Authors

Shelda Raymonvil

Hi! I'm Shelda. I was born and raised in Miami, FL, and am a Caribbean girl at heart. The thing I miss most about my hometown are the beautiful beaches and Cuban coffee! I'm a 2013 Corps Member teaching 2nd grade self-contained at Sylvan Rodriguez Elementary and this summer, I will be reading Unequal Childhood: Class, Race, and Family. Feel free to browse through my thoughts and add your own while I explore the issues discussed throughout the pages of this book.

Brandon Lewis

I'm Brandon. I'm originally from Atlanta, though some days I do like to pretend like I'm from New York City. I'm a 2013 Corps Member teaching 6th grade Social Studies here, in Houston. This summer, I'll be reading The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African-American Children by Gloria Ladson-Billings. Thinking about race and class directly, not only have helped me become a better teacher, but a more compassionate and thoughtful human being. I hope you will join me as I continue my journey this summer.

Noel Price

I'm Noel Price. I grew up in a combination of San Antonio, TX, and Nashville, TN; attended college in rural Virginia; and am now, somehow, a Houstonian -- for a while, at least. I'm a 2013 Corps Member and this summer, I am reading Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom by bell hooks. My classroom is filled with around 60% Latino & 40% African-American students, and I am working to build bridges between the various cultures and subcultures that exist within and beyond the schoolhouse. Reflecting on my privilege and learning more about race and class has allowed me to teach my students more humbly and connect with them on a deeper level. I'm excited to see where this blog takes us! 

Logan Cotton

Hi! I'm a proud Chicagoan who moved to Houston last summer to teach 6th grade English and seek out the world's greatest taco truck. This summer, I am reading American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass by Douglas Massey and Nancy Denton. I also want to read some of Warmth of Other Suns and, hopefully, Great American City: Chicago and the Enduring Neighborhood Effect. Housing policy and the effects of housing policy on communities, has had devastating effects on communities of color and low-income areas. I don't think we can understand the "Achievement Gap" if we forget to examine access to housing.

Eliza Catalino

Hey team, my name is Eliza. I'm originally from the Bronx, New York. I'm a 2012 Corps Member teaching 8th grade Social Studies at KIPP Spirit. This summer, I'll be reading Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva. Thinking about race and class has given me a level of consciousness to operate and function in the world as a person of color. As a new teacher, it also has impacted how I teach and how I communicate with my students. I'm by no means an expert on race and class but I am excited to share my continuous learning and development with you all this summer.

Helen Hailemariam

Hey y'all -- this is Helen reporting from Houston, TX. Originally from Asmara, Eritrea, but I call Dallas, TX, home. I was a 2008 Houston Corps Member and I taught first grade for three years at Moreno Elementary on the north side (Go Mustangs!) I was an MTLD for two years, and I am currently the Director of Leadership Programming. I'll be reading Can We Talk about Race?: And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation by Beverly Tatum. I am a big fan of Ms. Tatum's work, and I am excited about reading a text that we haven't focused on in our region. I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge about the historical implications of our education system today. Please join me in reading this text. I'm looking forward to hearing your perspectives!

Ariel Stevenson

Hey ya’ll! I’m Ariel Stevenson. I am from Beaumont, TX where the unique combination of Cajun and Texan culture can be heard in the words that we use and tasted in the gumbo that we eat. I moved an hour and a half from home and ended up here in Houston teaching 6^th grade Social Studies. I have already read Kelly Gallagher’s Readicide. Now, I am reading Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real about Race in School. The book is a compilation of essays from various scholars that address the ways in which race exists and must be confronted in the classroom.