MPS celebrates National Black Lives Matter Week of Action 2021

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

The Milwaukee community will have opportunities to listen, learn, and add their voices to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) narrative in order to bring about positive change. Leading off Black History Month in February, the National Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action, February 1–5, 2021, is designed to engage the community in topics that address four national demands and foster discussions and solutions to current issues.

Milwaukee Public Schools thanks its partners and sponsors for helping to host the week of events centered on four national demands and BLM principles.

• Black Educators Caucus
• Milwaukee Community Schools Partnership
• Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH)
• Milwaukee Metropolitan Alliance of Black School Educators (MMABSE)
• MPS Department of Black & Latino Male Achievement
• Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA)
• Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)

All events will be virtual and are free and open to the public. Registration is required to participate.
Register for all Black Lives Matter Week of Action events at http://mpsmke.com/blmregistration

Monday, February 1, 2021, 5:30–7:00 P.M.
Students Amplified—Student Panel Discussion
Join us as six student activists engage in a moderated discussion about living through and learning during a pandemic, the recent racial uprisings, and a future where Black Lives Matter at school.

Tuesday, February 2, 2021, 5:30–7:00 P.M.
Cultivating Genius: A Community Conversation with Dr. Gholdy Muhammad
Hear from author and educator Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, associate professor of language and literacy at Georgia State University and author of Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. Dr. Muhammad will engage in a dialogue about her book and what it means to cultivate genius in students using an equity framework for culturally and historically responsive literacy.

Wednesday, February 3, 2021, 5:30–7:00 P.M.
Got Talent? Talent Showcase and Poetry Night
Watch students and families from across the district battle it out for bragging rights for their school. Would you like to submit a video for the talent show? Participants can submit their video when registering for the event. Videos are due Monday, January 25, 2021.

Thursday, February 4, 2021, 5:30–7:00 P.M.
Intergenerational Talk-Back
Listen to students and elders engage in a Q&A dialogue around relevant topics of race, equality, and the future of America.

Friday, February 5, 2021, 5:30–7:00 P.M.
Black Lives Matter Book Launch & Awards Night
Meet the educators who contributed to the Black Lives Matter at School book and hear them discuss the motivation behind writing their chapters. Help us honor one educator and student for their exemplary roles in demonstrating Black Lives Matter year-round.

The Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action has a new logo for 2021! Congratulations to Naima, who created the new design. “I am a freshman attending high school in Columbia, South Carolina. In my logo I wanted to show the importance of Black Lives Matter by showing the past and present coming together. The girl in the image has modern braids and wears a COVID mask but the Black Power fist has a history from the 1960s that still has meaning today.”