For Immediate Release: February 25, 2022
Contact: media@colorofchange.org
Color Of Change Honors Leaders Taking a Stand Against Erasure of Black History
The nation’s largest racial justice organization hosted inaugural #BlackHistoryNow Awards to uplift 7 defenders of truth in education
NATIONWIDE — In the wake of the latest string of legislative and right-wing attempts to censor our nation’s history, Color Of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, launched and hosted the first ever Black History Now Awards. The event celebrated educators and activists who are working to defend our history curriculum against political attacks.
The past two years have underscored the harmful negligence conservatives in power have committed against public education — from unsafe working conditions for teachers amidst the pandemic to working extensively to erase Black history from the classroom, Black communities have been disproportionately impacted by the hijacking of education policy by conservatives. The efforts to censor U.S. history under the guise of opposing “critical race theory” threatens to erase the connection between the history of racism, the ongoing injustices in our society today, and the potential solutions to move us toward an equitable future.
In response, Color Of Change is honoring seven educators and activists who are committed to teaching this nation’s history through unfiltered lenses. Black history is American history, and it should be treated as such from all levels of government, education, and society. Instead of writing over Black history and censoring the truth, responsible educators and leaders nationwide are filling in the blanks of the parts of history that have traditionally been ignored in the classroom, in order to give all of America’s students the education they need and deserve.
The inaugural Black History Now awardees include:
- Rep. Carol Ammons, Illinois State Senator – The Thurgood Marshall Award for Public Servant for Fair Education
- Constance Daw, Principal of Franklin Public School – The Mari Matsuda Award For Diversity, Equity and Inclusion In Education
- Amy Donofrio, Former teacher at Riverside High School, Co-Founder of the Evac Movement – The Tara J. Yosso Award for Excellence in Counter Storytelling in Education
- Dr. Bobbie Hayes Goodrum, Assistant Superintendent of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Farmington Public School District; Detroit, MI – The Derrick Bell Award for Truth In Education
- Kahlil Greene, Gen Z Workplace Inclusion Expert; Germantown, MD – The Nikole Hannah-Jones Award For Innovation In History Education
- George M. Johnson, Author – The Kimberlé Crenshaw Award for Intersectionality In Education
- James Whitfield, Former Colleyville Heritage High School Principal – The Richard Delgado Award for Advocacy and Perseverance in Education
“These leaders aren’t just defending history, they’re making it. We are beyond excited to host the inaugural Black History Now Awards and encourage everyone in America to celebrate heroic leaders defending truth in education,” says Color Of Change President Rashad Robinson. “Each of our awardees knows that our entire society suffers whenever we let conservatives hijack our education curriculum and force teachers to lie to our kids. When it comes to fighting censorship and ensuring all students receive a full picture of American history, we must begin by honoring and celebrating the people who are leading the way.”
The entire Black History Now Awards broadcast is available on Color Of Change’s YouTube and Facebook.
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About Color Of Change:
Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by over 7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org.