Honoring Black History Month: Those Making History Today
Here at Case•it, education and innovation go hand-in-hand. We recognize that the role of the educator in our society has always been a crucial one. Now more than ever, people who impart knowledge to students, teachers, or the general public play a vital role in guiding future generations. In continuation of our Black History Month blog series, we wanted to share with you 6 of 12 very special people. These individuals are making a significant impact in the classroom, in education, and the world at large. They are making history. Be sure to check out their social media or blogs to learn more about them.
Jose Luis Vilson @thejosevilson
Jose started his career as a math teacher for middle school in NY, NY. Not only is he an educator, but he also is a blogger, speaker, writer, and activist. A published author and co-founder of EDU Color, he is making an impact by using his voice to speak on race and social justice issues in education. Learn more about his work and writings at thejosevilson.com.
Naomi O’Brien @readlikearockstar
Naomi shares her teaching style as very hands-on. She has been teaching since 2010, and throughout her career focused on teaching her students to read like rock stars. She has also developed helpful classroom tools, and you can read her through leadership at readlikearockstarteaching.com.
Tanesha B. Forman @love.tanesha
Tanesha loves teaching and learning, the first in her family to attend college. She is not only a middle-grade teacher, but also offers strategies on class strategies, anti-bias/anti-racism training, ELA, and curriculum design. You can learn more and check out her resources at taneshabforman.com/.
Baruti K. Kafele @Principal Kafele
An educator for 20 years in New Jersey, Principal Kafele as he’s known on Twitter is one of the most sought-after leadership experts and education speakers in America. His impact is not just the school he helped transformed in Essex County, NJ but also the delivery of over 2,000 public speaking engagements at conferences, workshops, seminars, and student assemblies in his 34 years of public speaking. You can interact with him on Twitter/YouTube or learn more at principalkafele.com.
Kimberly Bryant @6Gems
The founder and CEO of Black Girls Code who’s sole mission are to educate girls of color in computer coding and programming languages. She was first introduced to computer programing as a freshman in Electrical Engineering, oftentimes she felt culturally isolated, which inspired her to launch Black Girls code. She wants to help build a new generation of coders who will create technological innovations of their own. You can learn more about black girl’s code or follow her personally on Instagram.
Dr. Bettina L. Love @Blovesoulpower
Award-winning Author of We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom. She also is a professor at the University of Georgia and the co-founder of the Abolitionist Teaching Network. You can follow Dr. Love on Instagram or Twitter for great content about abolition, anti-racism, and more.
