Ep. 138: If We Want Equity, We Have to Put It in Contracts

EQ: To what extent would re-writing seniority clauses in teacher union contracts promote retention of educators of color and better serve our students?

In this episode of IWL, we are joined by Chris Stewart, the Chief Executive Officer of brightbeam, to discuss the recent change in the Minneapolis Teacher Union contracts. Chris was part of the first campaign to protect Black teachers (and other teachers of color) back in the early 2000s when he was on the school board. We discuss what this current provision in the contract means, including implications for other school districts. More importantly, we learn key contextual information behind this provision and how Black educators are fighting for their right to stay and teach the diverse body of students in the Minneapolis school district. 

To learn about Chris’ work check out his website Citizen Stewart and follow him on Twitter @citizenstewart 

Related Links:

• The Black educators that charged "racial harm" on the MFT

• On the black educator who organized within the MFT

• Some of the background on Minneapolis HR issues

• More about the exemptions in the contract

• More about the teacher diversity issue in Minneapolis

• NAACP Rallies for Black Educators

• Black Teachers Call Out Racism Behind Teacher Strike

• NAACP Minneapolis

• Teacher Layoff Exemption Based on Race—But Not the Way You Think

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope/Megan: Follow @citizenstewart for some thought provoking tweets

• Chris:

  • Support the local NAACP chapter fighting for Black educators

  • Write to the union president Greta Callahan and tell her you support the protection for educators of color

  • Find a group of friends to learn more about the situation facing Minneapolis educators of color. Read together, discuss and consider how it relates to your local context.

Ep. 116: Our Role in Upholding Anti-Blackness

EQ: How are white supremacy and anti-blackness a result of the living legacy of colonization and what does it mean for us today?

Guest: Alysa Pererras, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Consultant and Researcher in Medellin, Colombia.

Hope and Megan return to an important conversation about the presence of anti-Blackness in our society. This time, they’re exploring its presence in relation to colonization. They’re joined by DEIJ consultant Alysa to discuss its roots, relationship with White Supremacy and everyone’s responsibility to dismantle the systems of oppression around them. You can follow Alysa on Twitter.

Related Resources:

• Call it what it is: Anti-Blackness

• As NonPOC, We Need to Address Anti-Blackness

• An Educator’s View

• How to Root Out Anti-Black Racism From Your School

Do Your Fudging HW:

• Hope: Hire Alysa or at least attend a workshop she is facilitating!

• Megan: Read the article “Call it what it is: Anti-Blackness”

• Alysa: Shout out to Audre Lorde, Alan Palaez Lopez

Ep. 70: On Creating a “Beloved Community” with Kelly Wickham Hurst

Note to listeners: This episode was recorded prior to the corona outbreak in the US so you will not hear any discussion of its impact on this particular topic.

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EQ: How can we better understand the double-taxation facing black educators and students in US schools?

Guest: Kelly Wickham Hurst is the founder and CEO of Being Black at School and author of blog Mocha Momma

Recorded in late February, Kelly joined us for an interview while returning home from a conference. In this episode, Kelly recounts her experiences as a woman of color and her journey through education--first as a student and then eventually as a teacher,  principal, and district leader. She delves into the double-taxation on Black educators and students and the trauma experienced in public schools. Her current work with Being Black at School sets an example for the rest of us about what it means to develop policies that center the priorities and needs of Black students. “You have to be in right relationships with your white folks and white folks you need to be reconciled with your people of color.”

Advice for those trying to mitigate the double-taxation on Black educators and students:

• Do our own work

• Collect each other (take responsibility)

• Avoid deficits thinking in the way you discuss students & families

Champagne 🥂 & Real Pain 👎🏻

🥂 Monise Seward, shea martin

🥂All the amazing Black women who’ve taken the time to come on the show and help us #belessbasic

👎🏻 Betsy DeVos

👎🏻 Those in positions of power actively causing harm

Do Your Fudging HW:

• Hope: Read Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools

• Annie: “What you can do” 

• Kelly: Bettina Love “We Want to Do More than Survive”, The Color of Law and other books from #ClearTheAirEdu (check out their website) and Cornelius Minor’s book We Got This

You can find Kelly on Twitter

Follow us on Twitter @IWL_Podcast or Facebook: Interchangeable White Ladies Podcast

Lastly, don’t forget to pick up your copy of The Body is Not an Apology for #readlessbasic book club

Ep. 66: Let Black Folks Do What They Want With Their Hair

EQ: How is hair discrimination a not-so-subtle manifestation of racism & white supremacy? Why can’t white folks just let black folks do what they want with their hair?

Guest:  Jenna Hanchard is a lifelong community storyteller who has spent her career centering and amplifying diverse voices. Jenna is the leader of Culture & Innovation at The Riveter Co, a women-run co-working and community company poised to become a modern union of working women. She is a three-time Emmy award winner and an Edward R. Murrow award recipient. She was also on the Nerd Farmer Podcast Episode 9 on covering Tacoma and TV News, and Episode 53 “Review in Shadecast”

In this episode, Jenna explains how hair discrimination is rooted in white supremacist ideologies that view hair style as choice rather than understanding the way hair styles reflect culture and history. She shares the story behind Washington state’s HB 2602 (a kind of “Crown Act” bill), led by Representative Melanie Morgan and the intentional language choices in this bill. Jenna gives concrete advice for how to disrupt hair discrimination in the work place (and schools). We hope you leave this conversation challenged and motivated to examine the policies that do/don’t exist in our school districts, our cities, and our states. Call your local legislator using the hotline 1800-562-600 “I’m calling to support HB 2602 because everyone deserves the right to wear their natural hair. Because not passing this bill would directly perpetuate systemic racism in our country.” ALSO, go sign The Crown Act petition!

Context for Hair Discrimination Legislation:

• African Braiding Technique Was Created by Our Ancestors to Help Prevent Hunger During Slavery

• A Brief History of Black Hair, Politics, and Discrimination

• Why Women Are Fighting Back Against Hair Oppression

• Women Affected by Natural Hair Discrimination

• The Crown Act Website

High profile cases for hair discrimination:

• Wrestler Andrew Johnson who was forced to cut his dreads in the middle of a wrestling match. Shame on that NJ Wrestling Ref, Alan Maloney for forcing it.

• Dreadlocks Lawsuit

Move to pass legislation:

• USA “Banning Ethnic Hairstyles ‘uploads white supremacy’

• NY City to Ban Discrimination Based on Hair

• Texas lawmakers want to Ban Hair Discrimination After Student’s Suspensions

Progress in WA state:

• In January, Seattle Times reported that the legislator was entertaining a bill that would create a set of protected hairstyles (afros, braids, etc).

• Washing Lawmaker Wants Hairstyles Protected

• Pierce County Legislator has it Right: Stop Policing & judging Black People’s Hair

• Current status of HB 2602

Champagne & Real Pain:

• 🥂 Texas lawmakers considering ban on hair discrimination 

• 🥂 The Crown Coalition sponsored and supported by Dov

Do Your Fudging Homework:

• Hope: Go watch Hair Love and watch you attitude about people's hair

• Annie: learn history! Shout out to Teen Vogue for pivoting from vapid fluff to hard-hitting journalism.  

• Jenna: look and see where your state is--what’s passed, not passed, look at local district policies. If there isn't a bill figure out how to get one started. If there is, go and show up. 

Follow us on Twitter @IWL_Podcast or Facebook: Interchangeable White Ladies Podcast

Ep. 44: Educated for Liberation

EQ: What does it mean to be educated for liberation and why does it matter?

Guest: Kelly Nicholls, local educator and organizer around the concept of liberated learning (we will hear more about it Radical Educator Academy! See flyer below).

School leader and change-maker Kelly Nicholls joins us to discuss her journey into education and leadership and the importance of changing the education system from within. Topics include:

• Education centered on white supremacy, including white modes of communication and hierarchical white spaces.

• Radical academy/education as liberation: resisting oppressive patriarchal systems within existing systems.

• Anti-blackness in schools - resisting treating Black people as a monolith and one size fits all approaches to discipline.

  • Louisiana School

• Individual teachers combating anti-blackness by lessening the prevalence of whiteness in curriculum and pedagogy.

Guilty Favesies

• Annie: saying yes to everything

• Hope: eyeliner

• Kelly: cigarettes (no longer a smoker, but they’re hard to quit!)

Do Your Fudging Homework

• Annie: Radical Teacher, a peer-reviewed academic journal on current social justice issues in education. Past issues available online.

• Hope: The Power Flower (Nicole Hurt)

• Kelly: Connect and follow #ClearTheAir on Twitter