Category: Black Community

Black Community, Nashville

A Community In Pieces

The Metro Nashville Public Schools that exists today is a product of forward-thinking community leaders who believed in serving all citizens more efficiently by combining city and county governments forming what we know as Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County, affectionately known as Metro. Since 1963, the district has seen segregated schools and creating busing plans, celebrated the district’s unitary status – removing any hint of … Continue reading A Community In Pieces

Vesia Hawkins5 Comments
Black Community, Nashville

Black Nashville Takes A Stand For Students and Embattled Director Dr. Shawn Joseph

I didn’t want to go. I had no interest in attending an event billed as a rally for youth and Dr. Shawn Joseph during a time the embattled director of schools is fighting for a contract renewal. “What good,” I asked myself, “could a Thursday night church rally of Black community members and leaders do to bridge the school board/director divide, repair broken relationships between … Continue reading Black Nashville Takes A Stand For Students and Embattled Director Dr. Shawn Joseph

Vesia Hawkins2 Comments
Black Community, Nashville, School Choice

Nashville Mom: “Purpose Prep Changed the Course of My Daughter’s Life”

Today happens to be school selection results day and tens of thousands of families spent the weekend with stomachs filled with butterflies waiting to find out if Lady Luck or the Woman Upstairs worked on their behalf.  I vividly remember the angst of those days leading up to Education Fate Day. At the time, my family had fewer choices as charter schools were not an … Continue reading Nashville Mom: “Purpose Prep Changed the Course of My Daughter’s Life”

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Accountability, Black Community, Nashville

During Black History Month, A Community Works To Keep Black Excellence A Thing Of The Past

Even though Black History Month is a whopping twenty-eight days, I had to take a break. As adults across the country Google “black history” to find popular quotes and identities of successful Black thinkers, athletes, and performers, black students sit in schools with little chance to achieve the heights of those they’ve been told is worthy of celebration. I’m taking a break from BHM because … Continue reading During Black History Month, A Community Works To Keep Black Excellence A Thing Of The Past

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Black Community, Nashville, School Choice

The Writing On The Wall: WE ARE FAILING METRO SCHOOLS STUDENTS. DO THE THING THAT SAVES THEM.

After thirty months of observing the director of schools’ performance and intense media scrutiny, sometimes writing in support of the man and other times throwing shade on his administration, my effort to rise above the fray and focus on the children recently fell victim to the noise. It got personal. The writing has been on the wall for some time now, but it’s now screaming. … Continue reading The Writing On The Wall: WE ARE FAILING METRO SCHOOLS STUDENTS. DO THE THING THAT SAVES THEM.

Vesia Hawkins5 Comments
Black Community, Tennessee

Tennessee Law To Criminalize Parents’ Clothing; Literacy Rate Gets Pass

There are no handbooks to parenting your child. I don’t remember reading anything warning me of the morning battles between the first attempt to wake my child[ren] and finally tumbling out the front door. Then there’s a daily storm of school stuff, social situations, health, homework, after-school activities, meals, and life. It’s hard. Parents are blamed for low reading scores and low performance of entire … Continue reading Tennessee Law To Criminalize Parents’ Clothing; Literacy Rate Gets Pass

Vesia Hawkins5 Comments
Black Community, Nashville

Black Girl, Interrupted: From School To The School Board

Two years ago, I sat in a diversity sensitivity training for new teachers led by a friend who’d asked me to attend for emotional support. The room filled with youthful exuberance and confidence, mostly white and female, would soon be unceremoniously doused by my friend’s real-life examples of grave educational injustices inflicted upon children of color and stories of parents and grandparents fighting like hell to … Continue reading Black Girl, Interrupted: From School To The School Board

Vesia Hawkins6 Comments
Black Community, School Choice

5 Lessons From 2018 Parents Should Resolve To Take With Them Into The New Year

It’s New Year’s Eve and by now you’ve come across a plethora of posts daring you, bullying you to leave behind various people, ideas, social media behavior in 2018. Annoying, but if it declutters your timeline and disciplines your social media behavior, then go Kondo (the Japanese art of organizing). You’ve probably also read/glanced at 4,000 “best of 2018” articles/blogs from the authors of said … Continue reading 5 Lessons From 2018 Parents Should Resolve To Take With Them Into The New Year

Vesia Hawkins1 Comment
Accountability, Black Community, Nashville, School Choice

3 Books and a Podcast, Stocking Stuffers For The Parent Who Needs To Know Everything

2018. Woo boy. Lots to unpack, but we’ll circle back to the year that was – next week. In the spirit of Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, I’d like to offer readers the gift of information. Sure, it’s like opening up your carefully hung stocking to a neatly rolled pair of thick socks on Christmas morning, but when have you ever not needed socks? Like socks, (ok, stay with … Continue reading 3 Books and a Podcast, Stocking Stuffers For The Parent Who Needs To Know Everything

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Black Community, Nashville

WARNING: The Most Terrifying Of All Halloween Tales

There is zero entertainment value where fear is the intended outcome. I can think of no reason to celebrate being scared out of my mind. What’s so cool about the post-mortem condition that an entire holiday was created in its honor? Creepy ain’t cool.  For this reason, I don’t do Halloween. But these days we don’t need a special day of pretending in order to … Continue reading WARNING: The Most Terrifying Of All Halloween Tales

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