What does it mean to truly seek child justice amid the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest, ecological instability and economic hardship? At brightbeam’s third #SeekingChildJustice town hall, titled #EducationForLiberation, we started chipping away at that question with a panel of child advocates.
Brightbeam national director of activism Zakiya Sankara-Jabar moderated a discussion with experts in economic, housing and environmental justice to help capture all of the factors we should consider when building a better education for our children and families—otherwise known as the social determinants of health.
If you missed the town hall here are some highlights
When doing this work of educating children, we have to remember that context is everything.
Panelists noted that housing, ecosystems, mental health care and more affect children’s learning.
And it’s time public servants addressed these needs, said LaTricea Adams of Black Millennials For Flint:
Dr. Carol D. Lee of Northwestern University said the details of our current struggles may be new, but little else is.
She offered one avenue to help young students trapped in a bad system:
Never forget the work Black families have done to serve their own communities’ educational needs, Dr. Akua pointed out.
Brightbeam’s Chris Stewart said it’s time for the country to remember how valuable Black voices have always been to education. “After 1954, we squandered our Black education capital and sent our kids away,” he said.
This is no mistake, said Tillotson:
Weren’t able to tune in? No problem. You can watch the full town hall here:
Don’t forget to ask us any follow-up questions you have via Facebook or Twitter, too.
