Black Lives Matter at School

Pledge to Participate

What is Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action?

Black Lives Matter at Schools Week of Action began in Seattle, Washington at John Muir Elementary School in 2016. From there, educators in cities across the nation, began organizing a week to intentionally celebrate the lives of Black students, teachers and families. Cities including Seattle, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Portland, Oregon!

Black Lives Matter at Schools Week of Action consists of educators teaching lessons about systemic and structural racism, intersectional Black identities and Black history.

How to Participate

Pledge to Participate
Learn about the Black Lives Matter at School movement
Share this website with colleagues and encourage colleagues to join you in this week of action
Wear your Black Lives Matter shirt on Tuesday, February 9th
Post a BLM poster
Print: 13 Guiding Principles Posters
Read the Oregon Department of Education Black Lives Matter Resolution
Teach a lesson in your class (lessons links below)
Attend an Event (more info below)
Plan an event at your school

2022 Events

2/7 Monday VIRTUAL CURRICULUM EXCHANGE: Join us Monday, February 7th, at 4:30-5:30 pm, to build community with other teachers around the district about Black Lives Matter in Schools. Bring your lessons and your questions to learn and collaborate with others! Register here for the link!

2/8 Tuesday BUY BLACK: Follow this link to support local Black businesses today and every day! Participate on your own by supporting Black-owned businesses through purchases or sharing their products on social media! Share this widely!

2/9 Wednesday CENTER BLACK STORYTELLING: Black stories matter! We humbly invite any Black PPS staff member to record a story-telling, following an oral tradition or reading a poem or book, by following this flipgrid link (10 minute limit). Here are some other opportunities to center Black storytelling:

Storyline Online streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books,and this month there is a special “Celebrate Black History” selection.
African Film Festival: The Cascade Festival of African Films was founded in 1991 by four Portland Community College faculty members.This marks the 32nd year of showing “Africa through African lenses” and runs through March 5. In-person and free showings.
Black History Bitmoji Classroom: this is a treasure trove of linked read alouds and videos. There is something for every grade level and the slide-deck is off the charts!

2/10 Thursday CENTER BLACK ARTISTS

Black Lives Matter Artist Grant Exhibition: a free exhibit at Portland State University featuring 20 artists. “The artwork of other awardees tends to the intricacies of their individual craft, or the richness of material culture. To joy and pleasure, illustrating and narrating a better world than this, to the intersections of Blackness, indigeneity, and queerness, to secrecy, and to abstraction.”
The Studio Museum in Harlem established in 1968, is an American art museum devoted to the work of artists of African descent. Click the link to explore amazing art AND to access art lesson plans from early childhood through high school.

2/11 Friday IN PERSON 3 DAY EVENT BY VANPORT MOSAIC

All Power to the People: Remembering the Legacy of the Black Panther Party

“Join Mr Kent Ford and invited guests for a three-day event linking the Black Panther Party’s 10 Point Plan to challenges we face today. Admission to all events is free. On site donations benefiting the repair and reconstruction of Albina’s historic Billy Webb Elks Lodge warmly accepted.” Reservations and masks required, as is proof of vaccine, or a negative test within 24 hours.

But wait, there’s more!

2/19 PAT’s Social Justice and Community Outreach Committee invites you to a Portland Playhouse theater production: Thurgood. Please click here for a description.

For PPS BIPOC educators: PDX Playhouse is dedicating performances to patrons who identify as BIPOC to “be in a space that centers the experience of a person from the Global Majority in our theatre which, like much of American theatre, has been mostly occupied by white people.” PLEASE REGISTER HERE TO SECURE YOUR PAT SPONSORED TICKET FOR THE FEBRUARY 19TH, 7:30 AFFINITY NIGHT PRODUCTION (IN PERSON).
For any PPS educator: please register here for a shared PAT sponsored Zoom viewing of “Thurgood”, date to be announced.