Black women in positions of leadership are under attack and sadly it sometimes happens at the hands of other Black women. Whenever we challenge systems of oppression, we are criminalized and described with words that are stereotypically problematic like “attitudinal,” “difficult,” “being critical” and “uncooperative.”
In May of 2022, there was an attempt to ban me from Mott Hall Bridges Academy, a school I founded in Brownsville, Brooklyn, in 2010. This was not due to me causing harm to children or engaging in unlawful activities, as alleged in the media, but the weaponizing of power in an effort to silence me by claiming that two visits made to the school were “unauthorized” and “illegal.”
Throughout my tenure, I was constantly challenging the system of oppression that ultimately led to the development of two autoimmune diseases from stress. The ongoing demands and the fight for equity caused my health to decline significantly which resulted in my resignation in July 2020. As you watch this interview led by my close friend, Marlon Peterson, you will learn that there were unfortunate circumstances occurring at the school under the newly appointed leadership, who was not my successor. When I opened a school, it was with an intent to close prisons in a community that has the largest number of housing projects in the US and is home to a youth detention center, connected to the local precinct.
Source: Courtesy of Lopez/ Peterson / iOne
The school was designed to be a safe learning environment where our scholars would learn about their lineage, be challenged to be exceptional and given access to opportunities beyond the limitations of their neighborhood. Our school culture defied the mediocrity and low expectations that many within the education system had because of their zip codes. Despite the inequities we faced, Mott Hall Bridges Academy gained international attention producing alumni who are currently employed, future entrepreneurs and graduates from notable colleges and universities including, HBCUs!
There is a cost to being a disruptor of the education system which targets anyone who threatens its status quo. Everything is being controlled to keep us from developing a critical lens of how racism is rooted in our society and throughout our school system. Laws are being passed to ensure that the history of our people and their contributions are not taught in our classrooms while books that represent the complexities of our stories, and the authenticity of who we are, continue to be banned. Yet, due to limited options, parents make the choice to continue sending their children into spaces that deprive them of a fair and equitable education.
At stake are our Black and Brown children, who live in marginalized communities that feed the prison population. I will not apologize for advocating on behalf of children and demanding what they deserve–a quality education within a nurturing environment, nor will I ever remain silent about the injustices educators face in toxic environments, where they fear retaliation for speaking up, especially when it is at the hands of skinfolk who ain’t kinfolk.
In sharing my story, I hope it brings awareness to our community the importance of centering our children and advocating for them as a collective because one person should not have to bear the burden, nor be sacrificed.
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