Black History

While Some Minority Students and Teachers Thrive in Distant Learning, Others Struggle Daily

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “There’s a bunch of research about the value add of Black teachers in school. It turns out that Black teachers help all students to perform better,” says Sekou Biddle, the Vice President of Advocacy and Student Professional Development Programs at the United Negro College Fund. “White students perform better too. When Black people do well, everyone does well. The problem is that when others do well without us doing well, they leave us behind,” concluded Biddle, who leads advocacy efforts to ensure that more African American students will be college-ready and better prepared to enroll in and complete college.

Published

5 years ago

December 26, 2020

Oakland Post

Dr. Peggy Edwards-Jones has spent much of the past two decades as a principal at the Friendship Collegiate Academy Early College Campus in the Northeast section of Washington, D.C. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the NNPA continues its campaign to raise awareness about education barriers for students of color and help bridge the learning gap for minorities, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a series of interviews with Dr. Edwards-Jones and other educators and community stakeholders, the NNPA hopes to push the importance of bridging the education gap and digital divide that has long proven challenging for minority students.

Dr. Peggy Edwards-Jones has spent much of the past two decades as a principal at the Friendship Collegiate Academy Early College Campus in the Northeast section of Washington, D.C.

Incoming freshman at Friendship Collegiate Academy are referred to as scholars.

And with good reason.

In an interview with National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., Dr. Edwards-Jones relayed what she called her proudest moments in education thus far.

Those moments include graduating over 3,500 scholars, with a 100 percent acceptance rate to a college or university. Some of her scholars graduate with one to two years of college courses completed before leaving high school.

At least 80 percent of those scholars who graduated completed their first year of college. Ninety-nine percent of the students are African American or individuals of color.

“The biggest issue for minority students is an opportunity,” Dr. Edward-Jones offered.

“At our campus, students can select majors like science, engineering, and computer science and take courses toward graduation,” Dr. Edwards-Jones added.

Dr. Edwards-Jones sits on several boards and committees, including the National Save Our Schools Coalition, the American Federation of Teachers Program and Policy Council, D.C. Community School Task Force, and the Advisory Panel to the National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools.

“The overall goal is to make sure that the students are college-ready, so we give them college courses. The biggest thing we have found across the country is access,” Dr. Edwards-Jones posited.

Other professionals noted that access for the underserved is vital.

“We can see our students prevail with access, just like any other groups across the country.”

“Black children need to hear about and learn about Black excellence, not as a set of exceptional stories, but that these are happening every single day,” said Sekou Biddle, the Vice President of Advocacy and Student Professional Development Programs at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).

“The thing that people miss is the importance of Black educators,” Biddle offered further.

“There’s a bunch of research about the value add of Black teachers in school. It turns out that Black teachers help all students to perform better,” he pronounced.

“White students perform better too. When Black people do well, everyone does well. The problem is that when others do well without us doing well, they leave us behind,” concluded Biddle, who leads advocacy efforts to ensure that more African American students will be college-ready and better prepared to enroll in and complete college.

Biddle manages UNCF’s advocacy platform, including three major components: grass-tops partnerships, grassroots engagement, and messaging and research.

Elizabeth A. Davis, the new president of the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU), told the NNPA that the pandemic had magnified the digital divide.

“The digital divide is not new, and I am familiar with a lot of the inequities that have existed in D.C. public schools,” Davis noted.

She has helped transform the WTU into a social justice, solution-driven organization dedicated to advancing and promoting quality education for all children regardless of their zip codes or results of a school lottery.

“The pandemic has pulled back the covers on a lot of these inequities, and they’ve been glaring,” Davis added.

“I refer to the achievement gap as the ‘opportunity gap’ because the achievement gap goes to capacity to learn.”

“In our students, I have not met a student in my 40 years of teaching that did not have the capacity to reach whatever bar I set for them. What I have noticed is that the opportunity to learn for African American students, not only in the District but throughout the country, has not been there.”

Davis said the inequities in education must be addressed in meaningful ways.

“We can’t exclude poverty and homelessness,” Davis proclaimed.

“We have 6,000 students in our public school system in D.C. that report to school from homeless shelters. It is going to take a heavy lift and a deep amount of understanding. We cannot overlook the fact that our students, Black and Brown students, have been trying to catch up, and collaboration is key to that. It’s quite critical.”

Finally, Davis offered that teachers also require support.

“In mid-March when teachers had to transition very quickly from brick-and-mortar teaching to distant teaching, they did so in five days with no professional training,” Davis recalled.

“We know we will be in a hybrid model of teaching for some time, so we need to get distance learning right. The first step is closing the digital divide,” she said.

“We want each student to have one-to-one devices, and we need to talk about preparing our teachers with sustained and ongoing professional development that not only help them develop the know-how to use the digital platforms but the know-how to transition to vigorous and well-rounded content.”

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Life Expectancy in Marin City, a Black Community, Is 15-17 Years Less than the Rest of Marin County

“Marin City residents have been fighting for years just to stay here. Residents live with the fear of being forced out, public housing torn down and rebuilt for the wealthy. Due to ongoing issues continually being ignored, residents feel they must be empowered to make their own decisions for the future survival and protection of their community,” said Terrie Green, a lifelong resident and executive director of Marin City Climate Resilience (MCCR).

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Marin City community leaders (l.-r.): Terrie Green, executive director of Marin City Climate Resilience (MCCR); Wambua Musyoki, Stanford University; Khamil Callahan, Santa Rosa Junior College; Serenity Allen, Xavier University; and Chinaka Green, MCCR associate director.

By Ken Epstein

People may be aware of the existence of Marin City and know a little about its history as a center of U.S. resistance to fascism in the World War II. But fewer know of the community’s ongoing struggles to survive potential displacement while facing severe toxic health and environmental conditions on a daily basis.

These conditions cause chronic disease and premature death, dramatically shown in the sharp difference in life expectancy between Black and white people living in households only a few miles apart.

A historically African American enclave, Marin City, occupies a 0.5-square mile area between Mill Valley and Sausalito with its own freeway exit near the Golden Gate Bridge. In contrast, the rest of Marin County rates among the healthiest, wealthiest, and most environmentally friendly counties in the country. However, it is one of the least racially equitable counties in California, with Black residents being the most impacted, according to the Advancement Project, a civil rights organization,.

The community owes its continued existence to the World War II generation that came to the Bay Area from the South to work in the shipyards and to the resiliency of its residents. Despite often facing discriminatory practices, such as redlining and a segregated school district, Marin City residents have continually created a strong community rich in culture, spirituality, and community values.

The current statistics are brutal. At present, Marin City residents face more than a 17-year difference in life expectancy compared to neighboring cities and towns. Contributing to these conditions are a lack of investment in public housing and infrastructure: unsafe drinking water, air pollution caused by proximity to the U.S. 101 freeway, unsanitary stormwater drainage that produces mold and mildew, as well as old and broken lead pipes and sewage in homes.

As an unincorporated community, Marin City residents must rely primarily on the elected Marin County Board of Supervisors, Department of Public Works, Transportation Authority of Marin and Caltrans for the decisions and investments that impact their lives.

MCCR’s focus is on environmental justice. Its purpose is to empower and advocate for individuals to embrace sustainable living, envision a future free of environmental harm and collectively work towards a better Marin City. MCCR’s motto is “Forever Marin City.”

MCCR has created a unique team of Marin City Youth Environmentalists who have studied and researched environmental issues impacting the health of the community.

Serenity Allen is an MCCR Youth Coordinator/Young Environmentalist studying to be a medical social worker at Xavier University. She has been working in the community for six years. “I strongly believe that where you live should not determine how long you are able to live,” she said.

Allen referred to the work done by former Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis, who stated that Marin City has a 17-year life expectancy difference between residents of Marin City (77 years) and more affluent areas like Ross (94 years).

“The research shows this gap is heavily correlated with race and socioeconomic status. Sausalito, which is not even two miles outside of Marin City, has a life expectancy of 92 years,” Allen said.

“Many elements contribute to this gap,” she said. “A major factor may be the 12 acres of toxic flood waters that pour down off the highway into low-lying Marin City.

In addition, “We do not have a barrier wall protecting us along our highway; the rest of Marin County has 16 barrier walls to protect from noise and air pollution. Marin City has been fighting for a barrier wall since 2008,” she said.

Octavien Green, an MCCR high school environmentalist, spoke about the impact of the absence of recreational facilities on health and wellness, particularly for youth.

“Lack of investment in our recreational facilities means we have fewer spaces and opportunities for physical activity, which contribute to serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes, weak bones and low energy, especially for kids. We are presently involved in an ongoing struggle just to rebuild a sports ball field for the community that’s been unusable for the last 15 years.”

“Marin City is the center of Black culture for all of Marin County,” said Green. “Historically, though, the county has not invested in the community, and you see it in the life expectancy, the highest chronic disease and disability rates and eight times the amount of asthma. In the last six weeks, we’ve had three young people in their 40s and 50s die from heart attacks. This is alarming and must be addressed.”

Looking toward next steps, she said, “The way forward is through incorporation,” which would mean that Marin City would have its own elected leadership to find solutions that determine the future of the community.

This is the first in a series of articles on Marin City, examining conditions in the community and interviewing both community members and public officials.