Philly's 7th Ward •

Halloween: A Time To Learn Black Resistance - Philly's 7th Ward

Another Halloween has dawned upon us. Depending on how you look at it, Halloween a time for children of all ages to dress up and have fun collecting candy on a crisp fall evening or it can be a time for parents to regular a child’s sugar intake at the conclusion of trick-or-treating. Halloween may be considered the unofficial start of the holiday season or just another day on the calendar. At the very least, most Americans like Halloween. According to a 2021 poll, most Americans like Hallo...
Philly's 7th Ward •

In Tribute To Frankie Beverly - Philly's 7th Ward

It is often said that Blackness is not a monolith. This may be true about most things. But when it comes to soul music, we’re largely a homogeneous group. Soul music is who we are because the music speaks of the essence of the Black experience; how we live, love, and always look forward to a brighter day. On September 10, 2024, we learned that one of the mighty keepers of that tradition transitioned to an ancestor, and African America mourned. North Philadelphia’s Howard Stanley Beverly, affe...
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How Schools Can Ease the Stress - Philly's 7th Ward

I love my children—the children I helped create. They can be a handful, but I cannot imagine life without them. However, raising them in this world is stressful. Thankfully, I have a partner and we work together but even then, parenting remains stressful. It seemed like only other parents could validate this truth. Now, we have further validation from the U.S. Surgeon General. In August, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health...
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The Lessons That Adorn My Classroom Walls - Philly's 7th Ward

Early in my teaching career, I was a push-in teacher. It wasn’t because of my content but more out of necessity. Space was often limited; I wasn’t a homeroom teacher. The idea of having my own classroom was really foreign to me. Last year was the first year I was given a classroom. I serve a dual role: teacher and director. I usually have my own office. However, because office space was limited, I was given a classroom. Since I teach, it made sense. Initially, I had to get used to having my o...
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Acknowledgment over Appropriation: How White Teachers Can Build Meaningful Connection with Black Students - Philly's 7th Ward

As an educator, I am privileged to work with Black students. Unfortunately, I was, more often than not, the only Black man teacher in those buildings where I taught. It’s a truth for most Black men teachers; we only comprise approximately 1.5% of teachers nationwide. However, that truth provided me with an insight into the experiences of Black and brown children with their white teachers, which sometimes mirrored my own experiences with some of my white teachers when in school.
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Prioritize Relationships And Then Routines And Rules - Philly's 7th Ward

The start of the new school year is an opportunity to establish new connections with a different set of students and start afresh. Starting fresh means applying the latest methods, teaching new lessons, and setting new goals. It also means establishing routines and ground rules to build a classroom culture that facilitates learning. Rules and routines are important and necessary: for classrooms and the school building. They keep the school flowing and they also keep students safe. However, he...
Philly's 7th Ward •

Hispanic Heritage Month & Black Resistance - Philly's 7th Ward

Black resistance is central to the Black experience in the United States and throughout the African diaspora. According to Herbert Aptheker, Black resistance took up eight different forms, including purchasing one’s freedom, flight to maroon communities, enlisting in the armed forces of colonial powers and the United States, and revolt or rebellion. The history of Black resistance can be found throughout American History. Because that history triggers white guilt, there is an active campaign...
Philly's 7th Ward •

Say Her Name… Correctly - Philly's 7th Ward

Kamala (Comma-La) Harris is the Vice President of the United States. She is also the Democratic candidate for president of the United States. Certainly, she deserves to have her name pronounced correctly. Yet, she’s received disrespect from conservatives. During a roundtable discussion on CNN, Congresswoman Nancy Lace (R-SC) blatantly mispronounced the Vice President’s name. The Congresswoman said she would “say Kamala’s name any way that I want to.”
Philly's 7th Ward •

The Religion of Whiteness - Philly's 7th Ward

Louisiana is the first state to mandate that a poster-size display of the Ten Commandments be in every classroom; from Kindergarten to higher education classrooms. The state has its republican governor and its majority republican legislature to thank for this new rule. Gov. Jeff Landry said, “If you want to respect the rule of law, you’ve got to start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses.” Similar bills requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms exist in other states...
Philly's 7th Ward •

DEI IS THE NEW N-WORD - Philly's 7th Ward

The terms/acronyms “woke,” “DEI,” and “CRT” are used in a derogatory way, interchangeably, as a coded language to signify or designate a Black person as either Black or the N-word. Political conservatives use these frequently. They’re not hiding their vitriol for any backlash against whiteness, white supremacy, and racial capitalism. They’re highlighting it and specifically, perpetuating harm done to Black people. Their narrative shaping unfortunately changes not only the use of these but als...
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The Importance of Finishing - Philly's 7th Ward

We live in a very results-driven society where finishing isn’t enough. In other words, how one performs often matters more than simply completing a performance. There is something to that. I don’t simply want a meal, I’d like a well-cooked meal. There’s greater satisfaction after eating a well-cooked meal, versus just a cooked meal. However, there is value in finishing the task of cooking. For example, using the same analogy, making a well-cooked dish isn’t a more important endeavor than o...
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Black Jobs in Education - Philly's 7th Ward

At the first presidential debate, former president Donald Trump remarked of immigrants that, “They’re taking Black jobs and they’re taking Hispanic jobs and you haven’t seen it yet but you’re going to see something that’s going to be the worst in our history.” His comment prompted myself and other Black people to ask themselves and others what exactly is a Black job. Of course, Black folks are always here for the jokes and social media had a field day, with various comments and a song to boot...
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Black Resistance Before The Brown Decision - Philly's 7th Ward

Two months ago, May 17, 2024, marked the seventieth anniversary of the Brown decision, which declared that the doctrine of separate but equal, established in the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case was unconstitutional. While the opinion of the High Court failed to properly account for how racist structures would adjust accordingly, the decision paved the way for the passage of the Civil Rights Act and even the Voting Rights Act.
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When Black Students Organize Are They Viewed As A Threat? - Philly's 7th Ward

What is it about Black people gathering (or loitering) that unsettles white folks, or makes them nervous? It unsettled white folks when enslaved Africans gathered for secret meetings at night. Because those meetings were with the purpose of resistance. Black folk taught each other to read, and planned actions of escape or actions of revolt. When recently emancipated Black folk gathered together, it unsettled white folks. It unsettled them because those meetings were with the purpose of libera...
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The Conservative Wait Game - Philly's 7th Ward

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, the state of Virginia abolished the observance of Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson (Lee-Jackson Day), which was the same day as MLK Day in January annually. That was done intentionally to, of course, detract from the celebration of Dr. King’s life and work as a civil rights activist—and a true reflection of the gospel of Jesus Christ, unlike the many white evangelicals who don’t align their views with the politically and economically oppressed, b...
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Reading is Revolutionary - Philly's 7th Ward

The most revolutionary thing any Black person can do is read. Not obtaining a gun license and purchasing firearms. Not voting. Not becoming financially secure. Not having a family… and to be clear, I think we should do those things and I believe all of those are revolutionary acts in an anti-Black society. And, while Malcolm X said, the most revolutionary thing a Black man can do is build a strong, cohesive family unit, I think he would agree that literacy comes first and helps all other revolut...
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If You Aren't Reading, You Ain't Really Teaching

It must be a practice of every educator to improve for the next school year. Each year should serve as game tape for the next year. We must reflect on the highs and lows of our praxis. We should continue with what worked and meet the challenges of what we must improve upon. Teachers and administrators must reflect on their praxis to improve as they plan for the next school year. To give an example, I turn to basketball. A great example is a fan favorite of the Delaware Valley, Tyrese Maxey.
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What Were Your Students Learning While They Were Doing Your Hair?

A few weeks ago, a Black man teacher posted a video on his social media account, TikTok to be specific. The video was of his primarily female students taking out his braids as he sat at his desk. He offered context to the video; speaking over the video recording saying that he needed help taking out his braids before his hair appointment after school. He cited his relationship with students to explain why those ladies unbraiding his hair was okay. He also shared that he had parents sign release
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What They’re Really Afraid Of...

Every single month is an opportunity for students to, in the spirit of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, review, reflect on, and recite all the Black history they learned the year prior. This was the original intention of Black History Month, originating as Negro History Week. However, due to the war on Black studies in the form of anti-woke and anti-CRT (Critical Race Theory) legislation around the country, it’s no guarantee that students are receiving an authentic version of Black history in the classroom
Philly's 7th Ward •

Black Teachers Are Staying In Schools, Even Though Some Of You Are Playing In Our Faces

Thankfully, we have the data that backs up that truth. Not that the words of students and parents aren’t enough. But for some, data is the most meaningful; subjective at best but I digress. Education Week highlighted the data that exposes the positive impact of Black teachers, specifically in the academic success of Black students: “Black students are more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college when they have just one Black teacher in elementary school. Black students are also
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