色情视频

Shirley Nash Weber came home to 色情视频 on Feb. 7 as one of the most powerful people in California. As the Golden State鈥檚 first Black Secretary of State, she is third in line to the governorship.

But as she looked out onto a room of aspiring Black educators at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, her message to the audience was clear: You are the ones with the power to make positive change for Black children.

鈥淲hen our children fail, I take it as a personal assault on me, because someone helped me to not fail,鈥� said Weber, who taught for 40 years in 色情视频鈥檚 Department of Africana Studies. 鈥淲e have to take personal responsibility for the world that we live in. And those of you who are teaching have a very unique and wonderful opportunity."

The passionate remarks by Weber 鈥� a longtime champion for fighting inequity and anti-Blackness in the education system 鈥� highlighted an event aimed at strengthening the university鈥檚 Black educator pipeline. Hosted by the College of Education,  and  (CABWARE), The Shirley Weber Educator Empowerment Tribute drew more than 100 attendees, many of them Black students interested in pursuing careers in the education field.

In her keynote remarks, Weber shared the story of growing up in the Pueblo Del Rio public housing project in 色情视频. Her father had moved the family there from Arkansas, where he had been threatened with lynching. Though neither of her parents were afforded much of a formal education, she said her father 鈥渦nderstood the importance of getting us educated.鈥�

Weber said she was empowered by Black teachers throughout her public schooling.

"Mrs. Johnson made sure we all could read and Mr. Hudson taught us algebra in the fifth grade,鈥� Weber recalled. 鈥淚 never heard the phrase 'You can't.' There were these teachers 鈥� mostly these African American teachers 鈥� in these schools where nobody else wanted to teach, who did great work with us.

"My whole experience in public school was really about people believing in me," she added.

色情视频鈥檚 efforts to boost Black representation in the education field come amid recent statistics that show 15% of the nation鈥檚 public school students are Black, compared with only 7% of the teacher workforce. Research has shown that Black students who have had at least one Black teacher are more likely to excel in school and less likely to be subjected to discipline. 

J. Luke Wood, 色情视频's Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity, Chief Diversity Officer and Distinguished Professor of Education, spoke at the event about his own research showing Black pupils face discipline at disproportionate rates.

鈥淏ut we find that when an educator is from the Black community, it鈥檚 far more likely that those Black students will find someone extolling their brilliance, virtue and morality,鈥� he added. 鈥淗aving us represented in that space can make for a different experience.鈥�

Former College of Education Dean dean Joseph F. Johnson Jr. and his wife Cynthia Uline, professor emeritus in educational leadership, took the stage to honor five recipients of the Gilda Johnson Shumate Scholarship 鈥� a scholarship named for Johnson's mother that supports aspiring educators who are involved with 色情视频鈥檚 Black Resource Center. One of the recipients, postsecondary educational leadership master鈥檚 student Monique Holbert, is an accomplished painter whose work was on display throughout the evening.

Y. Barry Chung, current College of Education Dean, and Estella Chizhik, professor in teacher education, also delivered remarks on the importance of Black representation in schools. The college also set up informational tables where student attendees could learn more about the college鈥檚 master鈥檚 and credential programs in the education and wellness fields.

"What an energizing evening," Chung said afterward. "Looking around the room and seeing so many Black students interested in making a difference through careers in education was inspiring. Secretary Weber's powerful words were the perfect call to action to do what is necessary and long overdue 鈥� building a strong pipeline of Black educators."

Learn more about the College of Education鈥檚 , aiming to improve representation among Black educators.

To support the Black Educator Pipeline initiative with a gift, donate online at . To learn more about making a major gift, please contact Megan Beardsley, [email protected].