As we embark on the start of a very different school year, we focused our September 30, 2020 program on education and equity, an issue amplified by the pandemic. We discussed your hopes for this school year, heard from amazing young leaders, and explored actions we can all take to build more equity in education.
We came together in conversation around the topic of equity in education with speakers Azure Savage, Activist and Author of You Failed Us: Students of Color Talk Seattle Schools, Alejandra Perez, Community Organizer with the Washington Dream Coalition, Yubi Mamiya, Discovery Center Youth Ambassador, and Daniel Harada, elementary school educator and board member of Equal Rights Washington and experience an inspiring musical performance by Thunderbirds Raised Her.
The event’s conversation will continue on the We Belong Here podcast hosted by Frank Nam, of Civic Commons.
Below you’ll find a link to the event video and our after-event Take Action Toolkit.
Missed the Live Event? Watch it Now
Post Event Take Action Toolkit
Our partners and speakers came together to assemble a series of resources to help inspire you and help you take action to increase equity in education in your family, schools, communities, and beyond. You’ll find:
Recommended Resources | Gathered from our speakers and partners to review, share, discuss, and get involved.
Event Poll Results | See attendee responses collected during the live event linked below the digital conversation prompts.
Digital Assets | Available below for download for personal use on social media to encourage dialogue in your own network.
See event responses.
Education & Equity Speakers
Azure Savage (he/him)
Activist and Author
Azure is a black trans man, author, activist, member of Y-We’s Youth Leadership Council, and a graduate from Garfield High School. In 2019, he published his first book, You Failed Us: Students of Color Talk Seattle Schools, a memoir and oral history of his and 40 other students of color’s experiences with racism in the Seattle Public Schools district. Now, Azure is working on a second book that will incorporate the voices of students of color from across the country. Read more about Azure on Crosscut and the South Seattle Emerald
Alejandra Perez (she/ella)
Community Organizer with the Washington Dream Coalition
Alejandra’s commitment to anti-racist, educational equity comes from her advocacy with and for undocumented students and their families in Washington State. She was born and raised in Guatemala and moved to the United States when she was twelve years old. After graduating from Cleveland High School in Seattle and later earning her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education from the University of Washington Bothell, she continued organizing for social justice, running large-scale events and conferences, and providing professional development to educators. Today, Alejandra is a community organizer with the Washington Dream Coalition and one of the leaders for the COVID-19 Relief Fund for Undocumented Individuals in Washington State, ensuring that the undocumented community has the financial relief they need during the pandemic. Alejandra is the College & Career Manager at the Community Center for Education Results. Read more about Alejandra.
Yubi Mamiya (she/her)
Discovery Center Youth Ambassador
Yubi is an advocate for equitable opportunities for all children. Her work on the Washington State Legislative Youth Advisory Council and in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center Youth Ambassador Program is centered around empowering youth. In addition, she is an active tutor in her community, supporting under-resourced students.backgrounds. These experiences have motivated her to continue supporting the future generation by opening up accessible education for all.
Daniel Harada (he/him)
Elementary Educator & Board Member, Equal Rights Washington
Daniel Harada is a 5th-grade teacher in Federal Way and a board member of Equal Rights Washington, a group that fights for equal rights for all Washington citizens. He also provides leadership to the Safe Schools Coalition and the Equity Team for the Federal Way Education Association. Daniel also led the discussion and development of Ethnic Studies for students and established LGBTQIA+ PD and Equity PD for educators of Federal Way Public Schools. Daniel is also the recipient of the WEA Human and Civil Rights Students Involvement Award.
Noah Collier (he/him)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center Youth Ambassador Alumni
Noah currently attends Green River College in Auburn and will be transferring to an HBCU to study music. He was born and raised in Kent and is currently a Discovery Center Youth Ambassador Alumni as well a Kent representative for Black Minds Matter. Noah is passionate about black art and uniting people through music. Noah hopes to help create a world where equal opportunity exists for black youth.
Moderator & Event Partner:
Frank Nam (he/him)
Civic Commons
Frank Nam is a Project Director with Civic Commons and leads the We Belong Here work. He serves on the boards of Leadership Tomorrow and USA Ultimate. He has served on the boards of 826 Seattle (now the Bureau of Fearless Ideas), Southend Ultimate Program, and Seattle Works. Prior to his current role, he supervised the Community Engagement Coordinators in the City of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods. Before that, he was the National Admissions Director for City Year, Inc., a foster care mentorship coordinator at Treehouse, an SAT/GRE instructor, a web developer, and a paperboy for the New Jersey Star-Ledger. He graduated from Rutgers College with a BA in History.
