I am the mother of three beautiful strong and intelligent young black men
strong and intelligent young black men
strong and intelligent young black men since becoming a mother my number one
since becoming a mother my number one
since becoming a mother my number one priority has been taking care of them
priority has been taking care of them
priority has been taking care of them and while it’s the best job I’ve ever
and while it’s the best job I’ve ever
and while it’s the best job I’ve ever had it’s also been the hardest there
had it’s also been the hardest there
had it’s also been the hardest there always seems to be something you need to
always seems to be something you need to
always seems to be something you need to fight for when you’re the mother of
fight for when you’re the mother of
fight for when you’re the mother of black boys my longest and hardest fight
black boys my longest and hardest fight
black boys my longest and hardest fight has been about gaining access to quality
has been about gaining access to quality
has been about gaining access to quality education for my sons I adore my sons
education for my sons I adore my sons
education for my sons I adore my sons and on most days I like to think that
and on most days I like to think that
and on most days I like to think that they adore me too we fight but that’s
they adore me too we fight but that’s
they adore me too we fight but that’s only because these three seem to forget
only because these three seem to forget
only because these three seem to forget who’s the real boss in this relationship
who’s the real boss in this relationship
who’s the real boss in this relationship they’ve made me into the fighter I am
they’ve made me into the fighter I am
they’ve made me into the fighter I am today
today
today and they’re also the reason why I
and they’re also the reason why I
and they’re also the reason why I continue to fight I remember the day I
continue to fight I remember the day I
continue to fight I remember the day I went to register my oldest son for
went to register my oldest son for
went to register my oldest son for kindergarten I had all the proper
kindergarten I had all the proper
kindergarten I had all the proper paperwork and I had even gotten him a
paperwork and I had even gotten him a
paperwork and I had even gotten him a brand new Hot Wheels backpack to
brand new Hot Wheels backpack to
brand new Hot Wheels backpack to celebrate even though school didn’t
celebrate even though school didn’t
celebrate even though school didn’t start for a few months when we entered
start for a few months when we entered
start for a few months when we entered this big beautiful building that was
this big beautiful building that was
this big beautiful building that was about a half an hour drive from where we
about a half an hour drive from where we
about a half an hour drive from where we lived we got a lot of stares that made
lived we got a lot of stares that made
lived we got a lot of stares that made us feel unwelcome and a woman’s voice
us feel unwelcome and a woman’s voice
us feel unwelcome and a woman’s voice that said can I help you with something
that said can I help you with something
that said can I help you with something in a tone that made me think I was
in a tone that made me think I was
in a tone that made me think I was walking on her lawn rather than the
walking on her lawn rather than the
walking on her lawn rather than the hallway of a public school I told her we
hallway of a public school I told her we
hallway of a public school I told her we were there to register and she said here
were there to register and she said here
were there to register and she said here at this school which was at code Hunt
at this school which was at code Hunt
at this school which was at code Hunt when I responded she said with the look
when I responded she said with the look
when I responded she said with the look of relief oh he can’t register here he’s
of relief oh he can’t register here he’s
of relief oh he can’t register here he’s not in the catchment area it was only
not in the catchment area it was only
not in the catchment area it was only then that she came from the office with
then that she came from the office with
then that she came from the office with a map that highlighted the streets on
a map that highlighted the streets on
a map that highlighted the streets on which one needed to live in order to
which one needed to live in order to
which one needed to live in order to attend their school I left that school
attend their school I left that school
attend their school I left that school angry and confused as to why a rule like
angry and confused as to why a rule like
angry and confused as to why a rule like that would even exist in my mind I knew
that would even exist in my mind I knew
that would even exist in my mind I knew the reason was because that space was
the reason was because that space was
the reason was because that space was reserved for kids who didn’t look
reserved for kids who didn’t look
reserved for kids who didn’t look anything like mine the district schools
anything like mine the district schools
anything like mine the district schools in my neighborhood were not an option
in my neighborhood were not an option
in my neighborhood were not an option from
from
from at least that’s what I told myself the
at least that’s what I told myself the
at least that’s what I told myself the buildings were falling apart the books
buildings were falling apart the books
buildings were falling apart the books were old and the classrooms were always
were old and the classrooms were always
were old and the classrooms were always overcrowded
overcrowded
overcrowded I couldn’t imagine why any parent would
I couldn’t imagine why any parent would
I couldn’t imagine why any parent would want to send their kids to that school
want to send their kids to that school
want to send their kids to that school but sadly enough they did and it was
but sadly enough they did and it was
but sadly enough they did and it was because they didn’t think that they had
because they didn’t think that they had
because they didn’t think that they had an option not to after just two years at
an option not to after just two years at
an option not to after just two years at our first charter the school was facing
our first charter the school was facing
our first charter the school was facing allegations of mismanagement and it was
allegations of mismanagement and it was
allegations of mismanagement and it was a real possibility that it wouldn’t be
a real possibility that it wouldn’t be
a real possibility that it wouldn’t be open the next year
open the next year
open the next year unfortunately that led us back to the
unfortunately that led us back to the
unfortunately that led us back to the district school my reality dictates that
district school my reality dictates that
district school my reality dictates that we remain where we were with my kids
we remain where we were with my kids
we remain where we were with my kids stuck in an underperforming school until
stuck in an underperforming school until
stuck in an underperforming school until another opportunity made itself
another opportunity made itself
another opportunity made itself available but this is why I thought it
available but this is why I thought it
available but this is why I thought it was important to continue fighting the
was important to continue fighting the
was important to continue fighting the reality was it wasn’t that the
reality was it wasn’t that the
reality was it wasn’t that the opportunities weren’t there it was just
opportunities weren’t there it was just
opportunities weren’t there it was just that no one was sharing them with us I
that no one was sharing them with us I
that no one was sharing them with us I remember reading an article about a
remember reading an article about a
remember reading an article about a senator who was being sued by one state
senator who was being sued by one state
senator who was being sued by one state for the free cyber education his kids
for the free cyber education his kids
for the free cyber education his kids were receiving while living in another
were receiving while living in another
were receiving while living in another state and I made it my business to find
state and I made it my business to find
state and I made it my business to find out more about that type of school free
out more about that type of school free
out more about that type of school free education from home we were signing up
education from home we were signing up
education from home we were signing up we did my son was home he was safe and
we did my son was home he was safe and
we did my son was home he was safe and he was happy for a short time making the
he was happy for a short time making the
he was happy for a short time making the commitment to fight it’s hard but it’s
commitment to fight it’s hard but it’s
commitment to fight it’s hard but it’s necessary it gets us to this after years
necessary it gets us to this after years
necessary it gets us to this after years of searching for a quality school for my
of searching for a quality school for my
of searching for a quality school for my son my oldest son finally got accepted
son my oldest son finally got accepted
son my oldest son finally got accepted into a truly great charter school
into a truly great charter school
into a truly great charter school there’s not enough time in this TED talk
there’s not enough time in this TED talk
there’s not enough time in this TED talk to tell you the difference the school
to tell you the difference the school
to tell you the difference the school made in my in my son’s life and in the
made in my in my son’s life and in the
made in my in my son’s life and in the lives of the hundreds of black boys that
lives of the hundreds of black boys that
lives of the hundreds of black boys that got to attend after
but the fight wasn’t over I wanted for
but the fight wasn’t over I wanted for all kids what I finally had from my son
all kids what I finally had from my son
all kids what I finally had from my son a choice and a chance parents and urban
a choice and a chance parents and urban
a choice and a chance parents and urban communities are often left to pick up
communities are often left to pick up
communities are often left to pick up the pieces where education and equity
the pieces where education and equity
the pieces where education and equity have failed them even when we have no
have failed them even when we have no
have failed them even when we have no idea how to go about it for me that
idea how to go about it for me that
idea how to go about it for me that meant spending three to four hours a day
meant spending three to four hours a day
meant spending three to four hours a day every day afterward researching schools
every day afterward researching schools
every day afterward researching schools gathering documentation completing
gathering documentation completing
gathering documentation completing applications and requesting records it
applications and requesting records it
applications and requesting records it was a hard thing to do but I felt like I
was a hard thing to do but I felt like I
was a hard thing to do but I felt like I didn’t have a choice I couldn’t accept
didn’t have a choice I couldn’t accept
didn’t have a choice I couldn’t accept where my kids were supposed to go
where my kids were supposed to go
where my kids were supposed to go because I kept fighting my kids had the
because I kept fighting my kids had the
because I kept fighting my kids had the opportunity to attend almost every type
opportunity to attend almost every type
opportunity to attend almost every type of school there was public charter cyber
of school there was public charter cyber
of school there was public charter cyber and for one amazing year one of my son’s
and for one amazing year one of my son’s
and for one amazing year one of my son’s got to attend a private kindergarten and
got to attend a private kindergarten and
got to attend a private kindergarten and that was only because of an
that was only because of an
that was only because of an administrative mistake parents and urban
administrative mistake parents and urban
administrative mistake parents and urban communities have always had to work four
communities have always had to work four
communities have always had to work four times as hard and are rarely given
times as hard and are rarely given
times as hard and are rarely given credit for all that we do in this
credit for all that we do in this
credit for all that we do in this painful process stop blaming parents for
painful process stop blaming parents for
painful process stop blaming parents for failure of school systems that have been
failure of school systems that have been
failure of school systems that have been failing our kids for decades these
failing our kids for decades these
failing our kids for decades these schools did not
schools did not
schools did not [Music]
these schools did not just become
these schools did not just become underfunded with the advent of charter
underfunded with the advent of charter
underfunded with the advent of charter schools where was all this concern about
schools where was all this concern about
schools where was all this concern about the school systems when they had all of
the school systems when they had all of
the school systems when they had all of the kids and all of the money we as
the kids and all of the money we as
the kids and all of the money we as parents need to recognize that our
parents need to recognize that our
parents need to recognize that our voices are more powerful than we realize
voices are more powerful than we realize
voices are more powerful than we realize parent led organizations have been my
parent led organizations have been my
parent led organizations have been my greatest ally in this fight join us as
greatest ally in this fight join us as
greatest ally in this fight join us as we rally on the steps of school
we rally on the steps of school
we rally on the steps of school districts and on the floor of the State
districts and on the floor of the State
districts and on the floor of the State Capitol
Capitol
Capitol to convince people who do not have kids
to convince people who do not have kids
to convince people who do not have kids in any of these failing schools that if
in any of these failing schools that if
in any of these failing schools that if it’s not good enough for their kids it’s
it’s not good enough for their kids it’s
it’s not good enough for their kids it’s certainly not good enough for ours I
certainly not good enough for ours I
certainly not good enough for ours I encourage you to take matters into your
encourage you to take matters into your
encourage you to take matters into your own hands and continue to fight we’re
own hands and continue to fight we’re
own hands and continue to fight we’re gaining momentum in this fight and we’re
gaining momentum in this fight and we’re
gaining momentum in this fight and we’re gaining allies like a lot of the
gaining allies like a lot of the
gaining allies like a lot of the speaker’s here today I ask that you be
speaker’s here today I ask that you be
speaker’s here today I ask that you be strong and stay persistent and most
strong and stay persistent and most
strong and stay persistent and most importantly support one another not
importantly support one another not
importantly support one another not everyone is the fighter but we’re all in
everyone is the fighter but we’re all in
everyone is the fighter but we’re all in this fight and until there’s no reason
this fight and until there’s no reason
this fight and until there’s no reason to fight for a single child the fight is
to fight for a single child the fight is
to fight for a single child the fight is never over
never over
never over [Applause]
”
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