Equity is paramount in our democracy, and it also must be in our classrooms. It reminds me of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Rights Amendment 0f 1972, in the United States of America.  We need something similar added to our pedagogical practices to ensure that equity and cultural competency translates fairly into our classrooms.  Since discrimination comes in all forms, verbal & nonverbal, known & unknown, seen & unseen, we are here, in the Psyched for STEM Summer Institute, to learn and spread the information.  As a Black Man, I continue to have experiences that are equivalent to those that catalyzed the movements mentioned above.  I am “all in” with knowing and supporting our students and their unique needs.   Whether it be cultural or a mix of their past experiences, I will do my best to provide comprehensive feedback, acknowledge their positionality and help them with their identity, even if it is foreign to me.  I can represent a diverse voice that might ignite a spark in their aspirations and expectations.  I hope to break through the stereotypes that appear to still have an affect on student expectations.  I want to suggest, without formally saying it, that there are barriers to achieving their goals in education (AntiBlack, AntiDiversity, AntiNonWhite, …) but you can still achieve, excel and if you must do so, change your mind without punishment.  In the end, a student’s lack of confidence must be slowly eliminated.  It should be replaced with culturally based strengths and identities that will clear a path to their own success and strategies to pass it on to future generations. 

Thank you for everything you have passed on to me and I will do the same in my classroom.  I appreciate this opportunity and hope that my ancestors will be proud and continue to support me.