47. Freedom Summer 2022: Teaching Truth to Power

Drawing on the history of Freedom Summer, the African American Policy Forum launched its Critical Race Theory Summer School in 2020 as a response to the state-sanctioned murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless Black lives that spurred the subsequent summer of racial reckoning. Next week (7/18-22), in the face of a rapidly advancing assault on racial justice, we convene for another edition of Summer School under the theme: “Teaching Truth to Power”. The program will take place over the course of 5 jam-packed days, and will feature 100 instructors, 21 channels and 85+ classes.

In anticipation of next week’s gathering, which we encourage all listeners to attend, we’re going to spend today’s episode taking a stroll down memory lane. For the last two years, Intersectionality Matters! has been tracking and analyzing the right wing attacks on CRT and other social justice education. Listen along as Kimberlé revisits our continuing coverage of this backlash- pulling out some of her favorite clips from past episodes to elevate how CRT offers a prism that allows us to see what is truly at stake. In addition to resurfacing highlights from past episodes like Story of Us, The Insurgent Origins of Critical Race Theory, Educators Ungagged, and Having Our Say, this episode also shares information about some of the fascinating classes lined up to be taught next week by a Who’s Who cast of academics, activists and advocates committed to defending and expanding our multiracial democracy.

Check out our website to register now! https://www.aapf.org/crtsummerschool.

CRT Summer School is running from July 18-22, 2022 and all content for our students will be available on demand until September. There’s a sliding scale for tuition, group rates, and scholarships so everyone can attend. CE/CLE/CTLE credits are available. There is no daylight between democracy and antiracism, and CRT Summer School could not come at a more important or poignant moment than now to show us exactly why that is.

Today’s episode features:

DAVID BLIGHT - Professor of American History, Yale University; Author, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom

SUMI CHO - Director of Strategic Initiatives, AAPF; Former law professor who taught CRT for 25 years

ALICIA GARZA - Co-Founder, Black Lives Matter; Principal, Black Futures Lab

MATTHEW HAWN - 10-year educator and baseball coach; Former teacher at Sullivan Central High School in Blountville, Tennessee

GLORIA LADSON-BILLINGS - Pedagogical theorist & educator; Author, The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children

KIRSTEN WEST SAVALI - VP, Content: iOne Digital

BRYAN STEVENSON - Founder and Executive Director, Equal Justice Initiative; Author, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

Hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw (@sandylocks)

Produced and edited by Julia Sharpe-Levine

Co-produced by Ashley Julien

Supported provided by Destiny Spruill, Kevin Minofu, Rebecca Scheckman, and the African American Policy Forum

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Follow us at @intersectionalitymatters, @IMKC_podcast