We are confronted today in America by an attack on truth in education. It is an attempt by politically motivated individuals, government offices, and politicians to halt the full teaching of American life by eradicating fully truthful aspects of our past, present, and potential futures. At their core, such attacks seek to erase the triumphs of African Americans, women, LGBTQ+ Americans, and others who have been vital in the struggle for civil rights and voting justice. The Institute for Common Power cannot and will not idly watch. To this end, we have created the Educators for Democracy speaker series to teach truth and encourage action that brings to fruition an inclusive democracy.

We will feature five educators from across the country each quarter who will deliver thirty minute talks on some aspect of American democracy.

Speakers:

Jeffery White, New York - "The Black Man's Burden: From Colonial Critique to Contemporary Crisis"

Erica Dodson, Ohio - "Using Art to Spark Discourse in Social Studies"

Kanika Batra, Texas - "Learning and Voting in the American South and South Africa, 1965-1975"

Cruz, Carmen - "A History Lesson on the Halftime Stage: How Bad Bunny Used His Platform to Educate America"

Luke Michener, Washington - "Black History - White Teacher: A Primer for White Folks Who Teach Black History"

Our February event will be in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Black History Month, and features educators discussing the teaching of Black history and identity.