Tuskegee University Advocates for Faculty and Staff

I think attorneys and prospective public leaders often feel like they have to fit a certain mold. And yet, showing up as yourself matters. I had the privilege of working with Dr. Weber when she gave the keynote address for the SDCBA's Leadership Academy in 2025. Dr. Weber shared her commitment to public service, the hard work she did to get where she is in her life, and the barriers she had to get through and break down for others. Her address inspired that room to lead through service to others. And Dr. Weber wasn't pretending to be anyone. She owned her story and her storytelling. #poweroftherightquestion #servantleadership #authenticitymatters #breakthemold

W.E.B. Du Bois, a co-founder of the NAACP, strongly emphasized that both higher education and economic empowermentwere essential for the advancement of Black Americans. He believed that comprehensive education—not just vocational training—was necessary to develop the "Talented Tenth," a leadership class capable of fighting for civil rights. Key details regarding Du Bois's position from the NAACP Archives and related historical sources include: * Higher Education over Vocational Training: Du Bois challenged the "Atlanta Compromise" model, which favored industrial education, arguing instead for a rigorous liberal arts education to cultivate intellectual leadership. * Economic "Nation Within a Nation":Later in his career, he emphasized that African Americans should use their power as consumers and build an internal economic structure to create jobs, support businesses, and foster economic independence. * The Role of the NAACP: As the director of publicity and research for the NAACP and editor of The Crisis, he used his platform to highlight inequalities in education and advocate for racial justice, using education as a tool to dismantle systemic racism. * "Strivings of the Negro People": In his early work, he stressed that the pursuit of education and economic opportunity was necessary to escape the "Veil" of racial oppression and segregation.

The Annual Marion Thompson Wright Lecture (MTW) series was co-founded in 1981 by Clement A. Price, Giles R. Wright, and the MTW Study Club, who launched the series with the conviction that understanding the historical context of racism would aid in organizing struggles building a beloved community and a better world. The conference is named in honor of East Orange native Marion Thompson Wright (1902–1962), the first black female to earn a history PhD—the focus was on “The Education of Negroes in New Jersey” (Columbia University, 1941). Her research helped the NAACP overturn the “separate but equal” doctrine in “Brown v. Board of Education.” Later, she joined the faculty of Howard University where she was devoted to nurturing students. In her honor, the Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series brings outstanding thinkers and doers of African and African American life and history. Diverse, civically engaged, and devoted to life-long learners, the MTW Series is one of the nation’s most distinguished and longest running lectures. The Clement A. Price Institute is devoted to building deep historical justice in our region and beyond.

Student leadership has shaped education history in powerful ways, and this is a reminder worth revisiting, especially during Black History Month.

Adrienne Bennett is a true trailblazer in the skilled trades. In 1987, she became the first Black woman in the United States to earn a master plumber license, breaking barriers in an industry where women - especially women of color - were rarely welcomed. Today, Adrienne leads Benkari, LLC, a Detroit-based commercial plumbing and water conservation company responsible for major projects, including the restoration of Michigan Central Station. She continues to mentor and inspire future generations, proving that dedication and resilience can open doors, and hold them open for others. According to 2022-23 NYSED Enrollment Data, Black students make up only 12.6% of Architecture & Construction programs in New York State, and female students make up only 14.9%. Adrienne’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of access, support, and representation in career and technical education. #BlackHistoryMonth #WomenInTrades #SkilledTrades #RepresentationMatters #NontraditionalCareers #CTEMonth #CTE #CareerAndTechnicalEducation

Representation Matters — From the Statehouse to the Schoolhouse Governor Wes Moore is currently the only Black governor in the United States. That’s 1 out of 50 governors, just 2% nationwide. In our classrooms, the picture is even more stark. Black male teachers make up approximately 1.3% of the national teaching workforce, less than 2% ,despite the outsized impact educators have on student achievement, identity, and long-term outcomes. Different sectors. Different systems. The same pattern of underrepresentation. Why this matters: • Students and parents benefit when children see leadership and expertise reflected in those who teach and govern. • Educators know diverse teaching staffs improve outcomes for all students. • Policymakers can read these numbers as a signal of where pipelines are breaking down. • Corporate and civic leaders should recognize that today’s classrooms are tomorrow’s workforce and leadership pool. This is not about symbolism. It’s about access, opportunity, and intentional investment. If equity is truly a shared priority, then strengthening pathways for Black men into both classrooms and leadership roles must be part of the solution. The data is clear;however,data is only one part of the story. What we choose to do with it is what matters most. #Leadership #Education #Equity #Representation #WorkforceDevelopment #Policy #Community

Introducing our next Rooted in Black Excellence honoree, Saymah Nah — a proud Newark native, lifelong educator, and Executive Director of Gateway U who is boldly reimagining what economic mobility can look like for Black and Brown communities. Growing up in Newark’s high-rise housing projects, Saymah saw firsthand the impact of poverty and systemic racism, and turned that reality into resolve. She went on to spend over a decade founding and supporting high-impact schools with Success Academy in the Bronx and Rocketship Public Schools in Washington, DC, where she witnessed a painful truth: brilliant, committed paraprofessionals who held school communities together were too often blocked from teaching roles simply because they lacked access to affordable credentialing pathways. At Gateway U, Saymah is changing that story. She leads a flexible, competency-based college and workforce model designed for first-generation, working adults—especially those already serving in schools. Under her leadership, Gateway U has: Supported more than 50 aspiring teachers Maintained a 75% persistence rate Achieved Praxis pass rates above national benchmarks Celebrated 40 associate degree and 22 bachelor’s degree graduates in 2025 Served over 500 students and counting Saymah is the visionary behind Teacher Pathway 2.0, an earn-while-you-learn, grow-your-own teacher model that removes systemic barriers, builds culturally responsive educators, and prepares new teachers for AI-integrated classrooms. Her system-shifting work has earned her a spot on the NJ BIZ Power 50 list for three consecutive years (2023–2025) and the TapInto Newark 2025 Power List. A graduate of Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s degree and Howard University with a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Saymah lives by the principle: “Threaten the impossible and somehow get it done.” Through her leadership, school communities grow their own teachers, families gain economic stability, and children learn from educators who reflect the brilliance of their communities. Join us in celebrating Saymah Nah — a visionary rooted in Black excellence and leading a movement that is transforming lives, classrooms, and the future of Newark and beyond. 🖤✨ #RootedInBlackExcellence #SaymahNah #GatewayU #NewarkStrong #BlackWomenLead #EconomicMobility #GrowYourOwnTeachers #AIReadyClassrooms #CommunityPower

Every classroom experience is shaped by decisions made far beyond the school building - laws, court rulings, funding formulas, and policy choices that determine access, opportunity, and outcomes. This week, we honor Black leaders who helped move our country closer to its promise by changing systems, not just stories. From legal architects like Charles Hamilton Houston, Constance Baker Motley, Robert L. Carter, and Oliver Hill to policy champions like Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, and John Lewis. And scholars who reshaped how we understand equity and power - Gloria Ladson-Billings, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Derrick Bell, Freeman A. Hrabowski III, and Spottswood Robinson III - their work reminds us that policy is personal, and equity is intentional. At Memphis Education Fund, we carry that legacy forward by pairing data + advocacy to push for decisions that expand opportunity for every student in every zip code. #BlackHistoryMonth #MemphisEducationFund #Teach901 #Choose901 #OurMemphisOurSchools

Student activism and leadership have long influenced how schools respond to equity and student rights. These examples are a useful reminder that institutions should be ready to engage student concerns with clarity, consistency, and care.