“There have been Black people in the UK at least 2,000 years ago, to Roman times…” Mr. Tony Warner London, England Author, Educator, Entrepreneur “We didn’t learn any African history before slavery, we learned about slavery as if that’s where Black history began.” What does it mean to bring history to life? Today’s guest Mr. Tony Warner is the author of Black History Walks in London Volume 1 produced by the Black female run publishing house Jacaranda Books. He is also co-author on the GCSE school text book on History from Pearson Education. Tony states facts about history, including the white ..read more

“You can’t be what you can’t see.” Markayle Tolliver LINK Unlimited Scholars Instructor, Mentor “My teaching, my impact, my work is really sticking with the students…” #Shoutout to returning to your roots and pouring into the community that made you, AND to the nontraditional educators! This week, we’re connecting with Mr. Markayle Tolliver, who shares how his K-12 experience in Chicago, growing up in North Lawndale and attending different schools, fueled his passion for education. After graduating with a broadcast journalism background during the Covid-19 pandemic, Markayle explored starting ..read more

“Black Educators are the Gold Mine of our community.” Tiffany Ford Little Leaders Learning Academy Leaders and Legends Performing Arts Academy “You have to know the kids to get through…” From an early age, Tiffany Ford developed a passion for school as she watched her mother work as an educator. Her diverse, well rounded educational experiences prepared her for a career in early education, but a December graduation date steered her into social work. This professional experience opened her eyes to the other side of education, and the birth of her daughter inspired her to open Little Leaders Lea ..read more

“We have a Black principal, so we need to have this conversation with you.” Ally Wright Founding Principal, Middle School English, High School Humanities “Please come teach that here…” Have you ever heard the phrase that your gifts will make room for you? That’s exactly what happened for Educator Ally Wright, who combined her love of Black Liberation and education as she launched her career (#shoutout to the Black Liberation Through Music course!). In spite of the lack of diversity in her own educational experience, including being the only Black principal in her Los Angeles charter school net ..read more

“You get an experience…” Dr. Duane Davis Executive Director, K-12 Initiatives, University of Chicago, Edpreneur My Very Own Library Youtube: My Very Own Library “Seeing yourself… We are who we waiting for… we all we got.” With 28 years under his belt and after wearing many different hats, Dr. Duane Davis takes us to school on the nuances and context of the P-20 landscape, school choice, and the grand experiment of education. As a Black male educator that’s taught just about everything, he’s learned the value of time, and the power educators have to make their students feel seen. With deep root ..read more

“It really was a cathartic, healing tool for me…” Ms. Khadijah Butler Nonprofit Founder and President, Author “I’m going to write a book so people can learn how to do it themselves…” Laying the Foundation, Brick by Brick. Khadijah Butler believes in the power of investing in the lives of Black and Brown youth, and does that each day via the Craig D. Butler Scholarship Foundation. With the desire to pay it forward, while giving it back, Khadijah is focused on providing educational opportunities for Black students to escape poverty in Philly. “Why are these things happening?” As a Kinesiology ma ..read more

“... showing every student that they can be great, they can reach their full potential.” Cam McKennedy Middle School Teacher, Teach From DeHart Academy Co-Founder / Assistant Dean of Operations Teach From DeHart Academy www.teachfromdehart.org “My mom tells me that I’m blessed with a burden.” Cam McKennedy has been teaching for 2 years, speaks with the wisdom of a seasoned educator, and is already making an impact on his community through educational entrepreneurship. He shares how his pursuit of basketball led him to meet his mentor, establish a career in middle school math and science, and t ..read more

“You need to find a way to connect…” Mr. Jonathan Love Founder of The Love Institute, Speech Language Pathologist ‘Trust comes from a sense of love…” What does it mean to embrace the culture of being an African American student? What is academic excellence? Growing up in Chicago, Mr. Jonathan Love was fortunate to experience an elementary school that was the epitome of a village, a diverse high school that influenced his HBCU choice and a legacy of education that prepared him for his calling. “Always love the kids...” With over 18 years of experience, Jonathan has observed the lack of resource ..read more

Lauren Griffin, Elementary School Music Teacher Blair Savage, High School Special Education Teacher “I’m starting to see the bigger picture…” Talk about a full circle moment! As we kick off Season 2, Blair and Lauren are back! Our very first guests share updates and dig deeper into topics we touched on during their initial BEM visit in February 2020… What led the two Chicago high school bandheads to choose their HBCUs, how do they integrate music with their educational perspective, and what does inclusion mean in their world? “We are all pioneers in this.” How has life changed over the past 3 ..read more

We’re Back! It’s time to record Season 2 of the Project 500 Podcast with Black Educators Matter! This year, Co-Founders Danielle and Brooke join forces on their quest to feature the stories of 500 Black educators, answering the culturally critical question “Why do Black Educators Matter?” On this Season 2 preview episode, tune in as they talk about the Bonus Blessings of their childhood educational experiences, some of their organizational goals, and what led them to create their nonprofit Black Educators Matter ..read more