Celebrating Black History in Education

Saturday, February 3, 2024 · 8:30am-3:00p

East Providence High School
2000 Pawtucket Ave. East Providence

The NEARI Professional Development Committee and the Racial & Social Justice Committee joined forces to present this full day of speakers and sessions centered on the richness of Black history. We'll lift up the stories of writers, inventors, and innovators in the Black community. We will explore new ideas for teaching Black history and cultures through the NEA Diverse Readers Lesson Planning Series with classroom implementation, applicable standards and unit design.

Flyer for sharing

Registration is open now!

Keynote Speaker: Kekla Magoon

Kekla Magoon is the author of many novels and nonfiction books for young readers, including The Season of Styx Malone, The Rock and the River, How It Went Down, and Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People.

She has received the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the John Steptoe New Talent Award, three Coretta Scott King Honors, the Walter Award Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and been a finalist for the National Book Award.

Kekla conducts school and library visits nationwide and serves on the Writers’ Council for the National Writing Project. Kekla holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she now serves on faculty. Visit her online at keklamagoon.com.

Black History Conference Agenda

8:30-9:00amCheck In and Breakfast
Breakfast/coffee provided by students of EP Culinary CTE Program
9:00-9:10amOpening Remarks
NEARI President Sen. Val Lawson and NEARI Executive Director Mary Barden

EPHS Cafeteria

9:10-9:45amKeynote Remarks

Kekla Magoon

Kekla will discuss her award winning nonfiction book about the Black Panther Party. Revolution in the Classroom: Embracing Our Power as Changemakers, will discuss the importance of reading and writing as a tool for social change, and our individual and collective power to transform our classrooms and communities. There will be copies of Kekla’s books for folks to take and have signed. Books available at no charge will be Revolution in Our Time, She Persisted: Ruby Bridges, The Rock and the River, and Camo Girl.

EPHS Cafeteria

10:00-11:10amSession I (select one)
  • What’s Your Perspective with keynote author Kekla Magoon – Classroom 315
  • Unity, as One, Stand Together: A Framework for Creating Racial and Social Justice Advocacy Spaces with NEARI UniServ Alex Lucini – Classroom TBD
  • Revamp! Alternatives to Simulations, Family Trees, and Other Traditional (but sometimes problematic) methods in K-6 with NEARI Roger Williams University professor Dr. Kerri Ullucci – Classroom 317
11:15am-12:30pmSession II (select one)
  • What’s Your Perspective with keynote author Kekla Magoon – Classroom 315
  • Racial and Social Justice Unionism – Committees in the Workplace with Michelle Manning and Jonathan Sigman - Classroom TBD
  • Revamp! Alternatives to Simulations, Family Trees, and Other Traditional (but sometimes problematic) methods in K-6 with NEARI Roger Williams University professor Dr. Kerri Ullucci – Classroom 317
12:30-1:15pmLUNCH (provided)
1:20-2:30pmSession III - Diverse Learners Series vol.3 (select one)
  • Elementary LevelLove is Loud by Sandra Neil Wallace – Classroom 315
  • Middle School LevelWe Are Your Children Too by P. O’Connell Pearson – Classroom 317
  • High School LevelThe Sum of Us by Heather McGhee – Classroom TBD
  • Mobile Museum – Visit the traveling Black History Museum – parking lot
2:30-3:00pmWrap Up
Closing Remarks from NEARI Vice President and Racial & Social Justice Committee Chair Amy Mullen

Evaluation forms, Book signings (Dr. Ullucci will be available with free copies of her book Anti-Blackness at School)