Learn to use your voice to #DefendBlackHistory
By Color Of Change staff
Monti Taylor is a Color of Change member committed to making sure Black history is not censored, but spoken boldly and accurately in public schools in Ohio and across the nation.
While standing in line to vote recently, Taylor had an epiphany. Her young son, a third-grader who was with her, peppered her with questions, starting with what people were voting for. The discussion then turned to Black women.
Black women need more protection, he told her, because they “have it worse.”
His words, she said, were a reflection of what he’d overheard at home about the disparities Black women face in childbirth, education, housing and other areas. Considering the role race has played — and continues to play — in U.S. history and the incessant efforts by conservatives to remove it from classrooms across the country, Taylor said she had a revelation.
“I knew at that moment that I must not only fight for … Black studies in my own academic journey, but also to ensure that my son had access to quality education and to be taught accurate history,” Taylor said. “If something were to happen to me, who could I depend on to make sure he is still aware of the many issues that are impacting marginalized communities of the world?”
Taylor is now committed to defending Black history and advocating for the lessons she wants for her son and for students across the nation. She attended a Color Of Change training session on how to defend Black history and later helped support others in crafting their stories to show up at their local school boards. She knows a lot is at stake.
“It is only when you study the issues that impact marginalized communities and Black people the most that we can really put forth true policies and true solutions,” she said.
You, too, can learn how to use your voice to ensure quality education by defending Black history.
Color Of Change is hosting two free, virtual training sessions in December to provide the tools you’ll need to build collective power to fight against the erasure of Black history and efforts to ban books in your community. Sign up for one or both 90-minute sessions that are being held in conjunction with the National Education Association.
Join us Tuesday, Dec. 5, for #DefendBlackHistory School Board Training, where you’ll learn about the public comment process at local school board meetings and how to organize and develop talking points to present at those public meetings.
On Wednesday, Dec. 13, in the #DefendBlackHistory Storytelling Workshop, we’ll help better equip you to show up confidently at your local school board and city council meetings to share your story. Participants will learn how to craft their narrative, address the issues at stake and demand more for our students from their local school boards.
Special opening remarks will be offered by COC President Rashad Robinson and NEA President Rebecca S. “Becky” Pringle at both sessions.
As right-wing groups and politicians escalate their attacks to erase Black history from classrooms and Black and gay authors from libraries, COC members and allies across the country are fighting back by showing up at local school board and other public meetings to demand that school curricula and libraries include and accurately reflect the history, struggles and contributions of Black people in America.
Like Taylor, you, too, can lean into your power and fight back! Reserve your place in one or both of COC’s upcoming #DefendBlackHistory training sessions hosted in conjunction with the National Education Association. Whether you are a concerned parent, student, educator or community leader, your voice matters in shaping the narrative and our future.
RSVP here for the #DefendBlackHistory School Board Training and here for the #DefendBlackHistory Storytelling Workshop.