This author attended an HBCU and majored in African American Studies.

This author is the founder and board chair of the National Black Women's Justice Institute.

This author is an endowed professor at a university in the South. Their research, teaching, and advocacy work meet at the intersection of education reform, anti-racism, and Black joy.

This author is a former English teacher who does work in instructional design, school coaching, and professional development. Their research agenda centers around literacy, vocabulary development, and equity.

This author helped build the non-partison "think and do" tank Demos. They are also the chair of the board of Color of Change, the country's largest online racial justice organization.

Who stated this: "Nonetheless, the idea that Black people are the 'takers' in society while white people are the hardworking taxpayers - the 'makers' - has become a core part of the zero-sum story . . . "

Who said this: "Pedagogy should work in tandem with students' own knowledge of their community and grassroots organizations to push forward new ideas for social change, not just be a tool to enhance test scores or grades."

Who said this: "[Racist] is not the worst word in the English language; it is not the equivalent of a slur. It is descriptive, and the only way to undo racism is to constantly identify and describe it - and then to dismantle it. The attempt to turn this usefully descriptive term into an almost unusable slur is, of course, designed to do the opposite: to freeze us into inaction."

Who said this: "Black girls are likened more to adults than to children and are treated as if they are willfully engaging in behaviors typically expected of Black women - sexual involvement, parenting or primary caregiving, workforce participation, and other adult behaviors and responsibilities.

Who said this: "Literacy was not just for self-enjoyment or fulfillment, it was tied to action and efforts to shape the sociopolitical landscape of a country that was founded on oppression."

Who said this: "Culture guides how we process information. Cultures with a strong oral tradition rely heavily on the brain's memory and social engagement systems to process new learning. Learning will be more effective if processed using the common cultural learning aids - stories, music, and repetition."