The Impact of the Two Pandemics: COVID & Structural Racism

Part of the Katie Sample speaker series

Iconic Minnesota educator, Katie Sample, will share an inspiring dialogue with distinguished educators, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings and Dr. Yvette Jackson about fearless leadership in our time of the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and Structural Racism.

Dr. Ladson-Billings from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, proposes that our so-called education “gaps” are not an accurate representation of the problem. “Our problem, says Dr. Ladson-Billings, is that we have an education “debt” that we owe to descendants of slavery and First Nation people upon whose backs this nation was built, and who were denied access to reading and a proper education since the founding of our nation. The debt is moral, social and economical, she says, and we share responsibility for repaying this debt.”

Dr. Jackson is internationally recognized for her work in assessing and capitalizing on the learning potential of disenfranchised students. Having designed the New York City Gifted Programs Framework, Dr. Jackson works with school districts to customize and deliver systemic approaches to reversing underachievement and eliciting high intellectual performance.

Following this conversation and a brief performance, smaller group discussions hosted by insightful visionaries in education for equity:

• Gevonee Ford, Director of NdCAD (the Network for the Development of Children of African Descent)
• Benjamin Mchie, Executive Director, African American Registry and the Teachers Forum
• Mary Kay Boyd, Founder of EveryBody’s In Community Educators Network
• Dr. Rosilyn Carroll from Ujamaa Place and retiree from Hamline University’s Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching

Immediately following the event, participants are invited to remain for an informal post-discussion with Katie Sample, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings and Dr. Yvette Jackson, hosted by Kate Towle who is a Community Weaver Consultant and member of Sweet Potato Comfort Pie®.

Speakers:

• Yvette Jackson, Senior Scholar, National Urban Alliance for Effective Education
• Gloria Ladson-Billings, President, National Academy of Education
• Katie Sample, founder and executive director of the African American Academy for Accelerated Learning

Moderator:

Rose McGee, founder of Sweet Potato Comfort Pie®

Register