Educator Book Club

Author: Kellie Carter Jackson

Facilitated by: Deana Forbes

Time: All sessions will be held from 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET by Zoom.

Dates: Sept. 21, Sept. 28, Oct. 5, Oct. 12, Oct. 19

Abstract: Black resistance to white supremacy is often reduced to a simple binary, between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s nonviolence and Malcolm X’s “by any means necessary.” In We Refuse, historian Kellie Carter Jackson urges us to move past this false choice, offering an unflinching examination of the breadth of Black responses to white oppression, particularly those pioneered by Black women. 

The dismissal of “Black violence” as an illegitimate form of resistance is itself a manifestation of white supremacy, a distraction from the insidious, unrelenting violence of structural racism. Force—from work stoppages and property destruction to armed revolt—has played a pivotal part in securing freedom and justice for Black people since the days of the American and Haitian Revolutions. But violence is only one tool among many. Carter Jackson examines other, no less vital tactics that have shaped the Black struggle, from the restorative power of finding joy in the face of suffering to the quiet strength of simply walking away.

Clear-eyed, impassioned, and ultimately hopeful, We Refuse offers a fundamental corrective to the historical record, a love letter to Black resilience, and a path toward liberation.

Facilitated by: Dawnavyn M. James

Time: All sessions will be held at 11 a.m. ET by Zoom.

Abstract: This historical fiction, told in verse, is about 11-year-old Kofi in the Asante Kingdom of Africa. Kofi’s life is guided by his grandfather's wisdom and his love for swimming. He soon discovers why he is told not to swim at night and is forced into a journey that changes the course of his childhood.

Facilitated by: Richard Williams

Time: All sessions will be held at 11 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. ET by Zoom.

Abstract: Black education was a subversive act from its inception. African Americans pursued education through clandestine means, often in defiance of law and custom, even under threat of violence. They developed what Jarvis Givens calls a tradition of “fugitive pedagogy”—a theory and practice of Black education in America. The enslaved learned to read in spite of widespread prohibitions; newly emancipated people braved the dangers of integrating all-White schools and the hardships of building Black schools. Teachers developed covert instructional strategies, creative responses to the persistence of White opposition. From slavery through the Jim Crow era, Black people passed down this educational heritage.

Facilitated by: Daphanie Bibbs

Time: All sessions will be held at 11 a.m. ET by Zoom.

Abstract: Monique W. Morris chronicles the experiences of Black girls across the country whose complex lives are misunderstood, highly judged—by teachers, administrators, and the justice system—and degraded by the very institutions charged with helping them flourish. Painting “a chilling picture of the plight of black girls and women today” (The Atlantic), Morris exposes a world of confined potential and supports the rising movement to challenge the policies, practices, and cultural illiteracy that push countless students out of school and into unhealthy, unstable, and often unsafe futures.

Facilitated by: Dawnavyn James

Time: All sessions will be held at 12:30 p.m. ET by Zoom.

Abstract: Dawnavyn James believes Black history shouldn't be relegated to the month of February. In her groundbreaking book, "Beyond February: Teaching Black History Any Day, Every Day, and All Year Long, K-3," she provides a practical guide for elementary educators who seek to teach history in truthful and meaningful ways that help young students understand the past, the present, and the world around them.

Drawing on her experiences as a classroom teacher and a Black history researcher, James illustrates the big and small ways that we can center Black history in our everyday teaching and learning practices across the curriculum using read-alouds, music, historical documents, art, and so much more.

Facilitated by: Montana Desabio and Greg Simmons

Time: All sessions will be held at 12:30 p.m. ET by Zoom.

Abstract:  Jesse Hagopian and Denisha Jones created a collection of essays, interviews, poems, and resolutions. Educators, students, and activists represent the demands for change in schools to end zero-tolerance discipline and replace it with restorative justice, undo institutional racism, implement Black and ethnic studies, and hire more Black teachers while funding counselors, not cops. The book is a way to connect the community, educators, and students to ensure that Black Lives Matter at School every day.