Enid Lee in D.C. for Teaching for Change Fellowship
We were honored to host nationally renowned educator Enid Lee in D.C. for the month of July, 2016 as a Teaching for Change fellow. The fellowship was made possible by a grant from the Open Society Foundations.
Enid Lee speaking in D.C. in March, 2012. (c) Rick Reinhard
The visit began with the celebration of Teaching for Change’s 25th anniversary where Enid spoke to the audience about the significance of our work in these times.
On July 3, Enid was the featured speaker for the monthly A.C.T.O.R. event at Busboys and Poets. Despite being a holiday weekend and stormy weather, there was a full house to hear Enid discuss the representation of freedom fighter Harriet Tubman in children’s books. While examining the story of Tubman’s fight for freedom, Enid highlighted the fact that “there were a lot of Harriets” as Rosemarie and Rachel Harding note in their book, Remnants: A Memoir of Spirit, Activism and Mothering. Attendees were invited to look for and name the many Harriets in our communities today. Enid explained,
I want us to include all the people going back and forth to rescue our humanity from the many ways in which our humanity is lost—lost because of the discriminatory and oppressive treatment of a person’s gender, race, sexuality, class, or language. Harriets have a lot of work to do. It’s important that we have as many Harriets as possible doing the work; that we acknowledge the many Harriets doing the work; and that we don’t leave out anyone in the struggle.
While in D.C., Enid visited historic sites including the Frederick Douglass Home (National Park Service), the Wax Museum, the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the African American Civil War Museum, and more. In each case, Enid shared ideas for preparing students to visit these sites with a critical lens and follow-up activities.
Enid Lee had countless meetings while in D.C. with people of note. Photo by Irvine Lee.
Enid Lee in D.C. for Teaching for Change Fellowship
We were honored to host nationally renowned educator Enid Lee in D.C. for the month of July, 2016 as a Teaching for Change fellow. The fellowship was made possible by a grant from the Open Society Foundations.
Enid Lee works with school districts across the country to create equitable schools and is the author/editor of over 30 publications including Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guides to K-12 Anti-Racist, Multicultural Education and Staff Development.
While in D.C., Enid conferred with Teaching for Change staff and board about our programs, contributed to the new editions of Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching and Beyond Heroes and Holidays, prepared blog posts on key issues in education and current events, and spoke at a number of events.
The visit began with the celebration of Teaching for Change’s 25th anniversary where Enid spoke to the audience about the significance of our work in these times.
I want us to include all the people going back and forth to rescue our humanity from the many ways in which our humanity is lost—lost because of the discriminatory and oppressive treatment of a person’s gender, race, sexuality, class, or language. Harriets have a lot of work to do. It’s important that we have as many Harriets as possible doing the work; that we acknowledge the many Harriets doing the work; and that we don’t leave out anyone in the struggle.
Enid also offered presentations to teachers at events hosted by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (7/14/2016) and by the Washington Teachers’s Union (7/22/2016). Both organizations purchased copies of Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guides to K-12 Anti-Racist, Multicultural Education and Staff Development for each participant.
While in D.C., Enid visited historic sites including the Frederick Douglass Home (National Park Service), the Wax Museum, the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the African American Civil War Museum, and more. In each case, Enid shared ideas for preparing students to visit these sites with a critical lens and follow-up activities.
Enid also attended a number of events including Brave New Voices, the March on Washington Film Festival, and Race: Talc and Ash with Holly Bass 360.
See more photos from Enid Lee’s month in D.C.
Posted: June 25, 2016