the Little Rock Nine in addressing current social justice issues?** #LittleRockNine #CivilRights #Integration #SocialJustice #History #Resilience

Today marks the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education which struck down racial segregation in America's public schools. But want to know a dirty little secret? By 1965, seven states had enacted private school voucher programs (or "school choice") as a way to avoid desegregation. Over the years they have grown to 26 states with the support of anti-government activists, Christian fundamentalists, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and others so that "...today most white students attending private schools remain in virtually segregated schools – schools where students of color represent only a token portion of the student population..." This is why vouchers are a racial justice and church-state separation issue. Read more below at Americans United for Separation of Church and State: https://lnkd.in/g4xx6MxG

EDUCATION | THIS DAY IN HISTORY On September 4, 1957, the Little Rock Nine, a group of nine African American students, enrolled at Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, marking a significant moment in the American civil rights movement and the struggle for educational equality. This event was a direct challenge to racial segregation in public schools following the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954). For further reading, you can refer to: 1. **"Warriors Don’t Cry" by Melba Pattillo Beals** - A memoir by one of the Little Rock Nine that details her experiences. 2. **National Park Service** - [Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site](https://lnkd.in/dUxjhGx) for historical context and resources related to this event. 3. **"The Little Rock Nine: A Primary Source History of the Fight Against School Segregation" by Karen L. Harris** - This book provides insights into the events and their impact on education and civil rights. These resources offer more context about the significance of this educational milestone. #education #thisdayinhistory

#Schoolchoice isn’t some newfangled trend for Black folks. It’s woven into the very fabric of our fight for education, resistance, and liberation. While others slam shut doors and whisper “not good enough,” we’ve been kicking them wide open, building our own damn schools, brick by brick, book by brilliant Black mind. Remember segregation’s suffocating walls? We used “choice” as a battering ram, sending our kids to freedom schools, makeshift classrooms in churches and basements, anywhere it meant escaping the poisoned well of #JimCrow education. Fast forward, the script changes, but the struggle remains. Unequal funding, biased curriculums, teachers who don’t see our potential – still not good enough. So, we dust off our choice toolbox, charter schools, homeschooling, whatever it takes to shape our children’s futures, not some pre-packaged, one-size-fits-none mold. Now, some folks wanna rewrite history, paint us as pawns in their political chess game. Don’t let them. Our fight for choice ain’t about trendy hashtags or soundbites. It’s about the legacy of generations past, the mothers who walked miles for decent schools, the fathers who toiled night and day to fund scholarships. It’s about the burning desire to see our children thrive, not just survive. So, the next time someone tries to diminish our fight for choice, remind them: Black families have been choosing freedom since the first bell of oppression rang. #BlackChoiceHistory #EducationLiberation #MoreThanATrend #WeBuiltThis #BlackFuturesMatter #UnheardVoices #RewriteTheNarrative #OurLegacyOfChoice #StillFighting https://lnkd.in/eaMMCvcv