Diversify Our Narrative’s Post

Our Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, Eric Rodriguez, joined other visionary and actionable leaders at the EdTrust-West Education Equity Forum in Oakland, California, to discuss how we can strengthen our communities through education and political power. Key takeaways from the plenary ‘Education as a Civil Right’ included: ☑️ Education is a fundamental civil right that must be protected and advanced. ☑️ Leveraging the power of partnerships to drive meaningful change. ☑️ The vital role of political advocacy and voter engagement in influencing education policies to better serve all students. #UnidosUS

Activism is a central part of our work in the 7th and 8th grade. The students choose the topic, and all decisions are made either by the activism committee or by the entire class. The process is led by the activism elective, which all students are invited and encouraged to join. Just as history is determined by the choices people made, our current reality and future are determined by the choices we make. #studentactivism #studentactivists #studentsinaction #progressiveeducation #nycindependentschools

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 I am thrilled to share that my recent opinion piece, "A Journey from Student to Higher Ed Advocate," has been published in the Charleston Gazette-Mail. In this piece, I enjoyed reflecting on my student experiences and how they have shaped my commitment to advocating for higher education, especially for first-generation college students. 📚 You can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eGhcUKVs #HigherEducation #Advocacy #EducationMatters #StudentSuccess

A Landmark Victory: Brown v. Board of Education (1954) 🏛️📚 Key Highlights from the Brown v. Board of Education Decision: 1. End of "Separate but Equal": The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), declaring that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This marked the end of "separate but equal" schools, which had been justified by Plessy. 🚫👨🏫 #BrownvBoard #USSupremeCourt #CivilRights #LegalLandmarks #RacialEquality #LandmarkCase 2. Impact on Public Education: The decision was pivotal in desegregating schools across the U.S., ensuring that all children, regardless of race, would have access to the same educational opportunities. 🏫✨ #Desegregation #PublicEducation #EqualOpportunity #EducationMatters 3. A Long-Term Legal Legacy: This case laid the groundwork for future civil rights movements and legal battles, fueling the fight for equal rights in America. ⚖️🌍 #CivilRightsMovement #LegalPrecedents #EqualRights 4. The Court’s Unanimous Decision: A rare unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice Earl Warren leading the charge, proving that justice is colorblind. 🙌🧑⚖️ #SupremeCourt #UnanimousDecision #ChiefJusticeWarren #JusticeForAll 5. Beyond Education: The Brown decision inspired further challenges to racial segregation in other areas, including public transportation, housing, and more. 🚍🏠 #RacialJustice #CivilRightsStruggle #BeyondEducation Remember: The Brown v. Board of Education case wasn't just about schools – it was about the very foundation of equality in America. Its ripple effects continue to influence social justice today. 🌎 Contact Us: 📞 +91-9051112233 🌐 Visit Our Website #LegalExperts #LawFirm #Consultation #LexisAndCompany #LegalServices

Social movements (civil rights, desegregation, anti-apartheid) in the United States have often been led by courageous students. For me, this activism is consistent with the purpose of education--to get students to care about the larger world, understand humanity, and be willing to take action, and speak up. I applaud student activism and I believe advocacy on behalf of one community doesn't have to be interpreted as hatred for another. I find it fascinating to notice whose freedom of speech and freedom of assembly gets supported and whose doesn't. I applaud courageous faculty and staff who stand with students. If only more of us advocated for a better world, for justice, for fairness, for basic dignity, for freedom. The management and negotiation and conversations that need to happen with students could be enhanced by the DEI offices that states are trying to dismantle. These offices have/had skilled practioners whose experience and expertise could be leveraged and tapped into on campuses in these moments to facilitate difficult conversations across difference. #isupportstudentactivism

Throughout our nation's history, marginalized communities have stood in line – for their rights, for opportunities, for the chance to match their potential with their destiny. Education should not be another line they have to stand in. I'm inspired by the Missouri Equity Education Partnership and their upcoming event, "What's the Big IDEA?". They're bringing together voices from diverse backgrounds to share stories of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility. These stories remind us that behind every statistic, every policy debate, there are real lives, real struggles, and real triumphs. They challenge us to do better, to be better. As we listen to these stories, let's ask ourselves: How can we create a world where excellence in education is not a battle, but a birthright? #InclusiveEducation #WhatsBigIDEA For the speech: https://lnkd.in/gcMFGTAc

Too often, schools teach incomplete or distorted versions of Indigenous history, leaving critical narratives untold. This gap not only misrepresents the past, but also impacts our understanding of the present and our ability to shape an equitable future. At EdLoC, we believe in the power of inclusive education to transform perspectives and create a more just society. By advocating for accurate, culturally relevant social studies content, we can ensure that all students learn the truth about our shared history. Check out the Social Studies Accelerator Resource Library for frameworks, advocacy tools, and research to empower your work in advancing accurate, culturally relevant education: https://lnkd.in/dy_4VqJj

College presidents play a crucial role in fostering civic engagement for democracy, especially now. Learn how many are coming together under a new initiative to prepare their students in this Forbes article: https://ow.ly/rTLM50RINmj

As we near the end of Literacy Awareness Month, let's reflect on our progress. Did you know that literacy programs in Delaware are making a difference every day? 📊 33 public libraries serving our communities 48 Local Education Agencies working tirelessly Countless volunteers and educators changing lives But there's more to do. How will you continue supporting literacy beyond this month? Share your plans! #DEReads #LiteracyMatters #Literacy #EarlyLiteracy #LiteracyForAll #AdultLiteracy #DEReads #netde Delaware Libraries Literacy Delaware Health Literacy Delaware Delaware Department of State Delaware Department of Education United Way of Delaware Delaware Community Foundation John Carney University of Delaware PMG Consulting LLC Delaware State University Communities of Excellence 2026 Highmark Inc. Energize Delaware Reading Assist Read Aloud Delaware First State Educate

I am proud to share that my undergraduate thesis, "We want you to listen to our words:" A Case Study of Indigenous Parents' Advocacy, has been published in UC Berkeley's escholarship database. When I applied to the one-year history thesis program, I honestly felt a bit of dread. Anyone who has ever written a thesis knows it can be tedious, confusing, and sets you off into existential spirals. What I wasn't prepared for, however, was the incredible individuals I came to know through letters, enrollment records, report cards, and the plethora of other documents I sifted through for my thesis. My thesis ended up focusing on Indigenous parents who sought the return of their children from the Carlisle Indian Boarding School. These parents were tireless advocates for their children, deploying petitions, letter-writing campaigns to Congressmen, lawyers, and a host of other techniques to reunite their families. They were vulnerable, brave, witty, loving, and so much more than could be encapsulated in even a sixty-page paper. It's an honor and a privilege to share a small part of their stories. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my own privilege as a white settler in writing this work. There are many things I will never be able to truly understand about colonialism. So I urge you, if you read my thesis, to also read the work of Indigenous activists like Zitkala Ša and Luther Standing Bear, both survivors of Indian Boarding Schools. Furthermore, educate yourself on child removal policies impacting Indigenous communities from the founding of this country to the present. The rights of Indigenous parents are still under attack today. The history I write about is intimately connected to the settler colonial violence taking place throughout the world that rips children from their families. To close with the last line of my thesis, "By understanding the history of Native parents’ advocacy for their children sent to boarding schools at the turn of the twentieth century, we can combat narratives used in the modern context that question the fitness of Native parents as caregivers, and understand the powerful legacy modern Native parents continue by fighting for and raising their children." https://lnkd.in/gttbGgrw