Our panel discussion looked to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark Supreme Court case that transformed the landscape of American education. Participants reflected on the case's historical significance, its impact on desegregation and the challenges that persist in achieving educational equity. This program was made possible with a grant from the Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy. A special thank you to our valued partner, the Office of Outreach and Community Engagement within the UB's Graduate School of Education.

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The Authors of Color in Schools program is a racial literacy initiative designed to bring children's book authors into direct contact with local school children through engaging workshops. In this program, children read a selected book by a BIPOC author and participate in an interactive event with that writer. Students participating in Say Yes Buffalo summer programs participate in these workshops which provide them with the opportunity to delve deeper into the stories they read, understand the creative process behind them and gain inspiration from diverse voices. 

Book: "Speculation"

Author: Nisi Shawl is the author of the middle-grade novel "Speculation" and is a multiple-award-winning writer and editor. Their novel "Everfair" was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the short story collection "Filter House" won the James Tiptree Jr. Award. They co-founded the Carl Brandon Society to help give people of color greater visibility in the science fiction and fantasy worlds, and their "Writing the Other" workshops and accompanying book (co-created with Cynthia Ward and K. Tempest Bradford) have taught thousands of writers new ways of thinking about diversity and representation within fiction.