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May 2025


** Demanding Education Justice
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Join Us
Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States have graduated some of the most important individuals in the nation’s history. HBCUs have served as a vital focus for activism and civic leadership, cultivating a spirit of resistance and determination.

Learning for Justice is honored to have partnered with three HBCUs during the Spring 2025 semester, engaging 22 fellows from Dillard University’s Center for Racial Justice, Paine College/Georgia Shift and Tougaloo College/Jackson Public Schools. These civic-minded fellows have taken action in their communities as leaders, organizers and advocates.
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Join us on May 8 as the fellows learn from guest speaker Jelani Favors, Ph.D., author of Shelter in a Time of Storm: How Black Colleges Fostered Generations of Leadership and Activism, in a presentation about the historical journey, “Why HBCUs?”

Following the presentation, fellows will share their work and will discuss how civic engagement connects the past and present.

Register today. ([link removed])

“Investing in [children] is not a national luxury or a national choice. It’s a national necessity. If the foundation of your house is crumbling, you don’t say you can’t afford to fix it while you’re building astronomically expensive fences to protect it from outside enemies. The issue is not are we going to pay — it’s are we going to pay now, up front, or are we going to pay a whole lot more later on.”

— Marian Wright Edelman
Coming Soon
Public schools remain an ideal mechanism to achieve a thriving democracy. The current efforts to dismantle public education (and our democracy) include removing vital resources from public schools. Learn more with three upcoming articles from T. Jameson Brewer, Ph.D., in the series Public Schools as a Common Good: Possibilities and Threats.
* Why Public Schools Matter
* Understanding How School Are Labeled
* Understanding How School Vouchers Undermine Public Education

Visit learningforjustice.org ([link removed]) in May for these articles and more new resources.
May is AAPI Heritage Month
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** Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage ([link removed])
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We encourage learning about and uplifting the histories and lived experiences of AAPI communities this month and throughout the year. Heritage months are an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of people and cultures that contribute to the rich tapestry of the United States. Our updated resource page offers a place to start for learning more and teaching about AAPI stories.


** Recent Resources
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** Supporting Students from Immigrant Families ([link removed])
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Millions of students in the U.S. are children of immigrant families. And many immigrant children are feeling high levels of fear and anxiety right now due to the current anti-immigrant political environment. This updated resource page includes links to information about students’ rights, public schools’ obligations, and resources for families.


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** Understanding the Role and Responsibilities of the Department of Education ([link removed])
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Understanding the responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Education can help us recognize the damaging impact of actions to dismantle the department and help us formulate strategies to ensure equitable public education in communities. Join us in demanding public education that fosters excellence and equity.

Take Action
The following are some recommendations that can help you become an advocate for education in your communities:

1. Learn more about issues that affect you and be intentional about becoming an ally. In the movement for freedom, we are connected to the struggles of others. We should not only advocate for justice for issues that affect us personally, but for those that affect others in our communities and our nation.

2. Envision public education excellence and equal access for your community. There is no single policy, strategy or program that will make public education perfect. What should equitable and thriving public schools look like in your community? How do public education excellence and equal access impact the community in short- and long-term ways?

3. Take action.
* Contact your state’s senators and representatives, and urge them to support the work of the Department of Education and fully fund public education for all students.
* Attend school board meetings or contact your local representative voicing your perspectives or concern for local education policy and programs. School board members can hold school and district leaders accountable for protecting all learners.
* Organize family and stakeholder groups to work together towards public schools that uplift all learners to be active and engaged members of their community.

We all have a crucial role in advocating for children’s right to quality public education and equal access to learning. Find more recommendations in the resource Advocating for Public Education ([link removed]) .

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