Educational Equity Emancipation
“We have to do better”… That’s Dr. Almitra Berry’s heart-felt answer when asked about educating children from diverse cultural and language backgrounds.
Dr. Berry has a strong message for educators and school system leaders who don’t understand that cultural differences can profoundly affect the quality of education these children experience…
“You have children with failing test scores. You have teachers who want to teach but aren’t given the freedom or allowed to use the tools and strategies they need. You have teachers leaving the profession in droves.
And you have tax-paying parents who are very dissatisfied with their children’s education but don’t know how to effect change.”
In other words, our education system has a crisis on its hands. And this crisis affects all of us, not just teachers and those in the educational establishment.
It’s a crisis we must address if we’re going to have an exceptional nation with school systems free of systemic oppression.
We need to take it to heart. We need to act on Dr. Berry’s message. It’s a message she’s deeply passionate about.
As an educator, speaker, and author, she focuses on the education of the most historically marginalized: culturally and linguistically diverse learners.
She has worked diligently for over 30 years to help marginalized learners, learners of color, of linguistic and cultural diversity in low-wealth urban school districts, experience higher academic achievements.
Dr. Berry is on a mission. A mission bigger than herself. A mission to change the conversation happening around the topics of education, equity, and intellectual emancipation for culturally and linguistically diverse learners.
But she can’t do it alone. So she’s looking for leaders to join her. Is that you?
If you’re nodding your head and saying “Yes!” as you read this, we invite you to subscribe and listen to The Educational Equity, Emancipation Podcast.
Educational Equity Emancipation
Episode 139: Intersectionality & Book Bans: Why Politicos Demonize Race, LGBTQ+ Identity, & the Cultures of Marginalized Peoples
Join Dr. Almitra Berry and educational technology entrepreneur Heather Wiederstein for a timely revisit of their powerful 2023 conversation, newly urgent in today’s climate. This episode unpacks the intersectionality of Black/Brown and queer identities within DEI frameworks, exploring how systemic marginalization manifests in education and society.
**Key discussions include**:
- The weaponization of **book bans** against marginalized voices, with analysis of their ties to racial and LGBTQ+ demonization
- Personal narratives about navigating intersectional identities in hostile environments
- Psychological roots of self-hatred and its exploitation by power structures
- The rise of performative censorship tactics like targeting drag queen story hours
Two years later, these issues remain critical as education battles intensify. Heather and Dr. Berry’s insights now carry added resonance amid ongoing legislative attacks on inclusive curricula and library freedoms.
**We want YOUR voice**: How have you witnessed intersectional erasure or censorship in your community? Share your stories via the link in our show notes—your experiences shape this movement.
*Before we part ways, I want to hear from you. Text me your questions, stories, or topic suggestions - you'll find the link in the show notes. Your experiences and insights fuel our movement for educational equity.*
*This is Dr. Almitra Berry, reminding you that in times of educational crisis, silence is not an option.*
*And remember! Don't worry about things you cannot change, change the things you can no longer accept.*
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