“Learn to be quiet enough to hear the genuine in yourself, so that you can hear it in others.”
—Marian Wright Edelman, Founder of the Children’s Defense Fund
Drs. Mamie and Kenneth Clark's Doll Test demonstrated the early internalization of racial inferiority among Black children. The Clarks concluded that prejudice, discrimination, and segregation created feelings of inferiority and damaged self-esteem—harm that persists today. Self-concept is directly correlated with overall success, yet our current educational system does not address this issue. It teaches what MK Asante calls a "white self-esteem curriculum," neglecting to include the contributions of people of African descent or the role the American system of racial oppression played and continues to play in the disparities we see today.
We must provide Black children with spaces outside of school to develop positive racial identities grounded in self-knowledge and self-love. Black Heritage Academy guides young Black people on the path to discovering that like their courageous ancestors, they can be powerful agents and organizers of social change. History shows us the transformative power of young people: Claudette Colvin was just 15 when she refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, nine months before Rosa Parks.
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), led largely by young people in their teens and twenties, became one of the most dynamic forces of the Civil Rights Movement, organizing sit-ins, freedom rides, and voter registration drives that fundamentally challenged American racism. These young activists understood that change doesn't wait for adulthood—it requires courage, community, and a deep knowledge of who you are and where you come from.
We are building a community of Black educators, parents, and young people dedicated to ensuring Black children have pride in their histories and themselves. Black Heritage Academy was originally created in New Haven, CT in 2016 by community organizers, educators, teachers, professors, and undergraduate and graduate students. Our hope is that this work will spark Saturday academies and afterschool programs for Black children K-12 throughout the country.
Join us in building this movement together! We need your unique brilliance and skill set. In April, we will host Black Heritage Academy focus groups. Sign up here to receive more information in March.
TODAY’S PRACTICE
Sign up HERE to join the Black Heritage Academy community.
LEARN MORE
Inside SNCC: Freedom Schools
https://snccdigital.org/inside-sncc/culture-education/freedom-schools/
Freedom School Poetry
https://www.crmvet.org/poetry/64_fskool_poems-r.pdf
CALLS TO ACTION
SIGN UP HERE to join us February 18th at 7:30 pm ET to learn how to practice Liberation Table—a space to reflect, connect, and build something meaningful together. Liberation Table is a tradition for Black people of the African Diaspora—an opportunity to gather with friends and family over a meal with African diasporic roots. Register here.
CHECK OUT The Story of Us, “The New McCarthyism: Why Authoritarians Fear Storytellers” moderated by AAPF executive director Kimberlé Crenshaw and featuring Ava DuVernay, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and Jacqueline Stewart. Featuring powerful artivism performances by two-time Tony Award winner Kara Young, Tony-nominated, Jon Michael Hill, and Theater and Africana Studies professor, Justin Emeka. Also, check out the Director's Cut from the event.
ADD the 2026 Google Liberation Calendar to your own calendar.
JOIN our WhatsApp community to engage w/ fellow participants!
DOWNLOAD the Liberation Table Guide.