The Empowered Educators Series provides a forum for teachers, educators, administrators, counselors, and the like to think critically and openly discuss topics of race, equity, bias, and pedagogy. Empowered Educators Series promotes ongoing learning, partnerships with supporting organizations, and community building among teachers.

In this session, we will reimagine what it means to celebrate, live, and honor Black History Month. Using the work of Pittsburgh legend Teenie Harris as a starting place, we will research some of the most important local figures of the Civil Rights movement who have been erased from our common memory. We will also use findings from Pittsburgh’s Inequality Across Gender and Race to shape and question the state of black life in Pittsburgh. We recommend you read the section about education, which you can find here: Education Section of Pittsburgh’s Inequality Across Gender and Race. We will be spending time with Harris’ photography in the new permanent collection at CMOA.

Carnegie Museum of Art, Center for Urban Education, Western Pennsylvania Writing Project, and Remake Learning have joined together to support educators in their approaches and abilities to facilitate thoughtful discussions about race in the classroom.

This series is fully supported by the Grable Foundation and is free and open to the public, though registration is required. The event will take place 4:45pm-7:30pm, but you are welcome to stay until 8pm to explore the museum or connect with your peers.

Dinner will be provided with a vegetarian option. Please help reduce food waste by letting us know if you need to cancel your registration. The cut-off date for special food requests is February 7. Email Ani (address below) with requests.

Not quite sure what to expect? We’re here to help! Email Ani (ani (at) remakelearning (dot) org) with any questions or concerns.

Image Credit: Charles “Teenie” Harris, Protesters, including Byrd Brown and Judge Henry Smith, outside of U.S. Steel building, June 1966. Carnegie Museum of Art: Heinz Family Fund, 2001.35.6797.