Hey Liberated Genius Family! 

It's been a busy weekend, as I had the privilege of speaking at two events talking about how we can help students and adults liberate their own genius. It was a gorgeous weekend with amazing events. 

1. The Q.U.E.E.N.S. Conference featured the high school geniuses from University City High School who attended the Lunch and Learn. This conference focused on student leadership and business development, and showcased the girls' businesses and products. Two of the geniuses have their own social media platform and website. The others are building theirs and will be available soon. Mia, from Mia's Treats Delight, was also in attendance. See below for the website and social media information:
   • Arey's Creations, an online jewelry shop, where they make one-of-a-kind accessories. Check out the website.
   • Molly's, M.A.H Cosmetics, which specializes in body scrubs and cosmetics.  Check out her Instagram.
   • Video clip from the Q.U.E.E.N.S. conference
   • Photos from the Q.U.E.E.N.S. conference
2. The second event was the GLAMM Tribe Fellowship Celebration. This fellowship features young women aged 20-29 who are young professionals or influencers who will serve the community by offering time and knowledge to passionate girls in pursuit of their dreams.
   • Video clip from the GLAMM Tribe Fellowship 

After both events, I am inspired to keep moving, dreaming, and creating so that I live out the words on my t-shirts that read: BE D.O.P.E.*  If you have any photos from Liberated Genius events, please tag us on social media.

I hope you are off to a great week, and I encourage you to BE D.O.P.E.*, because it's already in you. You just have to walk it out and #BeTheWork.

Interested in learning how to #BeTheWork and use culture as a bridge to academic success? If yes, send Dr. April a message and we will help you use culturally relevant pedagogy in your school and district to help students reach their highest potential. It is indeed a game changer! 

We appreciate your continued presence and dedication to equity, access and wellness.
*Designers of Opportunities Pushing Excellence. 

KHAOS: Keep Healing and Overcoming Struggles
KHAOS Mindset helps individuals with overcoming barriers that prevent them from living out their purpose. 
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Sibling Support Network
The mission of Sibling Support Network (SSN) is to promote awareness about the trauma, toxic stress, and other mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial challenges people endure following the loss of a blood related or fictive kin sibling to violence. 
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Cheeraz Gormon Speaks at TEDxGatewayArch 2016
Cheeraz Gormon speaks about losing siblings to gun violence at the TEDxGatewayArch 2016 BOUNCE event on December 10, 2016 at the Skip Viragh Center For The Arts at Chaminade.
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Calling the Police on Black People Can Put Them in Danger
"A recent study by Washington University in St. Louis on fatal interactions with police found that unarmed black Americans are seven times more likely to be shot by police than white people. As such, there are the countless black Americans whose lives ended tragically after police were called — even for non-offenses."
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Why it Matters that a White Woman Called the Police to Starbucks
“The most common way people give up their power, Alice Walker famously said, is by thinking they don’t have any. White women like me, and the employee who dialed 911, need to recognize the power in our bodies. We must recognize how thoughtlessly, how easily, we can weaponize them in white spaces ― like a Starbucks, or America.”
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Calling Black Kids Oreo
St. Louis University's associate professor discusses being called an "oreo."
Have you ever been called or heard someone called an "Oreo?" These racialized names make me really frustrated, angry really. My son talked to me about being called an Oreo and how he made sense of it. Well, his reasoning didn't make much sense, so mama had to school him. The term is rooted in the lie that Black people are inferior and if they excel that means they are "acting White." I share why this thinking is flawed and not rooted in history or reality.
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Suggested reading: Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
"Education must begin with the solution of the teacher-student contradiction, by reconciling the poles of the contradiction so that both are simultaneously teachers and students" (72).
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How This African-American Filmmaker was Inspired by African Indians
How do you empower youth in a world where people think they are less than human?
...it is imperative that we build the youth's confidence so they can navigate the world without fear.
...through our Siddi traditions, we can free ourselves.
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Discipline Disparities Grow for Students of Color, New Federal Data Shows
At a time when the Trump administration is contemplating rolling back discipline guidance with protections for vulnerable groups, new federal data find continuing disparities in how students of color and those with disabilities are disciplined and in the opportunities they get in schools.
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Equity-Centered Community Design Field Guide
Systems of oppression, inequalities and inequities are by design. Shouldn't we use design to dismantle them?
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A White teacher admits "its not just Starbucks". Teachers also need racial bias training
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The racist housing policy that made your neighborhood
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Dr. Warren-Grice's presentation at The CrookedRoom Conference
Mrs. Millie vs Mama Davis: A Tale of Doing Social Justice Versus Being Socially Just Through Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
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