As a Black education justice advocate for the last 10 years, the amount of apathy and resignation that education leaders, decision-makers, and even my fellow advocates at times demonstrate when it comes to Black youth never fails to baffle me. California’s education system continues to woefully fail brilliant Black young people, often offering nothing but lip service and superficial commitments to racial justice. When taken together with the dismal academic outcomes for Black students in the state, this level of complacency translates to an anti-Black education system. California’s leaders have an obligation to Black learners to be honest about the system’s failings – even when admitting those failings feels uncomfortable and take bold and effective action.
California’s obligation to Black students becomes even more clear when examining the state’s 175-year history of fugitive slave laws, early bans on Black students attending public schools, subsequent school segregation, redlining, over-disciplining, and the general under-resourcing of the Black community. All of these policy decisions taken together have caused an enormous amount of harm to California’s Black youth.
Ten years ago, EdTrust-West kicked off an initiative to drive more attention and stronger action for the hundreds of thousands of Black students in the state. Initially launched with a report, associated resources, and a 1000+ student rally at the State Capitol, Black Minds Matter is a call to action that is, unfortunately, still necessary. In the decade since the campaign launched, equity champions in schools, districts, and colleges leveraged the sentiment and calls to action in Black Minds Matter to back up their own advocacy. Yet the progress we’ve seen from state and local leaders is far too often piecemeal and performative – far from truly fulfilling California’s obligation to these students.
In February, EdTrust-West will release new Black Minds Matter 2025 materials, including a comprehensive look at data on how the state is doing for Black students, recommendations for local and state leaders, and updated resources advocates can leverage. Our recommendations identify the actions education leaders at all levels should take to reverse the harms California caused Black youth and address the persistent disparities in educational outcomes Black students experience.
The ongoing work of the Black Minds Matter initiative is driven by a clear sentiment: California owes a significant debt to Black youth. Let’s be clear: this debt is not limited to just monetary compensation as many people believe reparations is about. Indeed, this debt must be paid with meaningful systemic transformation.
Raising the need for a system to transform is not a new concept. In fact, it’s often co-opted by those in power and often masks more of the same. What would – and should – be new, however, is California’s Black communities and their values informing this much-needed transformation. If our education system was grounded in the values of Black communities all of California’s public school students would benefit. As a born-and-raised Black Californian the values I was raised to prioritize over anything else were connection, joy, the centrality of young people, and honoring the legacy of our ancestors.
What would all our schools look like if we placed these values above all else at a systemic level in California?
If joy was of utmost importance youth would be excited to go to school every day rather than dread feeling like a product on a one-size-does-not-fit-all assembly line. The curriculum they engaged in would challenge and excite them and nurture their enthusiasm to grow and learn rather than subject them to daily drudgery.
If connection was held up above all else, we would ensure the adults interacting with our children had the compensation, resources, and training that are necessary to build relationships of care and safety with youth in schools. We would broadly acknowledge the cultural richness of Black educators and center the skills, expertise, and assets they bring to the classroom – assets that research shows supports all children’s academic success.
If children were seen as the most valuable members of our society, system leaders at all levels would ensure that schools are places of care rather than sites of hostility, characterized by over-disciplining of Black students and denial of the academic gifts of Black youth.
If we honored the legacy of our ancestors, we would ensure that the history and culture of Black Californians are incorporated into our schools’ curriculum and instruction.
One beautiful thing about the people of California is that these things are already happening in homes, communities, and in some classrooms. Yet they are not happening because of our education system; they are happening in spite of it. Community leaders, dedicated educators, parents, and community members are all doing the hard work of defying our education system to create environments in which Black children receive care and flourish. Black Minds Matter 2025 will showcase some examples of these efforts. The question for state leaders now is: will you commit to the same level of dedication to transforming California’s education system as Black communities have for their young people?
Black Minds Matter 2025 is an opportunity. An opportunity to lift one of the other values and traditions of the Black community – for advocates, educators, parents, students, and community members to speak loudly, in a resounding voice about the bold action they want from their elected and appointed leaders.
Black Minds Matter 2025 is also an opportunity for state leaders, local leaders, heads of districts, and community organizations, to pay a longstanding debt. We’re not even charging interest.
Visit www.BlackMindsMatter.org to register for upcoming campaign events, get on the mailing list to receive the new resources, and more.
