Our Mission
MAKING
US MATTER
Committed to reshaping the experience of Oakland’s Black students and educators by creating educational spaces that recognize, emphasize, and humanize their Blackness. Through clear applications of the principles of social justice and critical thinking, we aim to remove institutional and social barriers to success and replace them with positive experiences that encourage lifelong learning and self-love.
Black Teachers
Are Needed
In 2020, we interviewed Black high school and college students to determine the effect Black educators have had on their education. Many told us that they had few, if any, Black educators throughout their time as students. For students who did encounter Black educators, they described feeling seen in a way that allowed them to focus on learning, rather than how they were being perceived.
Black teachers make up only 7% of the teaching force, even in schools where Black students are the majority demographic.
We talked to teachers, too. They reported difficulty navigating district administration and curricular requirements along with feelings of isolation among faculty. They sought in-depth trainings (that they didn’t have to lead), strong mentorship, and a vibrant community of Black educators to share ideas, pains, and joys. At 19%, Black teachers have one of the highest levels of turnover among racial groups, especially within struggling schools. 
Until profound systemic reform is within reach, Making Us Matter seeks to design programming that addresses these two intertwined issues: inspiring students to show up, and building educators’ capacity and desire to teach them long-term. From our continued work, we will draft research on the lived realities of Black students and teachers within education systems, in hopes of bringing that reform closer.