Jerry Craft. (Photo courtesy Harper Collins) By Houston Defender This post was originally published on Defender Network The Katy Independent School District is at it again – banning a Black book because of its ‘racial’ content. Award-winning children’s author Jerry Craft was scheduled to visit students virtually on Oct. 4 to discuss his books. But 500 Katy ISD parents protested […]
Category: Word In Black
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: Racial bias prevents missing blacks from coming home safely
(Photograph by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona/Unsplash) By Larry Lee President, Publisher The Sacramento Observer The tragic disappearance and death of Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito captured the nation’s attention the last few weeks. Let me first say, as a father of two daughters, I pray for God’s peace to comfort her family and hope that the perpetrator of her […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Jab or Job: Teachers stay strong on fight over vaccine mandates
Teachers protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. (Photo by Kaliris Salas-Ramirez) By Cyril Josh Barker New York Amsterdam News Word In Black Update from the Associated Press: The Supreme Court axed the plea from a group of teachers who asked for an emergency injunction blocking implementation of New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for public schools […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Disparities in discipline still plaguing public school systems
African American students are being disciplined at higher rates than their white counterparts. (istockphoto/omgimages via #WordinBlack/SeattleMedium) By Aaron Allen The Seattle Medium and Word in Black In a school year devastated by a pandemic, African American and marginalized students are being disciplined at higher rates than their white counterparts here in the state of Washington […]
Posted inCoronavirus
How to navigate mask mandates, vaccines in middle schools
By Maya Pottiger and Word in Black In a surprising announcement last week, the CDC released new mask guidelines for schools that allow vaccinated students to opt out of wearing masks. Masks will still be required for students who aren’t vaccinated, which prompts a lot of questions about middle school. Vaccines are only available to […]
Posted inCoronavirus
#WordinBlack: Most HBCUs are holding off on in-person classes this fall
(Photograph by Ivan Aleksic/Unsplash) By Maya Pottiger Word in Black As schools around the country begin the fall semester, many historically Black colleges and universities are opting out of in-person classes. A Word In Black analysis of 94 HBCUs found that 23 of them, or 24%, are fully remote this fall. A larger number of […]
Posted inCoronavirus
#WordinBlack: Here’s what school mask mandates look like state by state
(Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash) By Maya Pottiger Word in Black The Delta variant is feeding new surges in COVID-19 cases around the country weeks before school starts. On top of that, the majority of students in K-12 education are still not eligible for vaccines. Even though the CDC released guidelines earlier this month easing mask policies in schools, nothing […]
Posted inNEWS
#WordinBlack: Policing in schools: How Black, Brown, Indigenous and students with disabilities are criminalized at higher rates
(Photograph by R.D. Smith/Unsplas) By Maya Pottiger This story was produced as part of a collaboration with the Center for Public Integrity and USA TODAY. Since the summer of 2020, there has been a lasting national focus on the relationship between the police and Black people in this country. One of the bigger conversations has surrounded the role of police officers […]
Posted inBaltimore News
#WordinBlack: Transportation issues and hot classrooms City School’s return to in-person learning
(Stock Photo) By Alexis Taylor, Special to the AFRO Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) did indeed return to “normal” this week, as the first day of classes ended in mid-day dismissals for hundreds of students due to a lack of air conditioning. Many students returned for in-person learning for the first time in 18 months since […]
Posted inUncategorized
#WordinBlack: Things parents should know sending their kids back to school
Dr. Stacey Eadie (left) and Dr. Andrea Goings. (Courtesy photos) By Breonna Randall, Howard University News Service For the first time since March 2020, millions of students, pre-kindergarten to high school seniors, will be attending in-person classes. Aside from attending class, they will be also participating in extracurricular activities, like sports, music and clubs. Parents […]
Posted in!Front Page
#WordinBlack: White House experts: Vaccination key in protecting students and keeping variants at bay
“Everybody who is 12 or up has to be vaccinated so that they can protect themselves, protect their school and protect their communities,” said White House Vaccinations Coordinator Dr. Bechara Choucair. “We have to do everything we can to create a safe environment and protect the twelve and under who aren’t eligible yet to get […]
Posted inNEWS
#WordinBlack: Tutors fill virtual deficits for public school students during the pandemic
(Photo by Ralston Smith on Unsplash) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Lynette Jasper Edwards knew it was time to do something. The disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic had come into sharp focus for classroom teachers and parents in Fall 2020. And she was both. Some students weren’t adapting well to the virtual […]