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Local Educators Announce Initiatives For Black Lives Matter At School’s Week Of Action

THE SEATTLE MEDIUM — The Black Lives Matter At Schools Movement’s momentum is growing as its impact on the community has been fruitful.

Published

7 years ago

January 31, 2019

Oakland Post

By The Seattle Medium

On Monday, education leaders in Seattle held a press conference at the Rainier Beach Community Center to announce their new initiatives for the Black Lives Matter At School’s upcoming week of action to take place Feb. 4 – 8.

Black Lives Matter At Schools, in partnership with Seattle Public Schools, the Center for Racial Equity, the NAACP and N.Y.C (NAACP Youth Coalition) and parents of the community, is building on the nationally recognized work they began last year in bringing racism awareness and racial equity in schools around the region and nation.

During the “Week Of Action” program Black Lives At School will reintroduce their Demands as well as introduce a new curriculum, a book entitled Teaching For Black Lives for educators, students and parents about teaching ethnic and racial sensitivity, followed by a Black Lives Matters At School rally and student talent showcase.

In addition to pushing school districts to provide ethnic studies as part of their curriculum, the organization is also asking school’s administrators to recognize the need to educate and train both student and educators in “zero tolerance”, discipline and implement restorative justice in how they treat racism and systematic racism within education.

“Including Black Lives Matter At School Movement curricula in classrooms across the nation is an affirmation of the importance and power of ethnic studies,” says Tracy Castro-Gill, Ethnic Studies Program Manager for the Seattle Public Schools.

“Educators across our district have shared how their experience last year in teaching the Black Lives Matter lessons changed how they thought about Ethnic Studies and moved many educators to rethink their content and practices,” added Castro-Gill.

The organization is also promoting the hiring of more Black teachers and a “counselors not cops program” which aims to provide students of color a more positive and productive means of crisis control other than the justice system and the “pipeline to prison” as a solution through meaningful counseling.

According to Jesse Hagopian, an ethnic studies teacher at Garfield High School, racism and systematic racism has been on the rise in the Pacific Northwest in response to the present leadership in Washington D.C. and the nation’s educators are taking notice and action to combat this and provide children a leg up through learning, introducing them to the diversity in people.

“With racist hate crimes on the rise and the president who makes openly racist comments about Africa and Haiti, it is vital that we transform our education to be about uplifting Black lives undoing racism,” says Hagopian.

The Black Lives Matter At Schools Movement’s momentum is growing as its impact on the community has been fruitful.

The NAACP’s NAACP Youth Coalition has produced a growing number of young students who are taking on leadership roles as they work to bring about a more compassionate, inclusive and productive learning environment.

Israel Presley a Rainier Beach student and member of the N.Y.C believes, “this [Black Lives Matter At School Movement] is out of the need for change, Seattle struggles with making changes happen or even actually listening.”

“What I’ve noticed is a lot of times we put our voices out there, we try to say what we want, but they don’t pick up,” said Presley. “They don’t pick it up at all and I think with the Black Lives Matter At School it is a wakeup call saying ‘hey we are here, it’s time to listen, it’s time to wake up.’”

There are several events that will take place during the Week Of Action. On Mon., Feb. 4 BLM At School will gather at the University of Washington’s Kane Hall at 7:00 p.m. to introduce their new book “Teaching For Black Lives.” Weds., Feb. 6 at 4:45pm at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence BLM At School will roll out their agenda and demands and Fri., Feb. 8 at 6:00 p.m. at Cleveland High School the students will take the lead with a rally and talent showcase.

This article originally appeared in The Seattle Medium.

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Sale of Coliseum to African American Developers Moves Toward Completion

The deal includes the sale of the Oakland Arena to an unidentified third-party buyer for no less than $100 million, which Bobbitt said was one of the most important aspects of the site’s future redevelopment.

Published

7 hours ago

June 16, 2026

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The deal includes the sale of the Oakland Arena to an unidentified third-party buyer for no less than $100 million, which Bobbitt said was one of the most important aspects of the site’s future redevelopment.

‘This is on the precipice of actually occurring,’ said Ray Bobbitt, buyers’ representative

By Post Staff

After many months of complex negotiations, the Oakland Coliseum development deal is finally nearing an agreement that will open the way for new owners – the African Americans Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) – to revitalize the sports complex and the Hegenberger Corridor in East Oakland.

On May 28, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a non-binding agreement to dispose of the County’s portion of the complex for $115 million in a deal with AASEG, with a closing date set for June 30.

“People are seeing that this is on the precipice of actually occurring,” said Ray Bobbitt, founder of the AASEG and an East Oakland native. “People feel that this needs to happen for Oakland, for East Oakland in particular,” Bobbitt said, as reported in the East Bay Times.

The agreement would transfer ownership of the 112-acre Coliseum complex property, which was owned 50-50 by Alameda County and the City of Oakland, to Oakland Acquisition Company, which is AASEG’s real estate wing.

The County’s approval marks an important step in the sale of the property, even though concerns about environmental liability remain. Under the terms of the non-binding agreement, the county will pay $115 million to Coliseum Way Partners, the corporate entity of the Oakland Athletics that had previously purchased the county’s half of the property for $85 million.

AASEG will then pay $115 million to the County in three annual payments, with 5% annual interest paid on any outstanding balance, according to the term sheet.

AASEG already negotiated a purchase of the city’s half of the property for $125 million in 2025, awaiting the sale of the county’s half.

A strong supporter of the sale, Supervisor Nate Miley said he was not “breaking out the champagne” until the sale was final. This is not perfect, but it is good.

“It’s good because the County ends up with more money,” Miley continued. “It’s good because an African American team takes ownership of the property, and they’ve got a lot of potential in terms of what they want to do with the property.”

A remaining disagreement between Alameda County and the AASEG involves environmental concerns.

AASEG wanted a “carve-out” for environmental concerns so that it would not face liability for the release of groundwater into San Francisco Bay without a permit. Obtaining a permit could be time-consuming and expensive, requiring the need for consultants, studies, and an oversight process by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.

County supervisors unanimously supported the non-binding agreement without the carve-out, though Bobbitt said delaying or excluding the carve-out creates timing risks for the project.

“The motion is to accept the terms as presented, excluding the carve-out,” Board of Supervisors President David Haubert said. “Noting that it’s a non-binding term sheet and terms can always be discussed going forward. It’s been pointed out that that could affect the deal, timing, which we’ve been at this for nine years, but what’s a little more time?”

“The arena represents an anchor of the site,” said Babbitt. “This arena … has become a pop culture mecca, and the opportunity to enhance that and expand that is critical to the overall process.”

Speaking at the Board of Supervisors meeting, Miley explained the County’s reasoning behind some of the complex negotiations. He asked interim County Counsel Andrea Weddle:

“In layman’s term’s who’s on the hook for the environmental (cleanup)” under the current deal with the Oakland A’s?

“When the county with a former board entered in the deal with the (A’s), we took on all of the environmental obligations,” Miley said. “Since then, we’ve learned a lot more about the environmental conditions of the Coliseum.”

“If we do a deal with Coliseum Way Partners (the A’s), we remain on the hook,” she said. “If we do a deal as we’ve currently structured with OAC (AASEG), we have eliminated some or hopefully all (or) as much as we can of that liability and aligned our deal with the terms of the city.”

Bobbitt, despite his concerns, supported the nonbinding agreement. He said the public has waited nearly a decade to come to this point.

“The community support has been overwhelming,” he said. “We’ve used a lot of P-words: patience, perseverance, persistence. And we’ve just had to do it, and we understand how complex this has been.”

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Celebrating Juneteenth – Frederick Douglass on education and resistance

This video from BlackPressUSATV explores the significance of Juneteenth, focusing on the enduring wisdom of Frederick Douglass. It delves into his powerful perspectives on the vital role of education as a tool for liberation and empowerment. Douglass’s words are presented as a cornerstone for understanding the ongoing struggle for equality and the importance of continuous […]
The post Celebrating Juneteenth – Frederick Douglass on education and resistance appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Oakland Post

The content highlights how education and active resistance are intertwined, drawing parallels from historical movements to contemporary challenges. This exploration of Frederick Douglass’s teachings offers valuable insights into the spirit of Juneteenth and its relevance in today’s fight for justice and human rights.

The post Celebrating Juneteenth – Frederick Douglass on education and resistance appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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LIVE! — ASK ALMA! — TUES. 6.19.26 7PM EST

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