Equity in Education: The Conversation Continues

In April, Legacy-56, Inc. held its 5th Annual Sankofa Symposium to a multigenerational audience of nearly 100 people.

ST. PETERSBURG — On April 6, Legacy 56 held its 5th annual Sankofa Symposium entitled “Equity in Education: The Conversation Continues…”

Legacy-56, Inc. believes threats to equity in education were directly attacked when the Florida Legislature passed the Stop WOKE Act of 2022. The law bans content from classrooms that would allow students to teach the truth about racism in America.

Additionally, the law makes it illegal for employers to provide mandatory employee training that promotes discussion of discrimination, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The law was meant to stop “misconduct against children and employees” and aimed to eliminate anything that would cause “unpleasant feelings” in children.

Youth from Largo's Young Life Department, local churches such as Bethel Metropolitan Baptist Church and Mount Moriah Academy, and community organizations such as NCNW's Black Pearls and Men in the Making have called for further discussion. I joined in with equal excitement to listen.

“Of course, acrostic WOKE is a misuse of the word 'woke' and means that we are fully aware of what it means to be African in America,” Legacy- said Dr. Katula Jenkins-Hall, founder of 56, Inc.

Katula Dr. Jenkins Hall

Last year, under the leadership of Board Chair Loretta Monroe Calvin and Jenkins Hall, Legacy-56 hosted the fourth annual Sankofa event, “A Platform for Social Justice: Stop Wake Climate Against Educational Injustice.” It was held. This event, with speakers from several social justice platforms – classrooms, courtrooms, pulpits, and all media platforms – will take action to use such platforms to promote the importance of Black history. It was a calling. The history of African Americans is actually the history of America!!

Plenary speaker Professor Judith Scully provided the history of the law and encouraged the audience, “We are winning in court!” In 2023, teachers were poring over books and wondering about classics that were expected to no longer be available to children. DEI employees' discomfort increased with each new layoff or layoff, creating uncertainty about their status and employment.

That summer, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) held its first official Freedom School focused on teaching African American history. Attorneys Jacqueline Hubbard and Judith Scully led the effort along with community leaders and the Woodson African American Museum of Florida.

“As the Legacy-56 Board deliberates on its priorities for 2024, we wanted to see what progress has been made and make sure to take into account our early experiences, so we looked back on the past year. It was decided to continue the discussion,” Calvin said.

Judith Scully Professor of Law.

On April 6, the community gathered on Eckerd College's beautiful campus to hear the sounds of jazz from the Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Society ensemble and a continental breakfast in the James Center. The plenary session included an encore by Mr. Scully, who was invited back to continue the discussion on the status and impact of Stop WOKE.

Scully's update to a multigenerational audience of nearly 100 people was, “We won!” In fact, Stop WOKE was ruled unconstitutional in court. “The hard truth is that even though we won in court, we lost in practice. People are still worried about their jobs and about decisions about what to present in the classroom.'' Scully he said.

St. Petersburg native Dr. Linda Mizell also returned from Tacoma, Washington to explore what educators need to continue teaching creatively while maintaining the joy of teaching.

“Love for children and our community is central to the African American educational tradition. We believe that providing a quality education in a politically hostile climate requires perseverance and We have always understood that determination is needed.Educators in attendance recognized that teachers need more time to learn deeply about historical practices so that they can be more effective in modern practices. I agreed,” Mizell said.

From a community perspective, Imam Askia Muhammad Aqil offered the following wisdom: and important short-term wins. Stock leaders such as Marcus Brooks, Karl Lavender, and Atty. Jacqueline Hubbard, the Rev. Robert A. Vinson, and Aquile also spoke of the need to break out of silos and organize for the common good.

A special session for youth led by Anne Sherman White of Eckerd College, Stephen Lane of Pinellas Institute of Technology, and Rev. Steve Sorrels of Young Life, taught them about different paths to success: college, vocational training, spiritual path, guidance).

The youth panel, led by father and son co-facilitators Rev. Ullas and Rev. Oren Butler, found that most youth are not fully aware of the impact of modern-day inequality. However, they were very aware that they needed to believe in themselves, not conform to the crowd, and work hard to achieve their goals.

Professor Scully concluded his talk with the following summary:

Keep educating yourself and others.
I'm writing about our experience in Florida's “Stop Walk Land.”
Develop ways to protest and support those who have the moral courage to protest.
We support community organizations that bravely fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion and support courageous anti-racist conversations.
Vote because elections affect state legislatures, school boards, and other local elections.

Legacy-56 unites community members, despite political, religious, racial, and economic differences, to remember our history, reclaim our heritage, restore our communities, and build a collective We provide a solution-focused forum where you can work to realize your destiny of building eternity.

Calvin, on behalf of the entire Board, would like to thank our wonderful sponsors: Eckerd College, Office of Inclusive Excellence, Pinellas County Multicultural Youth Life Division, Largo, St. Petersburg Health Foundation, and National Council of Black Women. Metropolitan area branch.