The Rochester City School District and the Council of Urban Boards of Education present:
A National Dialogue - Civil Rights History and Present Day Events

We are proud to have been a part of a dialogue with school districts across the nation, engaging in conversation about Dr. King's historic "I Have a Dream" speech and the contemporary issues facing our nation related to recent civil rights events.

 

    Facilitating Schools:
    • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School - Rochester, New York
    • MetEast High School - Camden, New Jersey
    • International Technology Academy - Pontiac, Michigan
    • Hillsborough County Schools - Tampa, Florida
    • Brooklyn Preparatory High School - New York City Dept. Of Education, New York
    • Samuel Gompers Middle School - Los Angeles, California
    • McCluer South-Berkeley High School - Ferguson-Florissant SD, Missouri
    • Booker T. Washington High School – Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

Media Coverage

Channel 8 News Coverage

NPR Morning Edition Story

Education Week Blog Post

Check us out in the Education Week Blog!

 


Democrat & Chronicle Newspaper Article

Check out this follow up by RCSD students!

 

Urban Educator Article - pg.5

 


Poll Results from the Webcast


Throughout the webcast the RCSD facilitated polls to all participating districts. Here are the results.

Webcast of the Event

 

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Themes of Exploration for Facilitating Schools:

Theme 1: Segregation and Discrimination

Historical -

What are the instances of segregation and discrimination in the United States that led to the Civil Rights Movement?

Contemporary -

What evidence supports the statement that segregation and discrimination does/does not exist in America today?

Theme 2: Unearned Suffering

Historical -

What did Dr. King mean when he said: “unearned suffering is redemptive?” What are some examples of unearned suffering that occurred for “the Negro” leading up to the Civil Rights movement?

Contemporary -

What evidence is there that the sufferings, beatings, and imprisonment that Dr. King and others endured during the Civil Rights era, reaped some benefits for African-Americans and people of other diverse cultures today?

Theme 3: Unrest, Discontent, Demonstration

Historical -

What did “discontent” and “unrest” look like in the United States during the Civil Rights Era?

Contemporary -

Based on recent events, how are citizens demonstrating “discontent” today and how are those demonstrations similar to and different from the demonstrations from the Civil Rights era? Do these demonstrations signal a rejection of Dr. King’s advice that we should, “...conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline…” and that we meet “...physical force with soul force?”

Theme 4: The Dream

Historical -

In your own words and style, describe what Dr. King meant by his “dream.”

Contemporary -

What dreams do you and your classmates hold for yourselves, your families, and your communities today? How do you see yourself making those dreams come true? What role, if any, do you see education play in making your dreams a reality?

Photos from the Event

 

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Diversity - Malik Streater


He had a dream, that we will be one nation
But this was our goal since the Emancipation Proclamation
We have worked hard to show our worth
Yet we still get stepped on like useless dirt
But truthfully we built this empire called America
That’s the reason why, we come out of character
When white people cleanse out their emotional barrier
To the point, where he can kill one of us
Only to be found not guilty, because we gave a fuss.
Eric Gardener didn’t have to die that day-
It shouldn’t matter what he did or what he did not say.
The same for Mike Brown
His death disrupted the entire town
But why is it only our people hitting the ground?
Mommas, babies crying but nobody around
They’re crying and crying but you can’t hear a sound
Though all of our people are dying they are so loud;
Yet we still stay strong and show we’re proud
Everyone deserves to live life and make it worthwhile
But you diminish lives when you take someone’s child;
And you expect us to sit here in despair
While we sit here and beg for you to hear
To hear the cries of our mother’s mother’s
Turning our souls to kill our other brothers.
Ranking us so low that we no longer see our beauty,
Stripping us to show pure nudity,
Scaring us from facing the white mainstream
Telling our kids they will never achieve their dreams.
So what can we do to make this nation one?
So that police won’t have to draw a gun
And we can finally say his dream has now begun.

- Diversity by Malik Streater
Mr. Witcher's 11th Grade Advisory
MetEast High School
Camden, NJ

Thank You!!!

We are proud to have been a part of a dialogue with school districts across the nation, engaging in conversation about Dr. King's historic "I Have a Dream" speech and the contemporary issues facing our nation related to recent civil rights events.

 

    To the many organizations and people who made this event possible:
    • Cisco: Cynthia Temesi, Bethanie Rivolta, Whit Sprague, as well as all of the other Cisco support representatives who assisted all participating schools, across the country. Without Cisco’s technical support, this could not have been possible.
    • Council of Great City Schools (CGCS): Michael Casserly; Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE): Van Henri White, Deborah Keys; National School Boards Association (NSBA), New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) for their sponsorship and communications regarding this event.

 

    To all facilitating schools:
    • Rochester City School District - Rochester NY: Peter Hilling, Djinga St. Louis, Annmarie Lehner, Timothy Cliby, Kevin Lydon, Tom Moughan, Sharon Jackson, Burnice Green, Jacquelyn Gilmore
    • MetEast High School - Camden, New Jersey: Timothy Jenkins, Andrew Weinberg, Brandon Witcher, Barbara Coscarello
    • International Technology Academy - Pontiac, Michigan: Suzanne Kavanaugh, Gregory Spencer, Carol Turpin
    • Hillsborough County Schools - Tampa, Florida: Dennis Holt, Ivy.Shipp-Washington, Susan Valdes
    • Brooklyn Preparatory High School - New York City Dept. Of Education, New York: Ainsley Rudolfo, Qiana Spellman, Paul Forbes
    • Samuel Gompers Middle School - Los Angeles, California: Dr. Wanda Clemmons
    • McCluer South-Berkeley High School - Ferguson-Florissant SD, Missouri: Mario Charles, Mark Forbes
    • Booker T. Washington High School – Tulsa, Oklahoma: Danielle Neves, MaryJane Snedeker, Kim Dyce