Leading By History

In this episode of Leading By History, Historian Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul speaks with Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries of the Teaching Hard History Podcast fame ( https://www.tolerance.org/podcasts/teaching-hard-history/american-slavery ). Discussing how teachers should navigate difficult subjects like slavery, the use of the "N-Word" in classrooms and how educators should "re-vision" curricula to engage histo...

In this episode of the Leading by History podcast, Specialist Ma'asehyahu interviews part of the LilMathGirl team to discuss the connections between mathematics, the ancient world and modern applications. Many people have personal perceptions and opinions about math and history alike. Some are intimidated by these disciplines but a real and basic understanding of them remove the mystery and afford...

In this episode of the Leading By History podcast Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul interviews Quan Neloms of the I AM IN DEMAND movement out of Detroit, MI. This is Quan's second time (since Ep. 19 - Season 1) on the show and in this episode he informs the audience of how the movement has grown and what it took to establish a system of support for black male educators. He also reveals the secrets of how to sta...

In this new Season 2 episode of the LBH Podcast, Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul has a conversation with Philly's 7th Ward and Black Male Educators for Social Justice founder - Sharif El-Mekki. El-Mekki has an interesting story of being raised as a Black Panther Party cub in West Philadelphia and then being moved with his family to Iran to spend his middle school years. El-Mekki never had a desire...

In this FIRST EPISODE (extended) of the new season of Leading By History, Dr. Lucas Morel of Washington & Lee University joins us to discuss the legacy of Abraham Lincoln as "Great Emancipator" or "White Supremacist". There has been much debate over the last several decades as to what Abraham Lincoln meant for African-American people and oppressed people world-wide. Some have viewed him as a great...

In this final episode of season 1 of the Leading By History podcast, Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul gives a "year in review" of the podcast from Episodes 1 through 22 (Season 1). This episode will be extremely helpful for those who are new to the show and would like to know the kinds of information and resources available through this platform. A brief summary of each episode will ensure that the...

In this episode of Leading By History, Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul discusses Primary sources and the importance of reviewing them within historical context. An image by Edward S. Curtis from the early 1900's is examined as well as online resources for K-12 teachers which will help them bring document examination into their classrooms. Special thanks to the Stanford Historical Education Group fo...

In this episode of Leading by History,  Education Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul addresses the current world of education in the United States which marginalizes history/social science (the social studies) in favor of other core content areas to the harm of K-12 students. History has been given "a bad rap" because of high-stakes testing which has forced history teachers to focus on dates and...

In this episode 20, Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul speaks with Mr. Ayodele Harrison (Host of Black Male Educators Talk/Community race and culture consultant) concerning the plight of the black male educator. With so few black men entering the field of education, there are yet too many obstacles keeping potentially excellent black male educators from serving the communities they reflect. This episo...

In this episode of Leading By History, Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul interviews black male educators - Quan Neloms and Roderick Wallace concerning the new video for the Black Male Educators movement in the Michigan-Detroit area. In this interview these men discuss the power of hip hop as a vehicle to encourage and empower as well as the struggles of black male educators to be recognized as viable...

In this episode of Leading By History, Specialist Ma'asehyahu speaks with Charter School Advocate Antoine Green concerning the ongoing debate about Charter Schools.  As an advocate and previous charter school board member, Mr. Green provides us with a perspective from first hand experience. The Nation's public school system is in crisis and many are looking for ways to change a failing trajec...

In this special, extended episode of Leading By History, Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul sits down with CEO Christy Coleman to discuss her journey from childhood optimist to being one of the most influential agents of change with regard to America's Civil War narrative. Intriguing and informative, this interview is one long overdue. If you are looking to not only understand the new direction of the...

During a time when Richmond, Va. is in poli-cultural transition as it pertains to renaming schools (J.E.B. Stuart Elementary to Barack Obama Elementary) and the discussion of removing Civil War hero statues, it has made a lasting decision - to rename the Boulevard to Arthur Ashe Boulevard. The Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC), in partnership with the City of Richmond, Arthur Ashe Boulev...

In this episode of Leading By History we interview researcher and author Kevin Levin (Searching for Black Confederates: the Civil War's Most Persistent Myth) about a most debated topic - the existence of black Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. This assertion has been pushed for three decades by some of the greatest supporters of the "Lost Cause" as well as prominent African-American profe...

In this episode, Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul speaks with Specialist Kelisa Wing to discuss the origins of the STPP and the steps needed to dismantle it. Kelisa is the author of Promises and Possibilities: Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline , which was released in 2018. She is an award winning educator and administrator, as well as a researcher and guest writer for several educational org...

 In this part 2, episode 13, Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul continues his casual conversation with Dr. Adam Ewing - Professor of African-American history at Virginia Commonwealth University, concerning the influence of Marcus Garvey's political/spiritual ideology on the development of black nationalism around the world. If part 1 left you wanting more, here's your next "fix"...

In this part 1, episode 12, Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul has a casual and off the cuff discussion with Dr. Adam Ewing - Professor of African-American history at Virginia Commonwealth University, concerning the influence of Marcus Garvey's political/spiritual ideology on the development of black nationalism around the world. Have you ever considered being a proverbial  "fly on the wall" in t...

In this week's extended episode of Leading By History, Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul interviews Dr. Claudrena Harold - Professor of African-American Studies at the University of Virginia. Their discussion focuses on the definition of "black scholarship" and whether there is a need for such a term. Dr. Harold minces no words in clearly defining the work of black scholarship and the continual need...

This episode is the second part of Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul's discussion of the modern conceptualization of race and whether the actors of 16th century New Spain (Mexico and its surrounding areas) could be judged by such an understanding and perspective. Though controversial, the host challenges the listener to consider how black and indigenous people of the era viewed each other and why the...

In this episode Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul reviews some of his research concerning Racial Betrayal in the Founding of New Spain (Mexico and surrounding territories). With the current talk of racism and the "social construct of race", it is important to examine the origins of race in the early Americas.  The story of Hernán Cortés provides the historical backdrop for the discussion. His ex...

This short part B episode covers three portions of speeches from Dr. David Jeck (Superintendent of Fauquire County Public Schools), Donna Columbo (President of the VA PTA) and Sarah Pederson (Local activist and VEA representative) at the Red for Ed March. Check out the Live, on-the-ground reporting from Leading By History's founder - Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul! Hear it exactly as it was!

 In this episode of Leading By History we interview teacher and educational activist Sarah Pederson. Sarah is a relatively new teacher in Richmond but she has a history of being outspoken in defense of fairness for students and teachers alike. Specialist Ma'asehyahu Isra-Ul sits down with Sarah in her classroom after school and discusses her motivations and inspirations for creating change in educ...

 In this extended episode of Leading By History we interview Dr. Lynette Tannis of Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, in order to discuss the school to prison pipeline with a special focus on the vulnerable children trapped within the Pipeline. Dr. Tannis is the author of the book Educating Incarcerated Youth: Exploring the Impact of Relationships, Expectations, Resources and...

The Virginia Museum of History & Culture (formerly known as the Virginia Historical Society) was developed to preserve Virginia's rich colonial and revolutionary era history. Being established in 1831, a divisive time of race and politics, the society catered to the elite of American society. Over the years, the society has sought opportunities to shift its focus to engage a more diverse and compl...

Trauma-informed care and social emotional learning have become buzz words in our current system. Yet, these terms and the research behind them are gaining more support in being the under-girding of effective analysis and treatment for those suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and a host of other mental/emotional challenges. Today's program will feature a much needed discussion into the c...