As a young college student, LaGarrett King knew somethin was up. A student of history who had a profound understanding of himself as a complex human being, he knew that the version and framework of history he was being offered in his program was limiting and myopic. “I didn’t have the language” he explains, “but I knew there was more to it.”

As a teacher, “I was on the traditional track for a Black male educator,” which meant administration, but after a few months “checkin hall passes” he decided that he wanted to dig more deeply into the work of studying and understanding Black Historical Consciousness.

Now Associate Professor of Social Studies Education at the University of Missouri and founder of the Carter Center for K-12 Black History Education, Dr. King is setting schools ablaze with powerful abolitionist ideas around the importance of Black Historical Consciousness. He dives deep into contentious, unsettling historical study and drops so many gems we thought we’d just robbed a museum!

Gerardo and Kevin had the experience of hearing Dr. King teach at professional development, and now you get to hear his ideas. Get a pencil and paper, because class is in session!

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The systematic attack on Black teachers continues across education, and the great city of Denver is no exception. The ways in which Black and Brown teachers are often scapegoated and experience proxy attacks on the communities from which we come and which we serve. The designation of schools with Black and Brown student populations, and those which employ Black and Brown educators as “low performing,” “not meeting” or, locally, “red” is a well-established and researched problem in our system.

We sit down with secondary teacher Neelah Ali, one of the founding members of Denver’s Black Educators Caucus, about the continued marginalization of Black teachers within our system and the caucus’ recent #dpssoracist campaign. Neelah speaks at length about stories shared with the caucus regarding atrocities committed against Black teachers, especially in the form of stereotypes, professional bullying and other microaggressions felt keenly in most schools which employ Black and Brown educators.

Follow the BEC, the hashtag on Facebook, and support Denver’s Black educators!

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Analise Harris embodies Black genius, Black ingenuity, and a resilience. Always socially conscious and connected to her community, Analise entered the education system through alternative means after studying sociology in college. Having worked with the NAACP and other advocacy organizations, we in education were bless to have her join our ranks and work with children every day. She was impactful immediately and beloved by her students and parent community.

Then, as occurs so often with Black women teachers, things went south. The gossip. The microaggressions that became outright hostility. In a wrenching conversation that lays bare the pain shouldered by Black women educators, Analise shares in stark and unapologetic detail her harrowing journey from star teacher to persona non grata. Even today, she expresses bewilderment at the ways in which she was treated, as she re-lives the trauma of being run out of the classroom.

But she never wavered in her commitment, her goals, and her certainty that she was doing right by her students. Listen as she turns her pain and struggle into one of the most exciting STEAM programs in the area. She now looks to “corner the market” that schools simply refuse to see. This is a powerful, painful, but ultimately inspirational story of healing and creative genius. Do not miss this one!

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It’s mid-season, and we got so much on our mind that we just can’t recline. This podcast has its roots in brain dumping the things we see, feel, and experience over the course of a year. It’s a necessary catharsis, release of anxieties, celebrations, frustrations that is frenetic and healing all at once. Plus Kidz Bop M.O.P.

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This has been hard. Gerardo is at his breaking point. Hard week, and Kevin noticed that it’s starting to boil over a little. He’s a lil snippy in department meets, scowls in front of his camera during staff meetings and is running his mouth without thinking first. Kevin is concerned. We have a little therapy session, the fellas blow off some steam, discuss all kinds of stress-inducing events from an attempted takeover of Congress to return to school which is just days away for us.

We close out by commemorating Dr. King and his lessons for us today.

Mind the volume on this episode, it’s a loud one.

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Class of 2020 High School Seniors, please contribute to our #SeniorStories2020 series by completing the form below! Contact us at toodopeteacher@gmail.com if you have questions. https://forms.gle/oQ4exReZVvsGwMrZA

Bonus Episode! Gerardo (minus Kevin, whose phone hates Gerardo) interviews two former students, Anpa’o and Sofia, powerful young women of color enrolled in Women’s colleges. The experience has been nuanced for both of them, while overall positive. On the one hand, the small discussion-based and familiar environment is empowering. On the other hand, most of these institutions are historically white-dominated, and women of color still experience ignorance and stereotype threat, as in other Historically White Institutions (HWIs). We laugh and reconnect, and this bonus episode is an opportunity for teachers to step back and see the big picture of our work with students and their communities.

Drop: Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo of Choose

Music: Kevin Adams

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Gerardo and Kevin are back after an unplanned hiatus. The dog days of the school year are here. It takes patience, resilience, and smart pacing, like in a race, to get through the winter. Students are feeling ground down, teachers using up a lot of energy, and anxieties brought about by budget cuts, leadership uncertainty, and a looming testing season, and it’s hard to be optimistic and positive. Especially when it’s still dark in the morning.

The boyz have had a lot on their minds. In Episode 54, they do a Brain Dump–anything and everything on their minds, from musical composition to the RIB process to leadership transitions to a lot of other random stuff. This episode is from the front lines, from the grass roots, and from the heart of teachers during the toughest part of the year. We make jokes and get serious, and celebrate RIB Spirit week. Keep it locked right here. No texting!

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