We, the undersigned professors, scholars, higher ed staff and administrators, publicly express our support for, and solidarity with, teachers and community members who have organized the National Black Lives Matter Week of Action to be held between  February 3-7, 2020. This week of action focuses on making Black Lives Matter in our universities and schools by engaging our communities in discussions centered on the 13 guiding principles that extend Black Lives Matter into a movement. We believe that this week of action is vital for educators, parents, students, and all communities in order to...

-Create a space for introspection and dialogue around the 13 guiding principles;
-Build deeper connections between educators, parents, students, and community organizations;
-Stand in support of national organizing of Black Lives Matter;
-Work with students and student groups to take a leading role in this week and moving forward.

As this work continues beyond February 7th, we point to the Racial Justice Statement written by the Caucus of Working Educators (Philadelphia), which asserts that “purposeful action needs to be taken in order to eliminate the adverse outcomes derived from perpetual structural racism evident in public education.”

This ongoing work will promote equity; the value of human life; and educational, political, and social justice.  It requires that all of us, as educators, develop the knowledge and actions necessary to eliminate the barriers that intersecting forms of structural prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination, and bias create in Philadelphia and beyond.  We are committed to teaching, learning, and co-creating culture in our classrooms that reflect these missions and goals in order to build the leadership of our students so that we may all live by these principles.  The survival and liberation of Black people and, by extension, all people demand this.

In solidarity,


Lisa Covington, The University of Iowa
Dana Morrison, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Kiersten Greene, State University of New York at New Paltz
Alaina Stothers, Hillside Elementary School
Alisun Thompson, Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling
Chris Buttimer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Angela Green, Milwaukee Public Schools
Lorraine Mayfield-Brown, St. Petersburg College
Dana Reisboard, Widener University
Jill Weiler, Trinity Washington University
Madeline Cuddy, Ossining High School
Wendi Williams, Mills College
Leigh Nelson
Sara B. Demoiny, Auburn University
Douglas R. Cook, University of Dayton
Michelle Knotts, Pennsylvania State University
Patricia Nunley, City College of San Francisco
Natalie Bembry, Rutgers University
Jen jennings, Bend Lapine school district
Monét Cooper, University of Michigan
Dashawn Ealey, The New School
Ayanna Taylor, NYU
Heather Woodley, NYU
Georgia Eve Skeadas, Gardner Pilot Academy (Boston Public Schools)
Denise Dalphond, Holmes Elementary School
Brittany Frieson, University of North Texas
Nicole, Milwaukee Public Schools
Tiffany Mitchell Patterson, West Virginia University
John Mills, Rowan University
Stephanie Lorenze, West Virginia University
Kristin Reed, Virginia Commonwealth University
Lisa Covington, The University of Iowa
Crystal O'Rourke, University of Michigan
Rebekah Cordova, University of Florida
Elly Porter-Webb, Community College of Philadelphia
Audrey Brutus, PNW BOCES
Denisha Jones, Sarah Lawrence College
Rhiannon Maton, SUNY Cortland
Kate McCormick, SUNY Cortland
Awo Okaikor Aryee-Price, Rutgers Graduate School of Education
Grace D. Player, University of Connecticut, Neag School of Education
Deanna Gabe, West Chester University
Victoria Restler, Rhode Island College
Jerry Carbo, Shippensburg University
Douglas Kaufman, University of Connecticut
Kathryn E. Engebretson, Indiana University Bloomington
Crystal D. Howell, Randolph College
Dean Vesperman, University of Wisconsin River Falls
Aaron Geiger, Parkland College
Wayne Au, University of Washington Bothell
Tyson Marsh, University of Washington, Bothell
Steven Alvarez, St. John's University
Chanelle Wilson, Bryn Mawr College
Christopher Martell, University of Massachusetts Boston
Annie Mason, University of Minnesota
Stephanie Serriere, Indiana Univ. -  Purdue Univ. Columbus
Alba Isabel, California State University, Michigan State University
Leilani Sabzalian, University of Oregon
Sydney Peters, Temple University
Lorraine Falchi, CUNY PDI
Zapoura Newton-Calvert, Portland State University
Cristy Sellers Smith, Pacific University
Jesus Tirado, Auburn University
Adriana Garcia, De Anza College
Juliet Hess, Michigan State University
Erin Whitney, California State University, Chico
Sarah Byker James, Community College of Philadelphia
Junior Brainard, Community College of Philadelphia
Elizabeth Cannon, University of Pennsylvania
Abigail Hightower, Des Moines Area Community College
Mallory Alekna, Arizona State University
Elizabeth Yomantas, Pepperdine University
Lisa Smulyan, Swarthmore College
Stephanie Scordia, Community College of Philadelphia
Brent C. Talbot, Gettysburg College
Theodore Chao, The Ohio State University
Christina “V” Villarreal, Harvard University
Van Anh Tran, Teachers College, Columbia University
Hanadi Shatara, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
Carla Shalaby, University of Michigan
Patrick Keegan, Purdue University Northwest
Irteza Binte-Farid, University of Pennsylvania
Apryl Alexander, University of Denver
Mark Newman, National Louis University
Christopher Busey, University of Florida
Kathryn Obenchain, Purdue University
Neil Shanks, Baylor University
Jane Bolgatz, Fordham University
Joanna Batt, UT Austin College of Education
Hilary Conklin, DePaul University
kent willmann, University of Colorado
Gerardo Aponte-Safe, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Alexander Cuenca, Indiana University
Meghan A. Kessler, University of Illinois Springfield
Muna Saleh, Concordia University of Edmonton
Erica Southworth, St. Norbert College
Jeff Passe, Cal Poly Pomona
Elisa McCool, Community College of Philadelphia
Jennifer Martin, University of Illinois at Springfield
Ken Carano, Western Oregon University
Lori Gemeiner Bihler, Framingham State University
Amber Strong Makaiau, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Ritu Radhakrishnan, SUNY Oswego
Kristi Barnwell, University of Illinois Springfield
Kari Kokka, University of Pittsburgh
Cory Wright-Maley, St. Mary's University, Calgary
Lauren Anderson, Connecticut College
Kate Monkovic, Teachers College, Columbia University
Christine Woyshner, Temple University
McKinley E Melton, Gettysburg College
Frank Bernt, Saint Joseph's University
Suniti Sharma, Saint Joseph’s University
Lauren Colley, University of Cincinnati
Kaitlin Popielarz, College of Education Wayne State University
Encarnacion Rodriguez, Saint Joseph's University
Elizabeth Yeager Washington, University of Florida
Anna Falkner, The University of Texas at Austin
Jamie Zigarelli, Community College of Philadelphia
Miriam Oppenheimer, Temple University and Community College of Philadelphia
Raquel Wheelings, Community College of Philadelphia
Marjorie Trueblood, Macalester College
Abigail Rombalski, University of Minnesota
Yanira Rodriguez, West Chester University
Monique Hayes, Community College of Philadelphia
christy mcguire, University of Pittsburgh
Cheryl Johnson, Mt. Hood Community College
Elizabeth J Cantafio, Community College of Philadelphia
Mary Ward Lupinacci, Eastern Washington University
Harper Keenan, University of British Columbia
Yusefa Smith, Community College of Philadelphia
Ashley Taylor Jaffee, James Madison University
Tommy Ender, Rhode Island College
Michelle Reidel, Georgia Southern University
Ah-Young Song, Vassar College
Christian D. Chan, Idaho State University
Bedelia Richards, University of Richmond
Kaliris Salas-Ramirez, CUNY School of Medicine
Kirsten Cole, Borough of Manhattan Community College
Robert Palmer, Howard University
Mary Romanello, Trinity Washington University
Mary Raygoza, Saint Mary’s College of California
Shenique S. Davis, Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY
Deanna Chappell Belcher, University of Oregon
Sosanya Jones, Howard University
Blanca E. Vega, Montclair State University
Veronica Velez, Western Washington University
Maggie Beneke, University of Washington
Maddy Fox, Brooklyn College
Hakim Rashid, Howard University
Taryrn Brown, University of Florida
Hannah Baggett , Auburn University
Elizabeth Bondy, University of Florida
Stacy Olitsky, Saint Joseph's University
malaika baxa, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Sarah, University of Wisconsin- Madison
Daniel Krutka, University of North Texas
Kimberly Vanderbilt, CUNY/Lehman College
Catherine G. Atria, University of Florida
Amanda Garrett, University of Nebraska
Sandra L Osorio, Illinois State University
Ana Puig, University of Florida
David Segura, Beloit College
Elliott Woehler, University of Florida
Rick Toye, Trinity DC University
Celeste Malone, Howard University
Melissa-Ann N Nievera-Lozano, Evergreen Valley College
Kelsey Iino, El Camino College
Shirlie Mae Mamaril Choe, Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles
Jolivette Mecenas, California Lutheran University
Emilio Manuel Camu, University of Utah
T.J. Jourian, West Chester University
Jung Kim, Lewis University
Betina Hsieh, California State University, Long Beach
Kathy Nguyen, Highline College
Ulysses Diaz, Waubonsee Community College
Sergio Suarez, Ohlone College
Erica K. Dotson, Clayton State University
Timoni Webster, Trinity Washington University
Wendy Bilen, Trinity Washington University
Jacqueline Mac, Indiana University
Giselle Cunanan, Indiana University Bloomington
Kia Lor, University of Pennsylvania
Karen Villa, UNLV
Gina Masequesmay, CSU Northridge
Michael Viola, Saint Mary’s College of California
Myrna García, Northwestern University
Mónica Russel y Rodríguez, Northwestern University
Vivian Bejarin, De Anza College
Amir Gilmore, Washington State University
Melissa Canlas, University of San Francisco
Andrea Hawkman, Utah State University
Tracy Buenavista, California State University, Northridge
Melissa Altman-Traub, Community College of Philadelphia
Simone Kolysh, Farmingdale State college
Anne Knafl. University of Chicago
Tanja Burkhard, University of Pittsburgh
Mary Hoeffel, Community College of Philadelphia
Eugenia Beh, MIT
Lauren Silver, Rutgers University—Camden
derria byrd, Marquette University
Abigail Bates, University of California
Doug Knecht, Bank Street College of Education
Tracy Fray-Oliver, Bank Street College of Education
Karen DeMoss, Bank Street College of Education
Akilah Rosado, Bank Street College
Joy Ellebbane, Bank Street College of Education
Meghan Chvirko, Bank Street College
Deborah Vilas, Bank Street College of Education
Mary N. Leer, Bank Street Graduate School of Education
Mark Nagasawa, Bank Street College of Education
David I. Backer, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Kathleen Riley, West Chester University
Jason Wozniak, West Chester University
Katherine, West Chester University
Dana Reisboard, Widener University
Curry s Malott, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Dean Johnson, West Chester University
Jerry Carbo, Shippensburg University
Doug Morris, West Chester University
Jessica Wontropski, Bank Street College of Education
Bikem Polat, Temple University and West Chester University
Rachel Cholst, Hostos Community College
Sheila, Trinity Washington University
Jackie Hodes, West Chester University
Nini Hayes, Western Washington University