News
These are some of the articles, videos,and more we believe promote the goals and themes of the Black Minds Matter movement. As we work to expand education options for our students, we hope to ensure every person has access to resources to be life-long learners. If you’d like to have a news highlighted here, please email us.
Featured News
Black Minds Matter
The world is in the midst of a civil uprising as more bear witness to the racial and social injustices that take place daily in America, sparked by the abhorrent murders of black men and women.
“Every man has two educations: that which is given to him, and the other which he gives himself. What we are merely taught seldom nourishes the minds like that which we teach ourselves.”
#891: The fight for school choice in the Lone Star State, with Denisha Allen
On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Denisha Allen, a senior fellow at the American Federation for Children, joins Mike to discuss if school choice can win a victory in Texas’s special legislative session. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reports on a new study that examines the shrinking wage premium for college degrees.
THE 2023 33 SEMIFINALISTS: Dramatically Unconventional & Groundbreaking
Their efforts are innovative, unique, and groundbreaking in redefining and transforming education – providers who deliver AI-infused personalized learning in both traditional & new forms of schooling, small learning environments that give students curricular choice; life saving certifications for marginalized & at-risk populations, core content delivery, and recruitment, training & empowerment programs for teachers, parents, & school leaders. We salute them in their journey and wish them the best as they work toward the $1 million Yass Prize!
Houston Chronicle: Charles Blain: School choice won’t increase segregation. It’ll give families options.
When I was growing up, my parents moved to a town we couldn’t afford and took jobs as school custodians. They made those sacrifices so that my brother and I could attend school in a district we otherwise wouldn’t have had access to. The district wasn’t particularly notable, but it was better than surrounding districts, and certainly better than the ones in towns in which we could afford to live comfortably. Stories like my family’s are common: To provide the best education for their child, many parents are forced to sacrifice. Texas has an opportunity to give those families a choice. Which is why I’m disheartened, to say the least, to see opponents of school choice, who are not Black and are not representative of the populations they claim to care for, likening school choice to segregation.
A call to the NAACP: Let’s prioritize Baltimore’s Black students
In the heart of Baltimore, where history and hope intertwine, the songs of our ancestors echo with tales of triumph and tribulation. The NAACP has long been a part of this symphony, casting light on shadows of injustice and inequality. Yet today, as new needs have evolved and emerge, it’s time for the organization to keep fighting for Black futures. As the founder of Black Minds Matter and a direct beneficiary of education freedom, I have experienced the challenges of limited educational opportunities. The raw memories of my early school days, filled with struggles and despair, are still vivid. I remember the painful sting of failing the third grade not once, but twice, simply because I couldn’t read. Given the precedents my mother, uncles, aunts, and many other family members had set, I was seemingly destined to become a teenage mother and drop out of school.
Giving Ventures Podcast: Micro-schools and Other Education Revolutions
On the latest episode of Giving Ventures, host and DonorsTrust Vice President Peter Lipsett talks with three education experts working to expand school choice. His guests include Don and Ashley Soifer, CEO and chief innovation officer, respectively, of the National Microschooling Center; Denisha Allen, founder of Black Minds Matter; and Jenny Clark, founder of Love Your School.
AFC Announces Launch of Affiliated “AFC Victory Fund” Super PAC
Statement from Tommy Schultz, CEO, American Federation for Children “Coming off our best election cycle ever, the tectonic plates have shifted decisively in favor of educational freedom, and we’re just getting started. With AFC Victory Fund, we are taking our work to the next level, intending to invest at least $10 million in state-level races to ensure the interests of parents are represented at ballot boxes in key districts from coast to coast. With $6 million already committed, we are shaping up to have our best cash position ever ahead of the primary season.
Keep Kids First calls on Support Our Schools to stop petition drive on tax credit
Tanya Santos, a former principal at Holy Name Catholic School, stood in the school’s parking lot with Jayleesha Cooper, a former Holy Name student who received a privately funded scholarship. Both stressed the value of the tax credit passed by the Legislature this spring giving more Nebraska children the same chance. Cooper said people who care about kids would listen to the families telling you, “This is what I need.”
Denisha Allen (Merriweather) on Why Black Minds Matter
Philanthropy Roundtable recently sat down with Denisha Allen (Merriweather), founder of Black Minds Matter, a “national movement to celebrate Black minds, support excellence and promote the development of high-quality school options for Black students.” Allen, an American Federation for Children senior fellow, is a champion for school choice and a Florida tax-credit scholarship recipient. Through Black Minds Matter, she hopes to help provide access to an excellent education for every Black student.
Atlanta Democrat who switched parties showed heart for students
By: Denisha Allen . . . Earlier this year, state Rep. Mesha Mainor was the only member of her party to vote for a voucher bill that ultimately died in the Georgia House after passing the Senate along party lines. Georgia Democrats were not pleased, to say the least, with one colleague soon posting a blank check to whoever would mount a primary challenge.