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Rann Miller

I’m a freelance writer, published author and a former teacher. I have contributed to scholarly journals, text books, and many different platforms on the topics of race in higher education, urban schools, sports and the African American diaspora, and professional development for educational professionals. In addition to those things, I serve as an program director for a local school district, a professional development facilitator and also a public speaker.

NJ Urban News •

The Neo-Colonization of a School District Part 1: An Introduction – NJ Urban News

Emily Dickinson once wrote about hope. She said, “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops… at all.” Her words were the beginning of a poem on how hope quietly sustains the human spirit during the worst of times.


Written in 1862, I allow myself to think that hope perched in the souls of Black folk… perched in the souls of the enslaved at the dawn of emancipation when many dropped hammer and hoe for a gun and bayonet. Perched...
Inquirer.com •

Colin Kaepernick, ‘Black August,’ and the legacy of Black athlete activism | Opinion

It’s been said that a social movement can start with the smallest gestures. Ten years ago this month, a simple act by Colin Kaepernick sparked a movement. He chose to protest the playing of the national anthem by sitting and later kneeling, breaking with the norm of showing respect and pride by standing. On Aug. 26, 2016, during a preseason game, Kaepernick was photographed sitting on the bench as the anthem was being played. When questioned by reporters, Kaepernick explained:“I am not going to...
Christianity Today •

Teaching Black History in the Trump Age - Christianity Today

A program modeled after the Freedom Schools of the 60s is helping kids at my church know their history.Since assuming power, the Trump administration has aimed to guard the myth of America’s history as uniformly inclusive, above critique, and unifying, and it has protected the sensibilities of its predominantly white political base along the way. As a result, we’ve seen commemorations of African American history revised to soften the moral failings of the US and its founders, or removed and then...
Front Runner New Jersey - Highlighting the People, •

The President’s House Isn’t Ours Anymore. So Let’s Build Something That Is - Front Runner New Jersey

Let Trump Have It.

Donald Trump wants the President’s House to whitewash history; let him. With apologies to the work of the activist groups who’ve worked to get the story of enslavement told at the site, including the respected Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, I think it’s time we reconcile the fact that this house that enslaved African people belongs to the state. The state refuses to be held accountable.

The federal appeals court that...
Philly's 7th Ward •

Teach Young People Reading as a Tool of Resistance - Philly's 7th Ward

I remember being a young student and always looking forward to the summer. What I didn’t look forward to was summer reading. The selections never felt like anything I could sink my teeth into. When I see some of the readings my own children are assigned for the summer, I realize that, sadly, little has changed in that way.


Schools should be creating strong readers. That doesn’t happen by simply teaching children how to read. It also happens by introducing texts to children. Much has been made...
Front Runner New Jersey - Highlighting the People, •

Calling on Black College Athletes To Boycott PWIs Is Grasping at Straws - Front Runner New Jersey

Black “leaders” have to stop calling on Black collegiate athletes to boycott playing sports whenever white people choose to be racist.

It’s weak to expect young people to bear the burden of sacrifice against anti-Black racism when we (the adults) haven’t.

As a result of the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, the NAACP has called for a Black athlete boycott of PWIs (predominantly white [collegiate] institutions) in GOP-led sta...
NJ Urban News •

Sherrill's Mess: Delaney Hall and the Myth of the Good Democrat – NJ Urban News

Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing column called Camden Front and Center, analyzing the city’s politics, development, and power structures. It reflects the author’s examination and perspective on how decisions by political, business, and civic leaders impact the city’s Black and Latino residents.To the “Blue No Matter Who” crowd of liberals who argue that a Republican in executive office will do (greater) harm to people than a Democrat in a similar position, what do you have to sa...
NJ Urban News •

Is It Too Late? Camden Revokes Recycling Facility's License – NJ Urban News

There’s a saying that goes, better late than never. In some cases, this is true. An example is trying a renowned restaurant after folks have raved over it. Another example is learning a new piece of information well after it became available. But over time, I’ve learned that better than late is being on time–if not being early. 


In the saga of EMR’s lithium battery fires in Camden, councilman Arthur Barclay announced Monday evening that the city would be revoking EMR’s business license, as re...
Philly's 7th Ward •

Our Kids Need Us to Fight For Black History In Schools - Philly's 7th Ward

As a student, Black history gave me a sense of pride and belonging in my community, even though my knowledge was nowhere near as expansive as it is today. I knew enough to realize that my future–the person I would become and the life I would lead–was bigger than just me. I knew that my life was part of a lineage, even though I couldn’t quite understand what that meant. It explained why my parents, my grandparents, and my community were so invested in my academic success.
Inquirer.com •

The NAACP is out of bounds | Opinion

The NAACP’s “Out of Bounds” campaign, calling for Black college athletes to boycott playing at universities within GOP-led states engaging in voting rights suppression, comes from a genuine place to fight against Black voter disenfranchisement. However, the campaign’s architects failed to consider the undeniable realities that require a more strategic approach to multifaceted circumstances.One circumstance concerns the landscape of college sports, particularly regarding labor compensation. Years...
Front Runner New Jersey - Highlighting the People, •

Pressing Forward: Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil - Front Runner New Jersey

There’s a saying that actions speak louder than words. However, doing the right thing starts by saying the right thing. Because while actions are important, speaking truth to power is an important action. It’s advocacy for those whose voices are ignored or silenced. That was the work of the most powerful orators and truth-tellers America has ever seen. I believe that many of us wish for the ability to inspire change in the hearts of men a...
NJ Urban News •

Camden School Closures: Follow the Money, Not the Rhetoric – NJ Urban News

When Camden tried to close three magnet schools amid a $91M deficit, students protested — and won. But the deeper fight over who controls Camden’s schools isn’t over.Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing column called Camden Front and Center, analyzing the city’s politics, development, and power structures. It reflects the author’s examination and perspective on how decisions by political, business, and civic leaders impact the city’s Black and Latino residents.
Philly's 7th Ward •

Black History Debunks American Propaganda and Mythology

In chapter 17 of his seminal work Black Reconstruction in America, titled “The Propaganda of History,” W.E.B. DuBois details the lessons American school children and college students are learning about the Reconstruction Era in the 1930s, according to the textbooks and “historians” of the time. He mentions three dominant theses: (1) all Black people were ignorant; ignorant of the way things are done in all manner of business e.g. politics, finance, actual business, etc., (2) all Black people were lazy, dishonest and extravagant; like children, Black people’s only discipline was to their selfish desire, oblivious to any higher cause than self, and (3) Black people were the reason for bad government established during the Reconstruction Era. This is propaganda; the sort of propaganda Black historians and educators sought to debunk. And they did in many cases. The work of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black history, and the sociologist and historian W.E.B. DuBois worked to debunk and did debunk the irreverent propaganda of white folks against Black people. But it did not come without backlash.
Progressive.org •

Who’s Thinking of the Children, Since Trump Isn’t?

When President Donald Trump laid off nearly 1,400 workers from the Department of Education last year, he knew that his actions would make it much harder for the department to carry out its core tasks to protect students. The layoffs were part of a larger strategy: Trump’s ultimate goal is to shut down the Department of Education for good, and he has since shifted many of the department’s primary functions to other cabinet departments, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Labor, and the Department of State. Before Trump’s second administration, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) protected the rights of students from marginalized groups in schools receiving federal funding by enforcing anti-discrimination laws in areas such as admissions, athletics, and discipline. Those marginalized groups include students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, and students of color, including African American students.
Front Runner New Jersey •

Two Truths and a Warning

After a spirited campaign and an equally spirited election night, Jasmine Crockett lost the Democratic primary to James Talarico for a Texas Senate seat. The Associated Press called the race in the wee hours of the morning. Crockett has since conceded and endorsed her primary opponent in the general election. There will be plenty of time to assess where the Crockett campaign and Crockett herself went wrong. Blame for her loss will be tossed around as well. Black men may be blamed, mistakenly, as they were when Kamala Harris lost the presidency in 2024. Black voters in general may get blamed. The Texas Republican Party will be blamed first for redistricting Crockett’s House Seat and for their 11th-hour stunt on election night. CBS may be blamed for unintentionally giving Talarico an audience after not airing his interview with Stephen Colbert. Crockett and the campaign will catch some blame for their approach. The good news, however, is that there’s enough blame to go around… because two or more things can be true at the same time.
Philly's 7th Ward •

Black Educators Teach From the Soul

When I entered the teaching profession, I had no idea what type of teacher I would become. I wasn’t even sure if I could do the job, despite having the ability. What I was aware of was the awesome responsibility I had for teaching Black and Latino youth. With that in mind, teaching became a debt to repay. It was a repayment to the many Black and Latino educators who poured into me, a Camden City, New Jersey kid. But teaching also became an opportunity to provide what I didn’t get enough of when I was in high school, diasporic African history, and an accurate portrayal of American history. Many years removed from those early years of teaching, I continue to refine my teaching approach while incorporating the qualities of a counselor, mentor, and even parental influence for those who require. My classroom feels more like a living room than a classroom, with a couch, carpet, and pictures of the students all over the wall, because over the years, they’ve become family.
NJ Urban News •

What it Means That Jalen Hurts Came to Camden – NJ Urban News

I’ve lived in New Jersey all my life, and yet I remain fascinated by the state’s cultural construction. North Jersey is influenced by New York City. South Jersey is influenced by Philadelphia. There’s no better explanation of how that works than in sports team fandom. North Jersey football fans, for example, root for the Giants and the Jets. South Jersey football fans root for the Eagles. Central Jersey isn’t influenced by anyone because…there is no Central Jersey. Only North and South,...
Philly's 7th Ward •

5 Steps to Actually Build the Black Teacher Pipeline - Philly's 7th Ward

What was once a pipeline for funneling Black teachers and prospective Black teachers—particularly Black men—has become an attachment of leaky pipes, with many candidates falling through the cracks. Some pipes have even been removed to dismantle the pipeline itself. This is the work of the Trump Administration, whose executive orders have targeted Black education by taking aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Those attacks may receive the most attention, but it’s the actual leaks i...
NJ Urban News •

Camden Is Burning: EMR And The NJ Political Machine

Every time I’ve heard those lyrics, it’s usually from the collective mouths of enthusiastic partygoers to let you know that the party is lit, as the young people say. That chant usually means the music is right, the drinks are flowing, and the crowd’s energy is incredible. In other words, everybody is having a great time. No one actually wants anything to burn, but under the right circumstances, if something did catch fire, the crowd likely wouldn’t stop it. Unless the crowd is made up of Camden City residents, and the fire is at an EMR recycling facility. Although “burn” could mean a good time, for Camden residents, it is a literal, toxic threat. The EMR fires have exhausted a community that both wants and needs water.
Front Runner New Jersey - Highlighting the People, •

Black History in Real Time at Philadelphia’s President’s House

This year, on the one-hundred-year anniversary of Negro History Week, which became Black History Month, the nation, but specifically the Philadelphia metropolitan area, got a chance to witness Black history in real time. Philadelphia and the nation witnessed Carter Woodson’s vision come to life through the advocacy of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), led by attorney and activist Michael Coard. I met Mr. Coard over a decade ago at a conference a few friends and I put together at Drexel University.
Word In Black •

Teaching Black History Shouldn't Start with Teaching 'Black Firsts'

Growing up, much of the Black history I was taught focused on the people and events surrounding so-called “Black Firsts”: Jackie Robinson was the first to play Major League Baseball; Sidney Poitier was the first to win an Oscar; and W.E.B. Du Bois was the first to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Lately, though, I’ve shared with anyone who would listen that teaching Black history shouldn’t start with teaching about Black Firsts. In my opinion, being the first Black person to do something...
NJ Urban News •

Are Camden’s Eds And Meds A Form Of Colonialism?
 – NJ Urban News

One thing policymakers and stakeholders tout in Camden is the Eds and Meds corridor in downtown Camden. Eds (universities) and Meds (hospitals and medical facilities) are part of the economic infrastructure of a city or metro area that, along with government and a few corporate institutions, serve as the primary employers and financial catalysts for many citywide initiatives. According to the Brookings Institution, these institutions bring new income to a metropolitan area, raise metropolita...
Front Runner New Jersey - Highlighting the People, •

Pressing Forward: Important Black History Month Truths

February 2026 doesn’t just mark this year’s celebration of Black History Month; it also marks the 100-year anniversary of Black History Month, originally Negro History Week. Beginning in 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson conceived of an institution to correct the lies told about Black people and Black history, while simultaneously reclaiming Black history to inspire Black people—particularly Black youth—to action, namely on behalf of African Americans within an anti-Black society. This is the understanding we all must have when “reverencing” Black History Month and celebrating this momentous anniversary.
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