Our Classroom

Say my name, say my name! Yes, a throwback Destiny’s Child reference but it works in this case. Katherine Trejo is today’s guest and we are discussing her book Yefferson, Actually / En Realidad, Yefferson.

Katherine Trejo is a first-generation Salvadoran-American college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in politics and Latin American/Latino studies from UC Santa Cruz. She lives in Historic Filipinotown with her Boston Terrier Lily, mom, brother, cousins, aunts, grandma, niece, and nephew in the same apartment complex where she was raised. She enjoys spending time with friends and family and watching cartoons. She co-authored Yefferson, Actually/En Realidad Es Yefferson with Mr. Scott Martin-Rowe, one of her most influential and favorite teachers in high school.

Follow Katherine via Instagram @katbaggins

Follow Scott Martin-Rowe @scottmartinrowe

Follow Karla Monterrosa @internetkarla

Follow Lil' Libros @lil_libros

Click here to purchase Yefferson, Actually / En Realidad, Es Yefferson 

A couple months ago, Roberto was asked participate on a virtual panel regarding colorism in the Latina/o/e Community. The event was organized by AP for All NYC and hosted by Marisol Manríquez and Dr. Akua Kisiwaa-Adefope. In addition to Roberto, it featured Dr. Gloria Rosario-Wallacef, Rosa Bell and Dr. Soribel Genao.

The panelists were asked to consider the following questions:

1. What does colorism mean to you? What does anti-blackness mean to you? How are they the same/or different? How does it show up in your life?  

2. How does racism and discrimination toward Afro & Indigenous-Latin/o/a/e/s differ in Latin America and the United States? What have been your experiences? 

3. How do you see your role in working towards social and racial justice within the Latin/o/a/e community? What is your ask from White Latin/o/a/e co-conspirators? 

4. Explain the origin and contexts of colorism in the Latin/o/a/e community. How would you describe the level of awareness of colorism within the Latin/o/a/e community? 

5. What resources can educators use to educate themselves and guide them in supporting student experiences in the classroom? In what initiatives are you currently involved regarding this topic? 

Much to absorb in this episode. Welcome to Our Classroom!

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Dr. Richard Reddick helps us unpack the notion of Restorative Resistance in Higher Education. He also shares his experience leading The Eyes of Texas History Committee and University of Texas-Austin. Finally, he shares a bit about how he engages in self-care.

Richard J. Reddick, Ed.D. is the inaugural Associate Dean for Equity, Community Engagement, and Outreach and Distinguished Service Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. He is also faculty co-chair of the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) and Bravely Confronting Racism in Higher Education at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Dr. Reddick conducts ethnographic research on the experiences of faculty of color in predominantly White university settings, mentoring relationships in higher education, Black families in American society, and work-family balance in junior faculty fathers. A former elementary and middle school teacher, he remains active in scholarship and community work as a member of two charter school boards in Austin, Texas. Dr. Reddick is the co-host of the KUT public radio podcast and radio segment Black Austin Matters with Dr. Lisa B. Thompson, and regularly contributes opinion pieces to the Chronicle of Higher Education, CNN, NBC Think, Fortune, and major dailies across Texas and the nation. He is a graduate of Department of Defense Dependent Schools and public schools in East Austin, and earned his bachelors, master’s, and doctoral degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University. Dr. Reddick is a husband, son, brother, and father of two.

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Dr. Lois Marshall Barker & Ava Barker discuss their picture book Ava’s Caribbean ABC. They express the importance of cultural affirmation.

Dr. Lois Marshall Barker is a Grenadian native and creative currently living in Houston, Texas. She has over 14 years of experience in education. Dr. Barker has served as a high school ELA teacher, instructional coach and now a curriculum developer. She works closely with educators to revamp curriculum and structures to ensure all students are seen and have an opportunity to be successful as defined by them.

Ava is a 12 year old creative and native Texan proud of Grenadian heritage. She is president of her school’s Theatre Club and landing roles in productions of Junie B. Jones and The Super Non-Heroes . Ava is an avid reader of graphic novels and historical fiction. At school, Ava is very passionate about having access to books that reflect all stories including hers. She is also very vocal about teaching history beyond the eyes of the settlers making sure all perspectives and truths are told.

Today’s episode features Ellison & Bavu Blakes discussing their self-published book El’s Mirror. El’s Mirror is an upper elementary picture book and a reflective tool for families, parents, mentors, leaders, and educators of children. Ellison Blakes is a scientist, pianist, researcher, athlete and baller, video game lover & designer, sports analyst, and author. After Mama’s prediction (with a wink) came true, Dad started helping him create El’s Mirror. Ellison is a 5th grader who still goes to the school up the street from the big house full of books and art on the West side of the South. Bavu Blakes is a Scholar Emcee deliberately walking through the intersection of Hip Hop, education, and spirituality. His research goals center the various ways that the Hip Hop generation leverages its resources for today's generation. Blakes is a national educational consultant as well as a celebrated songwriter whose studio collaborators include Grammy winners Adrian Quesada, Symbolyc One, Gary Clark, Jr., and several more. El’s Mirror can be purchased at the Hip Hop Grew Up website.

Today's episode features Roberto being interviewed on Rosa Bell's PLC (Professional Learning Community) discussing how to integrate culture in Spanish Language classrooms through poetry.

#OurClassroom #MulticulturalClassroom #SpanishTeachers #AfroLatino #languageteachers #podcast #OurClassroomPodcast #education #culture #PLC #ProfessionalLearningCommunity

Credits:
Host: Roberto Germán, Rosa Bell
Editors: Roberto Germán, Jabi Marketing (Javier Roche)

Today’s episode features Jordan Botello. He is a PhD Student and Graduate Teaching Fellow in the Department of Philosophy at The Graduate Center, CUNY in New York City. Currently he teaches at Brooklyn College. His areas of interest are Metaphysics, Philosophy of Language, Critical Philosophy of Race, Philosophy of Law and Philosophy of Religion. In particular, he has been doing research on the semantics/pragmatics of racial slurs and the implications this has for appropriation and free speech laws. He also does research on theorizing about racial justice. Before that, he was a J.T. & Margaret Talkington Fellow and Graduate Instructor in the Department of Philosophy at Texas Tech University, where he earned his MA in Philosophy. Jordan also founded the Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) chapter at Texas Tech. Jordan is also a TExES Social Studies 7-12 (232) Certified Educator in the state of Texas. He taught high school in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

#OurClassroom #MulticulturalClassroom #criticalracetheory #criticalphilosophyofrace #charlesmills#CUNY #BrooklynCollege #podcast #OurClassroomPodcast #education 

Credits:
Guest: Jordan Botello
Host: Roberto Germán
Editor: Jabi Marketing (Javier Roche)

Today’s episode features Yeimy Medina. She was born in Dominican Republic, grew up in Curacao. Growing up she never loved my natural hair and didn’t think it was beautiful. In the Dominican Republic if you have natural hair it is considered “bad” hair. In 2019, a friend inspired Yeimy and encouraged her to love her natural hair the way that God created it. Yeimy did her big chop in April 2019 and had to learn how to love and care for her natural hair. She created a natural hair page because she wanted to encourage other women to love themselves the way that God made them.

#OurClassroom #MulticulturalClassroom #NaturalHair #AfroLatino #bighairdontcare #podcast #OurClassroomPodcast #education #HairLove

Credits:
Guest: Yeimy Medina
Host: Roberto Germán
Editor: Jabi Marketing (Javier Roche)

Today’s episode features Deldelp Medina of Black and Brown Founders. Deldep has 10 plus years experience in Diversity and Inclusion, Design Thinking, Product Market Fit, Lean Startup, scaling and investment strategy. She brings her cross-cultural expertise engage in meeting the demographic shift. She does this by identifying, pitching, structuring, relationship building, negotiating and creating close strategic partnerships. Deldep was also listed as one of the 6 Latina Founders to Watch in TechCrunch. Deldelp joined to discuss the Chroma 2021 event taking place October 14th-16th.

Credits:
Guest: Deldelp Medina
Host: Roberto Germán
Editor: Jabi Marketing (Javier Roche)

Today’s episode features Dan Cummings. In this conversation, Roberto and Dan chop it up about the experience of leading a rural school, the common thread of poverty experienced in many rural and urban schools, and what justice work looks like in this setting.

Dan is a career educator who has taught in a variety of educational settings, from Alternative High Schools to College Prep Schools, parochial to public. He is in his 23rd year as an educator and 8th year as a principal. Degrees from Colorado State University and Middlebury College, he is an avid practitioner of the martial arts and an amateur photographer. He and his wife just celebrated twenty years of marriage and spent the last 6 months building a small, off-grid cabin in the middle of nowhere Colorado.

Credits:

Guest: Dan Cummings

Host: Roberto Germán

Editor: Jabi Marketing (Javier Roche)

#people #students #community #families #school #poverty, #education #ruralcommunity #college #justice #ruraltown #colorado