Workshop: Beyond the Dream: Langston to King, Chance to Kendrick

All-America City Workshop Track:

Location: Hilton Denver City Center
1701 California Street, Denver, CO 80202
Date: Friday, June 22, 2018
Time: 9:45am – 11:00am Workshop Block 1
Room: Colorado

Presenters:

Sheryl Davis is the executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC). Prior to joining the HRC, Davis was executive director of Collective Impact, a community-based organization in San Francisco. During her tenure at Collective Impact, Davis forged private and public sector partnerships to provide critical health and social services to historically underserved communities across San Francisco.  She has more than 20 years of experience working as an educator, developing afterschool and summer programs as well as serving as a community leader in San Francisco. She continues her work in service of youth and families as director of the SF Human Rights Commission.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University and master’s degree in Public Administration from theUniversity of San Francisco.

E’rika Chambers is the executive director of Collective Impact, a community-based youth development non-profit organization in San Francisco. Prior to taking on that role in September 2016, Chambers served Collective Impact’s education director, leading all aspects of the K-12 year-round out-of-school-time program, including developing and growing the organization’s in-school supports and services. She previously worked as an educator and member of the central services team at Schools of the Sacred Heart, as well as a staff member of the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco. Chambers holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in history from California State University, Hayward. Chambers’ experience working with inner city children was the catalyst for her career in after-school and summer learning programs, which enable her to provide youth with the skills and resources needed to compete in the modern world.

Nico Bremond, Collective Impact’s Teen Program Lead, brings new energy to the field. An Oakland native, Bremond merges his love of hip-hop with academics, sharing the history and evolution of a modern day music movement. Bremond joined the Collective Impact staff in 2014 and was a founding lead within the Community Safety Initiative. He also manages the teen afterschool program and facilitates 10 student success groups for middle and high school students, including 6 groups tailored specifically for young men of color in need of targeted supports. Nico also led the organization’s partnership with Hack the Hood, managing a cohort of 25 young website developers. He graduated from the University of San Francisco in 2014 with a degree in sociology.

Beyond the Dream: Langston to King, Chance to Kendrick:

Participants will learn how to use poetry and music to engage in conversations and develop action plans to address social justice issues, with a focus on race. In this session we explore how activists of the past and conscientious rappers of today use their words to encourage action. Dr. King talked about his dream, Langston Hughes wrote about a dream deferred, what does that look like today. How do the lyrics of Chance the Rapper and Kendrick Lamar connect to the movement of yesterday and today?

All youth are more than capable of achieving success and that curriculum focused on people of color and diverse text doesn’t have to wait for special month to have an impact. We use diverse texts to engage youth and address inequities they see in classrooms and communities. Learn about curriculum and activities used with youth to advance social justice in school and community.