Confessions of a Single Parent (Actress)

I attended the first School Board meeting at the School District of Philadelphia on Monday, July 9, 2018. The set up looked very similar to the previous School Reform Comission meetings, but the energy in the air was different, it was expectant. It opened with the appointment of the President pro tiemp, Dr. McKinley. Then after some quick introductions we started hearing the over 30 speakers. The constant theme across most of the speakers focused on the lack of democracy and transparency regarding the status of Strawberry Mansion, the demand for more Black Educators, funding for female sports, and most importantly, the hope that this new local control will be different then before. The standout testimony was given by Tonyah Bah, who compared the state of public education to Willie Lynch. Her truth about the harm to Black and Brown bodies and minds struck a chord with the listeners, and the new School Board. The board only nominated a single person for the role of President, Joyce...

I am currently involved in a campaign with several organizations to shine a bright light on the need for more Black Educators, and more importantly to provide actual strategies to make it a reality. Outside of the research and studies that support the presence of Black educators and the powerful impact they have on all students regardless of race and ethnicity, there also exists the personal testimonials. Here is mine: As a student, all of the memories I have of being seen or being uplifted were usually with a teacher. A Black teacher. And throughout my educational life, which spanned across K-12, undergraduate and graduate, I can only recount a few educators (Black and White) who provided any kind of light or hope. Or who didn't set out to diminish me. The first instance was Ms. Jaunes, a strict Black teacher who was feared by most but is the reason that I got on the honor roll. She tutored me and helped me truly understand how smart I really was. I was new to the school, an...