EduColor Advocates for Children of Color in Public Schools
via http://www.theblackhomeschool.com/
This year marks the 10th anniversary of when I started writing online. As a teacher, there were a lot of reasons that I wanted to expand my classroom to be inclusive of a broader world: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could use the Internet,” I thought, “to connect my students to their classrooms or places we can’t physically go because it’s too far?” Except, I found that I was just as in need of community and connection as my students were.
Of the many online friends I’ve made in that time, José Luis Vilson is one of the voices that made me feel I wasn’t alone as a teacher of color in a predominantly white school district. It can be hard to find someone who believes in the same educational pedagogy intersected that with equality and justice. For instance, a part of my belief system is that “all children can learn” — but this gets push-back in the larger public sphere when we look at how marginalized kids of color are in our system. José’s book, This is Not a Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education, made me nod so much in agreement that it felt as though I was reading words that I could have written.
José and a group of other like-minded activists created EduColor – a space for public school advocates and educators who have a perspective and voice on educational equity and justice. The mission is to elevate those voices that are so often marginalized within our own working systems. How could I, an educator in Illinois, reach out to someone in New York City who understands the individual work I’m doing on a national level?
That’s what educators do: we move around in various spaces until we find one that fits the purpose of continuing to teach.
I was already connected to many of the EduColor originators, including Sabrina Stevens, Melinda Anderson, Liz Dwyer, via online platforms — somehow, we had found one another through common concerns about education. The articles and stories we posted were so familiar it felt like I had found a tribe. We were all connected on Twitter and moved those relationships to other social media platforms. That’s what educators do: we move around in various spaces until we find one that fits the purpose of continuing EduColor Advocates for Children of Color in Public Schools - Scenarios USAScenarios USA:
