Black Educators Matter: Project 500 Podcast

“Essentially, that’s what education is all about. If you can reach one person… you’ve done a whole lot.” Mrs. Terica McCormick 2nd Grade Paraprofessional, Entrepreneur www.blackfamilyloveapparel.com IG: @BlackFamilyLoveApparel "I remember some of the struggles that I had… those are my strong points now." What can you do to make a difference? Educator and entrepreneur, Mrs. Terica McCormick, decide...

“ How do you make sure that you are able to decipher information in a time when there are things thrown at you 24/7/365…? ” Dr. Imani Cheers Associate Director, Associate Professor of Digital Storytelling “See the beauty of the Black experience…” She wrote her dissertation on Living Single. She grew up reading her father’s articles in Jet and Ebony. How did she combine her creativity, love of tele...

“The feeling of kids learning is unmatched.” Ms. Rhonda Cohen High School ELA Teacher; Dean of Culture; Safety & Security How are you being an advocate for kids? How are you creating a space for kids to learn in? On today’s episode, we are joined by career changer and Sneakerhead Ms. Rhonda Cohen. With a background in psychology and early childhood education, Rhonda shares her journey into the...

"The sense of belonging is one of the best things we can give to another human being." Ashley Russell Lead IT Instructor Masters in Instructional Technology https://www.ashtechwisdom.com/ “All of these people have added to my existence.” Black Nerds, Unite!! This week, we are joined by Mr. Ashley Russell, Philosophy major turned IT Instructor and founder of AshTech Wisdom. As a Black man from the...

“Those stories help them to understand and see, not only is this something that is going on currently, but it’s something that has gone on over the span of time… all hope is not lost.” Ms. Shamecca Williams High School English Literature Lovers, this one's for you! On today’s episode, we are joined by Ms. Shamecca Williams. This Brooklyn born, DC educated, Maryland based educator reflects on the w...

“Men in the community were very instrumental in our development.” Dr. Dominique Hill Director of Wellness, Adjunct Professor A Civil Rights History Lesson from North Carolina “Listen to their stories, and allow them to share their stories.” #Shoutout to the Mentors!! In this episode, Dr. Dominique Hill reflects on the impact the rural environment had on his formative years (let’s bring back meetin...

“It was my Black teachers who got me through those times.” Mr. Jeff Carmon Adjunct Professor, North Carolina Central University School of Law Jeff Carmon "You can't control how people view you. You can control how you respond to their perception." Have you ever examined the power of a community and school working together? On today’s episode, we are joined by Adjunct Professor Jeff Carmon, who com...

“Be you… don’t change.” Ms. Candace Neil Kindergarten Teacher, Team Leader, Union Representative “My advocacy can go beyond the 20 or 30 kids that I’m assigned.” Do you have the ability to shift the atmosphere? Ms. Neil does! On this week’s episode, we are speaking with Kindergarten teacher Ms. Candace Neil. She’s reflecting on her decade working in education, the importance of building transparen...

“This is a revolutionary space.” Mr. Julian Johnson-Marshall High School English Teacher “Don’t wish for it, work for it” This week, we are joined by High School English Teacher Mr. Julian Johnson-Marshall, a Kansas City, Missouri native who is incredibly proud of building his educational career in his hometown. After having a lit educational experience, Julian reflects on the transition from publ...

“Representation matters and being able to see yourself represented at every level is really important.” Mrs. Laurice Jones Assistant Professor of English #Shoutout to the community colleges! This week, we are joined by Assistant Professor of English, Mrs. Laurice Jones, a Chicagoland native with educational experience in Illinois, Texas, and South Korea. Now stationed in Germany with her military...

“We can’t keep empowering others if we can’t empower ourselves.” Brittany Gail Thomas Adjunct Professor, Administrator, Trial Advocacy, Public Defender Color of Excellence IG: @TheColorOfExcellence This episode, we received a mighty word from The Color of Excellence founder and Adjunct Professor, Brittany Gail Thomas. BGT reflects on her educational upbringing and seeing the programmatic imbalance...

“I think I have the same story as a lot of Black and Brown students.” Dr. Krystal C. Johnson High School Placement Coordinator #Shoutout to the first generation college students! This week, we are joined by Dr. Krystal Johnson, an educator and youth advocate with a background in higher education. Dr. Johnson shares why an interesting encounter with the financial aid advisor led her into education...

Sense of Direction Morgan Nickles Program Manager, Life Skills Teacher “We are such a creative group of people.” Have you ever felt unsure of your next step? On today’s episode, we are joined by Ms. Morgan Nickles, who’s non-traditional journey into education is filled with learning moments. Growing up in Chicago and currently teaching in rural Illinois, Morgan shares her story into college, how s...

"You got to be emotionally aware of what that child may be going through to connect with them on an educational level." Mr. LeBarron Mcwhorter Band Director, Music Educator (elementary, middle, high school and college) https://lebarronmcwhorter.wordpress.com/ Mr. LeBarron Mcwhorter reflects on his awesome academic and musical experiences that shaped his identity and put him on the pathway into edu...

"You can't give a kid a dream, if it's never been a reality for anyone." Douglas Morrow, MBA Special Education Classroom Assistant, Nonprofit Founder IG: Instagram.com/dearaustinchicago The Greater West Side of Chicago, stand up!! On today's episode, we are speaking with Mr. Doug Morrow, who has spent over a decade supporting students across the city as a substitute teacher and special education c...

"Where are the Black people in this discipline?" Deven E. Cooper Director of Debate, Communications Professor "Debate allows us to communicate with people who will be the leaders of this world. A lot of politicians, lawyers, doctors and educators come from debate." The Champ is here! On today's episode, we are joined by lecturer and debate champion, Mr. Deven Cooper. As a Black man with a Communic...

"We're in the people business. We are developing the future of our country." Mr. Roderick Sheppard Principal, Teacher, Coach On today's episode, we are speaking with Mr. Roderick Sheppard, a career changing trailblazer who stands on the shoulders of giants within the community as the first African American principal of his school. Roderick shares his journey growing up in Alabama, never having a B...

“I knew where I was going by the time I was a child.” Jess Vann, Educator, Actor, Performer, Program Manager IG: @Jdotjourney What’s the reform? What’s the restorative approach? What is White Savior Complex (besides the most annoying form of white supremacy)? What is anti-racism work? In this episode, we are joined by Educator Activist Jess Van, who shares her journey as Black girl developing an i...

"If you have a gift, you can make money from it. And you should." Catherine McNeil, MA Professional Development Trainer, Nonprofit Founder Author, Speaker, Coach #ASCCatherine www.chbmservices.com https://www.facebook.com/CHBMcNeil/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chbmservices/ "Every type of education that is out there, I have navigated it." Education happens throughout the lifespan, across industrie...

"Become known." Dr. Yaschica Williams Associate Professor and Chair Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice This week, we are joined by Alabama native Dr. Yaschica Williams, an introverted yet collaborative professor who speaks to the power of finding your voice, the long-lasting impact of trauma in education (hello school to prison pipeline), and the need to create educational programming that is...

“The way you show up gives kids permission to show up the same.” Tierionna Pinkston, Educator, Administrator “Baby, that’s your history, it’s in you… you just have to pull it out.” What does it mean to be smart? What does it mean to live in a liberated society? How can we tap back into our ancestral power through rituals and identity affirmation? On this episode, Ms. Tierionna Pinkston walks us th...

“I’m 100% African!” Ms. Nagity Deng Science Teacher IG: @_Colour. Narratives “I had to unlearn so much…” This week, we are joined by Nagity, a New York based Science Teacher with a passion for documenting the experiences of Black women educators. She shares her origin story, how her family immigrated to the United States from Sudan when she was a child, the standards of beauty and behavior she fac...

“I can understand why they don’t always understand… but I can’t understand why they don’t want to get understanding.” Dr. Pat Sanders Professor of Communication, Journalism and Digital Media Production This Prof Life Podcast: Women of Color in Higher Education https://www.drpatsanders.com/ “The door to education opened so seamlessly… I just walked through that door.” Black Women Podcasters Unite!...

“If America catches a cold, Black America gets pneumonia.” Leonard Andre Wilson, Jr. English Teacher (7 years), Special Education Teacher IG: @BlackScholarsPodcast http://www.blackscholarspublishing.com/ “I’m trying to break the stigma about Black male educators. We’re more than disciplinarians. We are more than sports coaches. We can be the brightest in the room. You can learn from us. We can con...

“Socioemotional learning is at the forefront of all that I do.” Tiayana Logan 7th grade Math, Special Education Liaison, Counselor, Program Assistant, Entrepreneur IG: @TeachMsLogan “With all that’s going on in the world today, we have a huge platform to make change.” As a 17 year old senior with WNBA aspirations, Ms. Tiayana Logan was offered a job (at her high school) as a teaching assistant… an...