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 149: Haitian Heritage Month in Schools: Representation, Culturally Relevant Curriculum, and Equity in Action
In this episode of the Educational Equity Emancipation Podcast, Dr. Almitra L. Berry dives deep into the significance of Haitian Heritage Month and why representation matters for every child-especially those whose stories are too often erased from our classrooms. Discover the powerful history behind Haiti’s name, its legacy as the world’s first Black-led republic, and the impact of Haitian American voices in U.S. education.
Dr. Berry shares actionable strategies for educators to integrate Haitian heritage into classrooms all year long, not just in May.
Whether you’re an educator, administrator, or advocate, this episode equips you with practical tools and inspiration to make Haitian Heritage Month-and Haitian heritage-an ongoing celebration of identity, pride, and educational equity.
Key Takeaways:
- The roots and meaning of “Ayiti” and its importance to Haitian identity.
- The dangers of erasure and why inclusive curriculum benefits all students.
- Real-world examples of schools getting it right, like Boston’s Toussaint L’Ouverture Academy.
- Two actionable strategies for integrating Haitian heritage into your classroom and school community.
For show resources, go to the companion blog for this episode.
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