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Saturday, December 21, 2019

SchoolHouse: Educating with Love, on Principle



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This Month: During a visit to Kimball Elementary School in Washington, DC, CJSF’s Allison R. Brown talks with principal Johann Lee and local Education Council Chair Eboni-Rose Thompson about how educators must lead with love in support of students and their families.

About the SchoolHouse: Equity in Education podcast:

SchoolHouse is a podcast created by the Communities for Just Schools Fund and hosted by Allison R. Brown, Alexis J. Smith, Jaime Koppel, and Thena Robinson Mock. SchoolHouse shares stories about how young people, their families and communities, and other advocates and activists are working in and around schools to make them healthy, safe, and equitable places for children to be. In SchoolHouse, we will learn together about the global implications of local movements for change in our schools.

About CJSF:

The Communities for Just Schools Fund (CJSF) is a nationally-focused donor collaborative. CJSF provides resources in support of community-led organizations that are working to ensure positive and supportive school climates that affirm and foster the success of all students. CJSF’s community partners organize young people, parents and caregivers, educators, and other community members to advocate on behalf of students who are disproportionately impacted by the over-use of exclusionary school discipline practices, including suspensions, expulsions, and arrests in schools. They organize community members to stand up for positive, healthy, and supportive school climates that produce better academic and social outcomes for the students who enroll than school climates with a heavy police presence, zero tolerance school discipline policies, and over-reliance on exclusionary discipline methods. CJSF’s community partners educate students, parents and caregivers, school officials and teachers, police departments, and community leaders on highly beneficial alternatives to suspension, expulsion, and school-based arrests. For more information, email us at info@cjsfund.org and sign up for our newsletter at www.cjsfund.org.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

On The Ground: It Ain't Necessarily So



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This week: Join our host as we talk with 2 leaders from Oakland and New Orleans about school privatization and the gentrification of America's urban spaces.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Data Collection and the "Big Data Era" enter into the public school system



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This week: H.A. Jabar interviews Marika Pfeferkorn from Twin Cities Innovation Alliance & the Coalition to Stop the Cradle to Prison Algorithm. She successfully organized to dissolve a “joint powers” agreement around big data, predictive analytics & algorithms in MN.

About the NO JUSTICE NO PEACE:

The No Justice No Peace Podcast is about all things related to the ‘Education Justice Movement’, including school policing, culturally relevant curriculum, racial disparities in suspensions/expulsions, grassroots organizing, advocacy, policy change etc. The host is Racial Justice NOW! Executive Director, H.A. Jabar and features guests from around the nation and world. Racial Justice NOW! is dedicated to eliminating institutional and systemic anti-Black racism and has led numerous successful campaigns in the state of Ohio and in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia).

About Racial Justice NOW!:

RJN is a community based, grassroots org led by parents pushing back on dehumanization in education. Led by @hajabar #BlackParentsUNITE For more information check out: http://www.rjnohio.org/

Friday, November 8, 2019

SchoolHouse: Dress Coded - Policing Black Girls Through Clothing



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This Month: CJSF's Allison R. Brown talks to the President and CEO of the National Women's Law Center, Fatima Goss Graves, about the Center's report on school dress codes in Washington, DC, and the ways dress codes are used to stifle expression and control children.

About the SchoolHouse: Equity in Education podcast:

SchoolHouse is a podcast created by the Communities for Just Schools Fund and hosted by Allison R. Brown, Alexis J. Smith, Jaime Koppel, and Thena Robinson Mock. SchoolHouse shares stories about how young people, their families and communities, and other advocates and activists are working in and around schools to make them healthy, safe, and equitable places for children to be. In SchoolHouse, we will learn together about the global implications of local movements for change in our schools.

About CJSF:

The Communities for Just Schools Fund (CJSF) is a nationally-focused donor collaborative. CJSF provides resources in support of community-led organizations that are working to ensure positive and supportive school climates that affirm and foster the success of all students. CJSF’s community partners organize young people, parents and caregivers, educators, and other community members to advocate on behalf of students who are disproportionately impacted by the over-use of exclusionary school discipline practices, including suspensions, expulsions, and arrests in schools. They organize community members to stand up for positive, healthy, and supportive school climates that produce better academic and social outcomes for the students who enroll than school climates with a heavy police presence, zero tolerance school discipline policies, and over-reliance on exclusionary discipline methods. CJSF’s community partners educate students, parents and caregivers, school officials and teachers, police departments, and community leaders on highly beneficial alternatives to suspension, expulsion, and school-based arrests. For more information, email us at info@cjsfund.org and sign up for our newsletter at www.cjsfund.org.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Solidarity: Lessons from Detroit



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This month: Deepa Iyer is in conversation with Linda Campbell (Detroit People’s Platform) who shares experiences and lessons from her decades-long work in Detroit.

About the Solidarity Is This podcast:

Solidarity Is This is a podcast created and hosted by Deepa Iyer who is with the Center for Social Inclusion and a 2017 Soros Equality Fellow. Each month, we explore how individuals and institutions are experimenting with and exploring multiracial solidarity. We will learn how to practice transformative solidarity in a rapidly transforming racial landscape and in the midst of heightened discrimination targeting communities of color. For more information check out: http://www.solidarityis.org/

About Deepa Iyver:

Deepa Iyer is a South Asian American activist, writer, and lawyer. Deepa is currently the Senior Fellow at the Center for Social Inclusion where she provides analysis, commentary and scholarship on equity and solidarity in America’s changing racial landscape. In November 2015, The New Press published Deepa’s first book, We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future. Scholar Vijay Prashad has written that Deepa “brings the head of a lawyer and the heart of a community activist to bear on her remarkable book…It is a window into the struggles of the margins that allow the mainstream to remain humane.” Deepa’s book was selected by the American Librarians Association’s Booklist magazine to be one of the top 10 multicultural non-fiction books of the year. For more information check out: http://deepaiyer.com/

Monday, October 28, 2019

On The Ground: I Know I Can



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This week: Jitu Brown chats with Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, national field organizer at the Dignity in Schools Campaign & Jonathan Stith, national director at the Alliance for Education Justice, about work to dismantle the school to prison pipeline!

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Monday, October 21, 2019

On The Ground: You Must Learn



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This week: A silent epidemic happening across the US is the purge of black teachers from public school classrooms. Jitu Brown talks with 2 leaders who are fighting back: Tara Stamps from the Chicago Teachers Union and Awo Okaikor Aryee-Price from PULSE in Newark NJ.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, October 13, 2019

On The Ground: Mind Blowing Decisions



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This week: Brother Jitu Brown talks to Shawni Robinson and Anna Simonton about the"Atlanta Cheating Scandal" and incarcerated black teachers! As Public Enemy said years ago; Don't believe the hype!

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

SchoolHouse: Leading While Following: A Social Justice Teachers Guide



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This Month: Social justice teachers Cierra Kaler Jones and Rosalie Reyes join CJSF's Allison R. Brown in conversation about how to nurture and embrace all students, all of the people who walk into the classroom with their children, and all of those who walked before.

About the SchoolHouse: Equity in Education podcast:

SchoolHouse is a podcast created by the Communities for Just Schools Fund and hosted by Allison R. Brown, Alexis J. Smith, Jaime Koppel, and Thena Robinson Mock. SchoolHouse shares stories about how young people, their families and communities, and other advocates and activists are working in and around schools to make them healthy, safe, and equitable places for children to be. In SchoolHouse, we will learn together about the global implications of local movements for change in our schools.

About CJSF:

The Communities for Just Schools Fund (CJSF) is a nationally-focused donor collaborative. CJSF provides resources in support of community-led organizations that are working to ensure positive and supportive school climates that affirm and foster the success of all students. CJSF’s community partners organize young people, parents and caregivers, educators, and other community members to advocate on behalf of students who are disproportionately impacted by the over-use of exclusionary school discipline practices, including suspensions, expulsions, and arrests in schools. They organize community members to stand up for positive, healthy, and supportive school climates that produce better academic and social outcomes for the students who enroll than school climates with a heavy police presence, zero tolerance school discipline policies, and over-reliance on exclusionary discipline methods. CJSF’s community partners educate students, parents and caregivers, school officials and teachers, police departments, and community leaders on highly beneficial alternatives to suspension, expulsion, and school-based arrests. For more information, email us at info@cjsfund.org and sign up for our newsletter at www.cjsfund.org.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

On The Ground: Mind Power



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This week: Jitu Brown spends time with Warriors from Grassroots Arkansas, who are waging a campaign to not only win back their right to vote but to finally force Arkansas to realize equity in public education. Racism knows no Shame.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Monday, September 9, 2019

Is there a new COINTEL Program for U.S. Public Schools, Interview with Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle



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This week: Racial Justice NOW! Executive Director H.A. Jabar interviews Lawrence Grandpre of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS). They discuss a new phenomenon sweeping through schools across the country: Behavioral Threat Assessments and Predictive Data Analytics.

About the NO JUSTICE NO PEACE:

The No Justice No Peace Podcast is about all things related to the ‘Education Justice Movement’, including school policing, culturally relevant curriculum, racial disparities in suspensions/expulsions, grassroots organizing, advocacy, policy change etc. The host is Racial Justice NOW! Executive Director, H.A. Jabar and features guests from around the nation and world. Racial Justice NOW! is dedicated to eliminating institutional and systemic anti-Black racism and has led numerous successful campaigns in the state of Ohio and in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia).

About Racial Justice NOW!:

RJN is a community based, grassroots org led by parents pushing back on dehumanization in education. Led by @hajabar #BlackParentsUNITE For more information check out: http://www.rjnohio.org/

Sunday, September 8, 2019

SchoolHouse: More Than A Building



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This Month: CJSF’s Allison R. Brown goes to school with professor Dr. Noliwe Rooks, author of Cutting School: Privatization, Segregation, and the End of Public Education. They discuss how capitalism requires and perpetuates racial and socioeconomic segregation.

About the SchoolHouse: Equity in Education podcast:

SchoolHouse is a podcast created by the Communities for Just Schools Fund and hosted by Allison R. Brown, Alexis J. Smith, Jaime Koppel, and Thena Robinson Mock. SchoolHouse shares stories about how young people, their families and communities, and other advocates and activists are working in and around schools to make them healthy, safe, and equitable places for children to be. In SchoolHouse, we will learn together about the global implications of local movements for change in our schools.

About CJSF:

The Communities for Just Schools Fund (CJSF) is a nationally-focused donor collaborative. CJSF provides resources in support of community-led organizations that are working to ensure positive and supportive school climates that affirm and foster the success of all students. CJSF’s community partners organize young people, parents and caregivers, educators, and other community members to advocate on behalf of students who are disproportionately impacted by the over-use of exclusionary school discipline practices, including suspensions, expulsions, and arrests in schools. They organize community members to stand up for positive, healthy, and supportive school climates that produce better academic and social outcomes for the students who enroll than school climates with a heavy police presence, zero tolerance school discipline policies, and over-reliance on exclusionary discipline methods. CJSF’s community partners educate students, parents and caregivers, school officials and teachers, police departments, and community leaders on highly beneficial alternatives to suspension, expulsion, and school-based arrests. For more information, email us at info@cjsfund.org and sign up for our newsletter at www.cjsfund.org.
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Wednesday, September 4, 2019

The O.G. Organizer Breaks Down the Parts of the School to Plantation Pipeline



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This week: Racial Justice NOW! Director H.A. Jabar talks with Jitu Brown of the Journey for Justice Alliance. They peel back the layers of a corrupt system and give listeners a real peek into how the machinery of oppression works through the institutions of society.

About the NO JUSTICE NO PEACE:

The No Justice No Peace Podcast is about all things related to the ‘Education Justice Movement’, including school policing, culturally relevant curriculum, racial disparities in suspensions/expulsions, grassroots organizing, advocacy, policy change etc. The host is Racial Justice NOW! Executive Director, H.A. Jabar and features guests from around the nation and world. Racial Justice NOW! is dedicated to eliminating institutional and systemic anti-Black racism and has led numerous successful campaigns in the state of Ohio and in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia).

About Racial Justice NOW!:

RJN is a community based, grassroots org led by parents pushing back on dehumanization in education. Led by @hajabar #BlackParentsUNITE For more information check out: http://www.rjnohio.org/

Sunday, June 2, 2019

On The Ground: DNA



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This week: Join Brother Jitu in an important conversation with Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. as he discusses the assassination of his father Chairman Fred Hampton, his work in the struggle & efforts to save The Hampton House, his father's childhood home. Don’t miss it!

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, May 26, 2019

On The Ground: Go Up Moses



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This week: What is the alternative to school closings & the charter school industry? Sustainable community schools! Jitu Brown talks with Kyle Serrette of the NEA & John Projansky, resource coordinator at Drake Elementary, a sustainable community school in Chicago!

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, May 19, 2019

On The Ground: Soul Sista



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This week: Jitu Brown meets with four teenage leaders and their adult supervisor who demonstrate "Black Girl Magic" through their courage & steadfast commitment in demanding accountability for the disappearance of Black women in Chicago.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, May 12, 2019

On The Ground: Fight The Power!



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This week: Jitu Brown is joined by Mercedes Martinez and Lourdes Antebella, two leaders who have been central in the inspiring resistance against the Puerto Rican government's efforts to privatize education after Hurricane Maria! FIGHT THE POWER!

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

NASN School Nurse Chat: Students with Chronic Health Conditions – The Importance of Parents and School Nurses Working Together



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This week: Donna Mazyck and guests Lisa Kern and Michelle Grove will discuss challenges and strategies for collaboration between parents and school nurses for students with chronic conditions.

About the NASN School Nurse Chat podcast:

The NASN School Nurse Chat, a podcast hosted by NASN Executive Director Donna Mazyck, highlights timely student and school health topics of interest to school nurses and other professionals focused on student health and well-being. For more information about the NASN School Nurse Chat podcast, contact Jon Lemich, NASN Grants and External Partners Coordinator, jlemich@nasn.org.

Associate producer & story editor: Molly Rufus

Sunday, May 5, 2019

On The Ground: Heartbeat



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This week: Jitu Brown talks with Sharon Smith & Johnnie Latner, co-founders of PULSE (Parents Unified for Local School Education), to discuss the monumental impact this grassroots organization has made on the education justice movement in Newark & across New Jersey.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, April 28, 2019

On The Ground: Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos



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This week: Join Brother Jitu as he builds with education justice warriors Mike Hutchinson and Megan Bumpus. They discuss the Oakland teacher’s strike and the power of authentic coalition building between community and union to win equity in public education.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Monday, April 22, 2019

On The Ground: Ain't No Half Steppin'



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This week: Jitu Brown is joined by NJ organizers Genese Dean, Byheijja Sabree & Ronsha Dickerson. They discuss the sabotage of public education in Camden where a manufactured budget deficit of 27 million dollars is being used as an excuse to shut down public schools.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, April 14, 2019

On The Ground: Uhuru Sasa (Freedom Now!)



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This week: Jitu Brown is joined by Mother Helen Moore of Keep the Vote No Takeover, Mark Rosenbaum of Public Counsel & Stephen Farrar of the Detroit Life Coalition. Learn how they’re using litigation, legislation & agitation to win equity in Public Education.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, April 7, 2019

On The Ground: Why is That?



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This week: Jitu Brown digs deep with historian Dr. Yohuru Williams, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of St Thomas. They discuss the importance of organizers understanding the Civil rights & Black Power movements as we carry out our work today.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, March 31, 2019

On The Ground: Liquid Spirits-Getting the Rhythm of Parent Organizing in Black and Brown Communities



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This week: Jitu Brown talks with organizers Sharon Smith of Newark NJ & Jalida Bennett of Chicago IL. Listen & learn as they share the nuts and bolts of parent organizing and building a committed base of people to win campaigns against powerful corporate interests.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, March 24, 2019

On The Ground: Mama Said Knock You Out!



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This week: Jitu Brown chops it up with Pittsburgh Organizers Angel Gober, Paulette Foster & Susie South. From kicking out a transient teacher factory to winning a K-2nd grade suspension ban, these kick-butt women prove
organized people can beat organized money!

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Saturday, March 23, 2019

What is Education Justice? What is the Education Justice Movement?



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This week: Racial Justice NOW! Director H.A. Jabar explains the education justice movement in detail. He digs deep into why grassroots organizers have increased and aligned their work to end the school to prison pipeline and to fight for equity in education.

About the NO JUSTICE NO PEACE:

The No Justice No Peace Podcast is about all things related to the ‘Education Justice Movement’, including school policing, culturally relevant curriculum, racial disparities in suspensions/expulsions, grassroots
organizing, advocacy, policy change etc. The host is Racial Justice NOW! Executive Director, H.A. Jabar and features guests from around the nation and world. Racial Justice NOW! is dedicated to eliminating institutional
and systemic anti-Black racism and has led numerous successful campaigns in the state of Ohio and in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia).

About Racial Justice NOW!:

RJN is a community based, grassroots org led by parents pushing back on dehumanization in education. Led by @hajabar #BlackParentsUNITE For more information check out: http://www.rjnohio.org/

Sunday, March 17, 2019

On The Ground: Sabotage



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This week: Jitu Brown chops it up with Michigan organizers Marletta Seats, Kamau Kheperu, & Dr. Tom Pedroni. Benton Harbor schools are in danger of a state takeover. Takeover equals privatization. Privatization equals sabotage for the education of our black children.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, March 10, 2019

On The Ground: Count it Up!



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This week: Jitu Brown chops it up with New Jersey community organizers Rosie Grant, Johnnie Lattner and Faheem Lee. The right to elect school boards was snatched away from Black NJ Cities. Determined coalition building & organizing won it back. Don’t slip! Listen in!

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Monday, March 4, 2019

Solidarity: Racial Equity, Chicago Style



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This month: Deepa Iyer speaks with Niketa Brar, Chicago United for Equity, to hear about how community members organized to develop a racial equity ballot for the recent Chicago election.

 About the Solidarity Is This podcast:

Solidarity Is This is a podcast created and hosted by Deepa Iyer who is with the Center for Social Inclusion and a 2017 Soros Equality Fellow. Each month, we explore how individuals and institutions are experimenting with and exploring multiracial solidarity. We will learn how to practice transformative solidarity in a rapidly transforming racial landscape and in the midst of heightened discrimination targeting communities of color. For more information check out: http://www.solidarityis.org/

About Deepa Iyver:

Deepa Iyer is a South Asian American activist, writer, and lawyer. Deepa is currently the Senior Fellow at the Center for Social Inclusion where she provides analysis, commentary and scholarship on equity and solidarity in America’s changing racial landscape. In November 2015, The New Press published Deepa’s first book, We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future. Scholar Vijay Prashad has written that Deepa “brings the head of a lawyer and the heart of a community activist to bear on her remarkable book…It is a window into the struggles of the margins that allow the mainstream to remain humane.” Deepa’s book was selected by the American Librarians Association’s Booklist magazine to be one of the top 10 multicultural non-fiction books of the year. For more information check out: http://deepaiyer.com/

Sunday, March 3, 2019

On The Ground: Don't Sweat the Technique - the Artistic Science of Community Organizing



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This week: Jitu Brown chops it up with Jalida Bennett of Kenwood Oakland Community Org. in Chicago and Maria Harmon of Step Up Louisiana. Be inspired by the lived experiences and victories of powerful warriors who
make racial justice the center of their organizing.

 About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, February 24, 2019

On The Ground: Set it Off-The Fight for Rent Control



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This week: Jitu Brown chops it up with Jawanza Malone of Kenwood Oakland Community Org. & Francisco Duenas of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. It’s a fight against gentrification as these organizers battle for rent control in Chicago and L.A.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Sunday, February 17, 2019

On The Ground: Stakes is High! Teachers and Community Stand Together in Denver!



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This week: Jitu Brown speaks to Hasira "Soul" Achemu, executive director of Breaking our Chains and Rachel Sandoval, union rep with the Denver Classroom Teacher’s Assoc. about the teachers’ strike in Denver. Tune in and get “that real lit” from people ON THE GROUND.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown 
and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Friday, February 8, 2019

On The Ground: A Vision to Victory



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This week: Jitu Brown speaks with Zakiyah Ansari of the Alliance for Quality Education and Natasha Capers of the NY Coalition for Education Justice about how Black parents successfully organized and pushed public education to the forefront of the NY mayoral race.

About the On The Ground podcast:

The ON THE GROUND podcast centers effective grassroots community organizers to share their wisdom on the artistic science of organizing. Community organizing is not activism. Listen to Jitu Brown 
and guests to learn the difference.

About the Journey for Justice Alliance:

The Journey for Justice Alliance is intentionally creating a space for organized low-income and working class communities who are directly impacted by top-down privatization and school closings efforts. Our member organizations are built and led primarily by parents and youth of color and we fight unapologetically for community-driven school improvement that allows us to be genuine and in the forefront. The promise of public education has not yet been realized but we know what it will take. Journey for Justice is just that- a journey for the rights of our children and neighborhoods.. For more information check out: http://www.j4jalliance.com/

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Solidarity: The Art of Protest



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This month: In the first Solidarity Is This podcast of 2019, learn about protest literacy from movement historian, L.A. Kauffman, and about local community defense networks from North Carolina activist, Manju Rajendran.

About the Solidarity Is This podcast:

Solidarity Is This is a podcast created and hosted by Deepa Iyer who is with the Center for Social Inclusion and a 2017 Soros Equality Fellow. Each month, we explore how individuals and institutions are experimenting with and exploring multiracial solidarity. We will learn how to practice transformative solidarity in a rapidly transforming racial landscape and in the midst of heightened discrimination targeting communities of color. For more information check out: http://www.solidarityis.org/

About Deepa Iyver:

Deepa Iyer is a South Asian American activist, writer, and lawyer. Deepa is currently the Senior Fellow at the Center for Social Inclusion where she provides analysis, commentary and scholarship on equity and solidarity in America’s changing racial landscape. In November 2015, The New Press published Deepa’s first book, We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future. Scholar Vijay Prashad has written that Deepa “brings the head of a lawyer and the heart of a community activist to bear on her remarkable book…It is a window into the struggles of the margins that allow the mainstream to remain humane.” Deepa’s book was selected by the American Librarians Association’s Booklist magazine to be one of the top 10 multicultural non-fiction books of the year. For more information check out: http://deepaiyer.com/

Monday, January 7, 2019

Civil War Or Civil Discussion: On the Ground in Chicago & Detroit



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This episode: In part 1, Maya Lea discusses the 2019 Chicago Community Discussion Project, where everyday people set the media agenda for the next local election. In part 2, Elaine Bassett talks about empowering first-generation college students in Detroit.

About the Civil War Or Civil Discussion podcast:

Join Interactivity Foundation fellows and guests for insights on how to have better conversations about public policy and public life.

About the Interactivity Foundation:

The health of our democracy depends greatly on how well citizens discuss, explore, and develop public policy.  Ideally, public policy choices will be based on citizens’ and policymakers’ careful consideration of reasonable alternatives and their likely consequences. Increasingly, in the real world, however, policy choices are made in response to crisis or in highly-charged political contexts. Frequently the opportunity for the development or
consideration of meaningful citizen input is negligible, and the considered policy options are similarly underdeveloped and limited to a split-the-difference or the lesser of two evils approach.

In response to these challenges, the mission of the Interactivity Foundation (IF) is to enhance the process and expand the scope of our public discussions, thereby improving the health of our democracy and its development of public policy. That is, IF works to improve both the quality and quantity of the public discussions that shape the development of our public policy options. To do this, we’ve developed a small-group discussion process designed to help people collaborate in the exploration and development of a) the diverse concerns and values that relate to an area of societal concern, (b) multiple contrasting policy possibilities to address those concerns, and (c) the possible implementations and consequences of those policy possibilities. For more information check out: http://www.interactivityfoundation.org/

Civil War Or Civil Discussion: Wisconsin Civics Games



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This episode: A conversation with Eve Galanter, creator of the Wisconsin Civics Games. The former Madison councilwoman and a top senatorial aide speaks about developing the next generation of public servants.

About the Civil War Or Civil Discussion podcast:

Join Interactivity Foundation fellows and guests for insights on how to have better conversations about public policy and public life.

About the Interactivity Foundation:

The health of our democracy depends greatly on how well citizens discuss, explore, and develop public policy.  Ideally, public policy choices will be based on citizens’ and policymakers’ careful consideration of reasonable alternatives and their likely consequences. Increasingly, in the real world, however, policy choices are made in response to crisis or in highly-charged political contexts. Frequently the opportunity for the development or
consideration of meaningful citizen input is negligible, and the considered policy options are similarly underdeveloped and limited to a split-the-difference or the lesser of two evils approach.

In response to these challenges, the mission of the Interactivity Foundation (IF) is to enhance the process and expand the scope of our public discussions, thereby improving the health of our democracy and its development of public policy. That is, IF works to improve both the quality and quantity of the public discussions that shape the development of our public policy options. To do this, we’ve developed a small-group discussion process designed to help people collaborate in the exploration and development of a) the diverse concerns and values that relate to an area of societal concern, (b) multiple contrasting policy possibilities to address those concerns, and (c) the possible implementations and consequences of those policy possibilities. For more information check out: http://www.interactivityfoundation.org/

Civil War Or Civil Discussion: Civility on the Web and on the Page



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This episode: In part 1, Will Ferguson, CEO of EnCiv, talks about a new initiative to build a better social media platform from the ground up. In part 2, the hosts revisit Let’s Talk Politics, Gundersen and Lea’s 2013 book about restoring civility in public life.

About the Civil War Or Civil Discussion podcast:

Join Interactivity Foundation fellows and guests for insights on how to have better conversations about public policy and public life.

About the Interactivity Foundation:

The health of our democracy depends greatly on how well citizens discuss, explore, and develop public policy.  Ideally, public policy choices will be based on citizens’ and policymakers’ careful consideration of reasonable alternatives and their likely consequences. Increasingly, in the real world, however, policy choices are made in response to crisis or in highly-charged political contexts. Frequently the opportunity for the development or
consideration of meaningful citizen input is negligible, and the considered policy options are similarly underdeveloped and limited to a split-the-difference or the lesser of two evils approach.

In response to these challenges, the mission of the Interactivity Foundation (IF) is to enhance the process and expand the scope of our public discussions, thereby improving the health of our democracy and its development of public policy. That is, IF works to improve both the quality and quantity of the public discussions that shape the development of our public policy options. To do this, we’ve developed a small-group discussion process designed to help people collaborate in the exploration and development of a) the diverse concerns and values that relate to an area of societal concern, (b) multiple contrasting policy possibilities to address those concerns, and (c) the possible implementations and consequences of those policy possibilities. For more information check out: http://www.interactivityfoundation.org/