I went to the White House last week to attend the State Arrival Ceremony of the President and First Lady of South Korea. I went because I appreciate Korean culture here in the United States and in Korea. I was delighted to see that a part of the ceremony was a children’s choir – Korean Americans singing in Korean and …
Zakiya JacksonPresident, The Expectations Project As we continue to learn more about the awful school shooting in Nashville, I’d like to share a few personal thoughts about the choices before us as communities of people who care deeply about children, education, our faith, and justice. Nashville is where I grew into my calling and career as an educator. I attended …
Following the death of Tyre Nichols, we took a moment to breathe, mourn, and begin to process this brutal and senseless beating and murder of yet another unarmed Black person by police. We remain deeply grieved by this and other acts of violence that fill our news feeds far too regularly. We lament the lives that have been lost. As …
As you may have heard, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced last week that he would ban a pilot program for an Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies course. While students, teachers, activists, and legislators in Florida speak out in opposition to this decision, there are a few crucial things you should know about the ban. We’ll continue to track this …
This summer we spent time together in lament – honoring our grief over the unimaginable harm students have endured. We also told the truth about gun violence and began to name what it will take to end it for the sake of our children. To these important practices of lament and truth-telling, we want to add dreaming. As we take …
If we want a beloved community, we must stand for justice bell hooks The proliferation of gun culture and violence in the United States of America has exacted a devastating toll on our students, families, and communities. Gun culture, which contributes to the second leading cause of death in children and teens,1 has pulled us into perpetual grief, leaving us …
Cami King, Director of Advocacy & Training The thief comes only to kill, steal, and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the full measure. John 10:10 The decision by SCOTUS to repeal Roe v. Wade and, in effect, remove abortion access for many people around the country weighs heavy on our hearts today. …
Lament is what happens when people ask, “Why?” and don’t get an answer. It’s where we get to when we move beyond our self-centered worry about our sins and failings and look more broadly at the suffering of the world. N.T. Wright Grief is our uniquely individual, yet profoundly collective, heartbreak in response to communal wounds. Lament, at its essence, …
Lament is the sacred speech that names the deep heart ache and pain experienced on a personal, familial, communal, local, state, federal, and global level. Lament expresses our concrete yet mysterious grief. Cherly Kirk-Duggan In light of recent events in Uvalde Texas, we at The Expectations Project want to offer a word on grief. As we hear from our advocates, …
Our work at The Expectations Project is closely knit to the broader work of civil rights in America. The conditions of public schools are intimately tied to racial equity and justice. In light of this, Zakiya Jackson, our Vice President of Training & Resources, offers her reflections on several pressing civil rights matters and how they are related to our …
