Educational, green spaces like The Strawberry Mansion-Blaine Elementary Environmental Center provide food, gathering, education, and social advocacy support community healing and encourage youth engagement. The environmental provides vital science, math, technology, art, and engineering education through an agricultural lens. Blaine students deserve access to environmental spaces that enhance their everyday learning and provide new avenues for study.

On January 18th, Fl. Governor Ron DeSantis rejected the College Board’s request to approve an AP African American Studies (AAPS) course, baselessly claiming that it “significantly lacks educational value.” A first-of-its-kind pilot program, AP African American Studies would empower students with extensive knowledge about the contributions and lived experiences of Black people in this country. Lessons would range from those uplifting our legacy in literature and the arts to lessons about how our activism has shaped this country’s laws, institutions, and democracy. Not only does AP African American Studies put Black history front and center, but it also creates pathways for Black students to build stronger college applications and even earn university credit. But before the College Board piloted AP African American Studies, public school curriculums and educational materials had always fallen short. Back in 2021, a Lousiana textbook came under fire after omitting the Black perspective when discussing the Civil War, from sympathizing with white slave owners who could no longer exploit Black people after emancipation to downplaying the brutality of the Civil War and the events that incited it. And following the May 2022 slaying of George Floyd, Black educators and students shared concerns that “the humanity of Blackness” was missing from history classes, from failing to cover communities of free people in Africa who pioneered modern mathematics to minimizing the brutalities that Black people experienced following the civil war (e.g., lynching). However, the College Board saw a gap in the education system at large and did something about it; that’s why the AP African American Studies course is invaluable. Over the past few years, Gov. DeSantis and the state of Florida have led the charge in the national erasure of Black history and culture. In April 2022, Gov. DeSantis signed the “Stop Woke Act” into law, which restricts lessons on Black and LGBTQ+ history; and from July 2021 through June 2022, Florida banned between 500 and 750 books, the second-highest of any state. Now, it wants to rob Black students of the chance to finally see their histories and culture take center stage in an AP course curriculum. It’s clear that Fl. Gov. DeSantis has been using Black students as political pawns in his quest to build power and conservative outrage, and the Florida State Board of Education (SBE) has long enabled him. Sign the petition to demand that Chairman Gary Chartrand and the Fl. SBE put an end to Gov. DeSantis’ attacks on Black history and act in the best interest of Florida public school students!

HBCUs across the United States are known to have a warm and welcoming culture. The campus environment is supportive and provides a voice and platform to allow students to grow into leaders in their fields. Cynthia chose to weaponize the campus police in an environment that would otherwise be insulated from the traumas that Black Americans experience routinely. This space needs to be protected and her actions cannot go unchecked.

The Honorable Marcus Garvey is considered to be one of the major pillars of the Pan-Africa movement as he laid a foundation of African Philosophy and organized the largest global organization of African peoples. Read our Medium Article Here Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League had over 6 million members in 1926, with over 1000 branches in 42 countries in Africa and the Americas. Headquartered in Harlem, New York, the Organization had hundreds of properties and businesses while simultaneously engaging in the local, national and international political and social struggles of African people. His comprehensive vision and work inspired others that came after him. Malcolm X’s parents were active members of Garvey’s organization and he influenced many African leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya. Because of his influence, his activities were carefully scrutinized and the Organization was infiltrated and targeted for destruction by J. Edgar Hoover of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States government. Garvey was fraudulently charged, convicted and spent 3 years in Federal Penitentiary due to perjured testimony, an empty envelope as the only evidence and a politically prejudiced court and District Attorney. This travesty of justice and violation of Garvey’s rights under U.S. law has brought about a continued and consistent call for Garvey’s exoneration and posthumous pardon.

Segregation is happening all over again in schools across America. Segregation perpetuates the School -to-Prison-Pipeline and we must stop it in its tracks! The New Orleans Four, at 6-years old served their little black girl magic and showed the world that children can lead the way. These little emissaries were the epitome of what it means to have the audacity of hope. They broke barriers and opened hearts in 1960 and with this nationally recognized holiday they can continue to remind America and the World that we can ALL live, learn and work TOGETHER. In her speech during the New Orleans Four Day 60th Anniversary ceremony in New Orleans, Alana Odoms (Executive Director ACLU-Louisiana) stated "Since its inception, black girls and black women have shouldered the immense responsibility of perfecting our Democracy. The New Orleans Four were emissaries of justice and freedom, turning the tide of hate in this nation and calling us towards the liberties enshrined in the United States Constitution." Like Dr. Opal Lee, I believe that this national holiday can be a unifier and an inspiration to children and adults around the world. I believe it can be the bridge that brings people together to talk about the hard issues facing our country. The New Orleans Four were the light during a dark time in our country's history and their brave acts will always be a beacon of hope to show young people that they have a voice, they have a say and the wherewithal to create the CHANGE they want to see. Let them be the everlasting reminder of Freedom, Equality & Justice. Learn More: To watch the docuseries teaser and learn more about the project go to www.NewOrleansFourLegacy.com

Violence can happen anywhere, anytime. We cannot wait for government or policy makers to do anything about this. We have to personally get involved in our own capacity. Peace is our human nature. Love is our nature. Only when we find peace within, can we help spread it around. We can do it together!

Washington County Public Schools are ignoring a FEDERAL STATUTE (FERPA) request to view full-length video of what happened to my daughter. All parents should feel that their childs school cares about their well-being while at school. Please sign this petition to urge WCPS to release unedited video and find out how a 5-year-old sustains a concussion on school grounds and NO ONE CARES!!! My daughter came home severely injured and no one cared enough to contact me or help her medically, and then made extreme efforts to prevent me from viewing video of what happened to her. On December 22, 2021, my daughter got off her school bus with an injured and bloody face. No one contacted us or provided her with medical treatment. The bus driver said that he did not see what happened and that she got on his bus with her injuries. I contacted her teacher and sent her a picture of my daughter's face. Her teacher stated that my daughter did not look like that when she left her classroom that evening and she would contact the principal to see if she knows what happened. No one reached out to us so we called the Washington County Sheriff's Office because we do not know what happened to our baby. The responding officer transferred the case to the School Resource Officer because he would be able to view school videos to find out what happened to her. The responding Officer documented his police report as a possible assault of a minor. Later that night, the Principal sent me an email apologizing and stated that she received a picture of my daughter's face and would investigate what happened in the morning. The next day, I received a phone call from the school Principal (Dana Peake) and School Resource Officer (Corey McCarthy). They both stated that they watched the video and were not able to see my daughter fall but were able to see an Asst Principal go over and help her after she fell. The Officer said that he was closing the case because after watching the video, she was not assaulted. Wanting a copy of the Officer's police report, I called his police station a few hours later and he happened to be there. He came to the phone and I asked him about getting a copy of his police report from the video that he viewed at my daughter's school this morning. He stated that he DID NOT watch a video and did not give a reason for changing his reason for closing the case. The officer's police report does not mention him viewing a video or that a video existed. The officer closed the case after a simple conversation with the Principal. During an initial meeting at the school to view school and bus videos on January 19, 2022, I learned that the school had edited all videos into short clips, preventing me from gaining any knowledge of what happened to my daughter, even though they had already protected the privacy of all children by blurring their faces. I have filed complaints against the principal as well as the officer and after an internal investigation of both, no wrongdoing was found although I have raised concerns of: · the school’s negligence to provide medical treatment after my daughter hit her head on the cement while on school grounds. · the school’s negligence to notify us that our child was injured. · the principal conspiring with the SRO to lie about the results of his investigation at the school. · the officer closing his case of a possible assault of a minor under false pretenses, although he was assigned by his police department to investigate a possible assault of a minor. · the school editing my daughter’s education records, preventing me from gaining any knowledge of what happened to her, even though all other children’s faces were blurred, protecting their privacy. · the principal falsifying her original incident report and later amending the report after she learned that there was evidence to prove that she was aware of the incident and my daughter’s initial injuries. The principal canceled our scheduled meeting at the school for February 2, 2022, stating that the videos needed to be sent back to their legal department to blur the faces of all other children and she will let me know when they are available. I have not heard from them again and the Superintendent and Board of Education have not intervened although they are aware that my daughter is not able to return to school until we see video of what happened to her.

At Red Balloon, we strive to serve any and every family that wants to join our community. We do not turn children away based on factors such as disability status or neurotypical development. We serve an economically and ethnically diverse community; we serve the families of immigrants and those new to New York or the United States. Among our community, Polish, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Italian, Hebrew and Hindi are some of the languages spoken at home. We serve the families of graduate students, adjunct professors, essential workers, rank-and-file Columbia staff and members of the Harlem and Morningside Heights communities. We are urging Columbia to extend our lease and let Red Balloon continue its mission to educate children and support working families.

Seeing an innocent Black Man railroaded by this crooked justice system has darkened my spirit since a small child, when the same was done to my uncle. I'm writing because all too often, Black people are too afraid to speak up for their rights, or to speak up for those who are brave enough to fight back. I'm writing this because I am a mother of 3 Black humans (ages: 24, 21 and 15) and believe that Grand Master Jay's teachings and guidance would/can make an enormous impact on the lives of my children, as well as the lives of All Black People (any age). As history has shown, every strong, motivational, inspirational, spiritual and intellectually intelligent Black male figure, who has spoken up against this crooked justice system, and who talks only of Black pride and power, is either dead, in jail, or silenced. This is an undeniable fact.

The Alameda County Free Our Kids Youth Justice 10 Point Plan was written by young people themselves! For the past year, youth leaders from 67 Sueños, Young Women's Freedom Center, Urban Peace Movement, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, and Genesis have gathered to create a Youth Justice 10 Point plan. Its purpose is to empower and center youth voices, and it gives the youth an opportunity to demand the justice they deserve and want to see in their communities. The Youth Justice 10 Point plan was completely youth-led, and draws from the inspiration of youth led movements from the past - and especially from the legacy of the Black Panther Party. We hope this platform will empower other youth to create similar 10 point plans that can help them create the change they want to see in their communities!! Alameda County spends nearly $500,000 per youth per year on incarceration and $23,000 on average per year to place a young person on probation. Nearly one in three youth incarcerated in Alameda County are later reconvicted. On the other hand, evidence-based restorative justice practices have a one-time cost of $4,500 and the County’s restorative justice alternatives produce recidivism rates of 5% when working with youth charged with specifically violent and serious offenses. We are safer and get a better return on our investment when we invest in the well-being of young people instead of locking them in cages and putting them under surveillance.

Around March 1860, 52 years after the abolishment of the transatlantic slave trade and 40 years after amending the Piracy Act of 1819, Captain William Foster, funded by his co-conspirator, Timothy Meaher, set sail for Africa. Foster would set sail with 110 of the Africans he had purchased aboard the Clotilda. Upon his return to Mobile, he avoided customs agents, towed the Clotilda up the river, and put the enslaved Africans on the Steamboat Czar, owned by Timothy’s brother, Byrnes (aka Burns) Meaher. The enslaved Africans would then be transported to John Dabney’s Mount Vernon plantation and hidden in the swamp. Timothy Meaher, his brothers Byrnes and James, John Dabney and Foster were all given enslaved people from the Clotilda. Timothy Meaher and his co-conspirators used a sophisticated plan to hide the Africans who were on board, moving them from plantation to plantation while burning the Clotilda. Within two weeks of their arrival in America and over the next several months, court cases were opened (e.g., U.S. vs. William Foster and Richard Sheridan, U.S. vs William Foster, U.S. vs. Burns (Byrnes) Meaher, U.S. vs. John Dabney, etc.). In her book, Dreams of Africa in Alabama: The Slave Ship Clotilda and the Last Africans Brought to America, Diouf details the events leading up to these cases including the sophisticated plot to hide these illegal actions. We know that Timothy Meaher was arrested and accused of having “illegally imported negroes.” However, the presiding Judge over the case, William G. Jones was a friend of Timothy Meaher. Diouf writes, “Judge William G. Jones was such a friend that Meaher had given his name to one of his steamers. Everyone knew that when it came to importers of Africans Judge Jones was as lenient as he possibly could be.” This leniency is evident in other related rulings during the same time period. Also, the U.S. Attorney for the southern district of Alabama, Augustus Julian “A.J.” would become an attorney of the Confederate states and a confederate poet. Despite the evidence, Jones cleared Timothy Meaher of all charges. In addition, the courts were after Foster, not because he was a pirate, but because he avoided customs officials upon arrival from his voyage. Judge William G. Jones also issued orders to have Byrnes Meaher and Dabney appear at the next regular term of his court. On January 10, 1861, the U.S. vs. Burns Meaher and the U.S vs. John Dabney were dismissed by Judge Jones. Since the 110 Africans could not be found, no crime could be proven. On January 12, 1861, only two days after his ruling, Judge Jones resigned. Alabama broke away from the Union, and Judge Jones would eventually serve as a judge of the confederate district court for the district of Alabama from 1861 to 1865. Finally, Foster’s case would eventually be thrown out too. Records for several of the cases mentioned above reside at the National Archives in Atlanta and provide an account of the times. In May of 2019, Search Inc. prepared a report entitled “Archaeological Investigations of 1Ba704” for the Alabama Historical Commission summarizing their findings from the discovery of Clotilda. They confirm they have located the Clotilda and provide an investigative report that lays out the case for how the U.S. government turned a blind eye to the Meahers, Foster and all parties involved. It also draws the conclusion that “US government officials were perhaps less than diligent in seeking to find the Clotilda or the people brought aboard it against their will...” Just this month, the National Geographic released an article entitled “America’s Last Slave Ship is More Intact Than Anyone Thought.” In that article, Vice President of Search Inc., Jim Delgado, stated “this is the most intact slave ship known to exist in the archeological record anywhere. There’s actual direct physical evidence not just of the ship and its use, but also of the changes done by Foster and his crew to make it a slave ship.” Over 160 years later, evidence of the crime has now been uncovered. The cover-up of illegal activity is as bad as the smuggling crime. The finding of Clotilda should initiate an investigation into previous court cases and new cases should be opened where warranted. In the words of William Goldstone, “justice delayed is justice denied, “and we deserve justice. Crimes were committed and all involved should be held accountable.

On 09/20/21, I looked at the Wake County Public Schools website to find information about the number of COVID Clusters in Wake County Public Schools. The site was down and read as follows: We are updating based on the State of Emergency declared by Governor Cooper. This means there is a continuous rise of cases in the state and it is showing up in the schools and hospitals. Our schools are not safe places for our children. It is a known fact, there are not enough teachers, lunchroom staff, maintenance workers, or bus drivers to keep them safe. Our front-line workers are constantly put at risk without the basic protection of unmasking in Wake County. Since this pandemic started 1 in 9 people in Wake County have been affected by COVID, we’ve had 121,290 reported cases in our community alone. We already see that sending students into schools without masks will lead to even more people getting sick. We the parents from Black and brown communities can not attend Board meetings due to the many barriers that prevent us from attending. We are showing our concern through the signing of this petition. We never want it said that we don't care about our children and all children’s safety. We must adhere to the CDC’s guidelines to socially distance and implement a mask mandate to protect everyone in Wake County. We should not be listening to the ignorance of anti-maskers who bully and threaten board members to intimidate them from supporting mask mandates. It's our right to be safe and keep our children safe without intimidation. We the members of the Wake County Community Equity Leadership Team and the community ask that the Wake County School Board consider the cost when making your decision. We must put the safety and needs of our community at the center of our decision-making when it comes to the health and our students and families. WE WANT A MASK MANDATE