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RAS Reports Podcast Series Lands at Essence Fest!
By: / 07.28.2023
Beyoncé is right. Who runs the world? Girls!
Black women are the decision makers at home and a driving force in educational advocacy in our communities so it’s only right that Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) — a project housed at the Progressive Policy Institute — and our RAS Reports podcast traveled to New Orleans to immerse ourselves in the largest collection of Black women in America…Essence Fest.
Black women have always been leaders in the fight for educational equity from the classroom to the courtroom. From educator and school founder Mary McLeod Bethune to attorney and advocate Constance Baker Motley, Black women have led the way in the age-old fight for the right to education in America.
Book banning, anti-diversity training legislation, and the rolling back of Affirmative Action in higher education threatens to reverse much of the progress Black women fought and died for a generation ago. And yet, Black women persist.
The fight continues for women like former DC Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson. Henderson recently founded Reconstruction, an effort to help students see history and education in a broader context that resonates with their culture and identity. For Steph Walters, leading Team Yellow — the brainchild of artist and producer Pharrell Williams — and their Engagement and Communication work is key to growing their network of micro-schools.
It’s no surprise to those who’ve been paying attention…Black women are winning.
Naomi Shelton is no different. As CEO of the National Charter Collaborative, Naomi is changing the game in how to grow a new generation of charter school leaders of color. And for Crystal Gilliam and Tracey Clark of 4.0, the work can’t wait. At 4.0, Gilliam and Clark are a driving force in providing coaching, curriculum, community, and cash to women leaders with the imagination to create a more equitable education ecosystem.
Started in 1995 by Essence Magazine to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the magazine’s first publication, Essence Fest is the single largest festival in America…period! In 2022, Essence Fest recorded a daily attendance rate of 176,000 attendees and welcomed over 500,000 attendees over the course of the 3-day event. In comparison, South by Southwest (SXSW) welcomed less than 300,000 attendees over a five-day period in 2022.
The energy and impact of Essence Fest was the perfect location for our latest podcast series, titled The Future is Woman. The line-up of guests included some of the brightest and most innovative minds in education discussing their organizations, their ideas, and the tremendous impact Black women play in driving their work.
The Future of Woman series is a must for those who need to hear from those at the forefront of innovation in education or for those leading organizations seeking new ideas to the same old issues.
Famed Capital Prep Charter School founder Dr. Steve Perry said it best, “I could not do what I do without Black women.” After listening to our five-part series, I’ll believe you’ll agree.
Guests include:
- Episode 1: Steve Perry, Capital Prep Charter Schools
- Episode 2: Steph Walters, Team Yellow
- Episode 3: Crystal Gilliam and Tracey Clark, 4.0
- Episode 4: Naomi Shelton, National Charter Collaborative
- Episode 5: Kaya Henderson, Reconstruction
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST SERIES HERE!
