As a social media junkie, I spend countless hours surfing through hundreds of profile pages on different platforms. In the wake of COVID-19 and rising racial tensions over the cumulative loss of Black lives at the hands of corrupt police officers, my social media activity has increased even more.
I must admit that it has been difficult to dodge the perpetual cycle of media coverage around the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. But during this dark time, these Instagram educators have given me a sense of hope and have preached the anti-racist gospel in a way that has soothed my soul:
Shauna Brown, an instructional leader and STEM educator based in Connecticut, is the founder of Teach for the Culture, a social justice organization dedicated to empowering and positively affirming its clientele by fostering a sense of pride in culture and self, in the field of education and beyond. An outspoken advocate for educational equity and justice, she uses her Instagram page to share powerful, gut-wrenching quotes and social commentary that speak to the injustices that students of color face in schools and their communities.
Erica Buddington is the founder and CEO of Langston League, an educational consulting firm that specializes in teaching educators to design and implement culturally responsive, sustaining instructional material and professional development. On her Instagram page, you can find posts of her book recommendations for teachers and students to read about Black culture, Black history and racism. She recently launched the Decolonized series, which features history curriculum designed to be a supplemental resource for middle school teachers and students.
Francoise Thenoux, popularly known as “The Woke Spanish Teacher”, is an anti-bias educator based in Philadelphia. A true champion for educational equity, she proactively blends themes of social justice, gender inclusivity, and intersectionality in the Spanish curriculum for early childhood and elementary students. On her Instagram page, you can find insightful quotes and other commentary (both in Spanish and English) that focus on Latinx culture, Black culture and gender inclusivity. She also has a Teachers Pay Teachers store where teachers can purchase Spanish learning resources to teach their students about social justice and the history of Black, Latinx and Indigenous peoples.
I taught my students how to say this in Spanish so every time and add would come up in a video we would all say “No hoy, Satán” Anyway, I’ve been going through a difficult immigration process that has been draining my body and soul. Those of you who are immigrants, know what I’m taking about. The process hasn’t even gotten started yet and I have already had to collect 100 pieces of evidence to prove how worthy I am. I’m utterly depleted. This morning though- I say not today Satan! This morning I choose joy! I’m going to sit here in peace and joy with my Chai tea and read this wonderful (and super awaited!) book that I just got in my mailbox. I’ve already looked through the illustrations and I’m loving it! 
Thank you @j_m_ellison @astratesh for creating this mix of rainbows, love and revolution so we can share with our young ones. I’m giggling here with the “Alice in a blue dress” reference. Amor y Resistencia 
PS: I just finished reading it and it is perfect for our elementary kids!!!!! Just perfect- the way it is narrated is super child friendly 
Akiea Gross is an abolitionist educator and the mastermind behind Woke Kindergarten, an organization that specializes in providing anti-racist curriculum for early childhood students. The curriculum also covers the themes of gender inclusivity and intersectionality. On the Instagram page, young students are guaranteed to learn a Woke Word of the Day, listen to a Woke Read Aloud, and so much more! To get full access to the read alouds, you can subscribe to the Woke Kindergarten YouTube channel.
This resource is anti-racist and gives kids insight into what the words "abolish" and "abolition" mean within present day and historical contexts. This resource is 13 slides—only 6 are shown here out of order. You need all 13 slides or this doesn’t work. click the link in our bio to download. Now more than ever, kids are hearing the word “abolish” in reference to many of the systems that are blatantly & unapologetically harmful to Black, Indigenous and POC communities. This resource, like our Protest resource, gives relevant, actionable & youth centered insight into what we mean when we say “abolition now.” It requires you to do research of your own. The only way to engage with or teach this resource with fidelity is to do the necessary unlearning/learning it requires. @zinneducationproject is our recommended place to start. Learn more about abolitionists and the history of abolition. Once you learn about Angela Davis, go read her books. Some images belong to Zinn Education Project and Sugarland Ethno-History Project. This resource is "pay what you can". The base price for this is $10. We've realized we are not reaching kids & families who do not have equitable access to digital resources, so each download of this WWOTD ensures we can ideate & develop ways to get these resources to communities for whom this digital accessibility is inequitable. We have amassed a lot of white followers, so please do your part in ensuring we can get these resources out. Make sure when using these resources, you give proper credit & direct people to the website & resources so they can acquire them on their own. #BlackTeachersMatter **all of our resources are available to Black families that we might not be reaching for free. I ask that anyone who works directly with kids & families that Woke Kindergarten is not reaching digitally, e-mail us so we can be connected ASAP. In love & solidarity. all power to the little people.University of San Francisco multicultural education doctoral students Eghosa Obaizamomwan Hamilton and Gertrude Jenkins co-founded the Making Us Matter virtual high school, a collective of volunteer Black educators providing interim academic instruction in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The curriculum features course offerings that are designed to “recognize, emphasize, and humanize Blackness” through a critical thinking and social justice lens. Ourstory (Real History), Portrayals of Blackness in Film, It’s Lit (Language Arts) are just a few of the courses that the school offers. This is ALL FREE! If you’re interested in enrolling a student in the school or serving as a volunteer teacher, visit the school’s website to get more information.
Hope you are feeling healthy and positive as we continue through this thing together~ This is just a quick recap for Unit 1: Black Bodies and the Criminal (In)Justice System to share the content that we covered! Our students were able to explore the theme dynamically throughout each of our core classes and electives 
A huge thank you to our amazing teachers for all the hard work and their ingenuity! Looking forward to another successful round of courses; spread the word and get involved 
_ (Soldier by Erykah Badu; we do not own the rights to this song)These educators serve as a great starting point for anyone interested in learning more about social justice and anti-racism. Pick up your phones and follow them now. You can thank me later.
Colorado News
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