The first week of February is the annual Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action, which centers guiding principles and four demands of Black Lives Matter at School. Teaching for Black Lives study groups across five cities participated in the 2026 week of action. Read their stories below.
Elk Grove, CA | Kansas City, KS | Montclair, NJ| San Juan, PR | Orem, UT
Elk Grove, California
Edward Harris Jr. Middle School Educators and Study Group Members
Edward Harris Jr. Middle School staff and students watched Selma and learned about the Voting Rights Act of 1965 for Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. Sharae Green, language arts teacher and Teaching for Black Lives study group coordinator, said,
As we watched, we completed an educational movie guide where we broke down and thought critically about historical events that were reenacted in the movie. For example, learning about Diane Nash and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) — a lot of young people leading the way in movements. We also learned about the murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson and Bloody Sunday — how Black people were often the ones on the front lines and opened doors for all non-white citizens in the United States.
Students wanted to know: “Why was the government fighting so hard to stop Black people from voting? Why did white people hate/kill Black people? Did they really think they were doing the right thing?”
Students walked away understanding that voting holds tremendous power and the importance of exercising their duty to vote when it’s time. We also discussed the comparisons between what is happening currently with ICE. Students made the connection that the governmental and law enforcement brutality happening today isn’t new. Finally, students learned about the SAVE Act bill being pushed through the House and Senate in 2026 and discussed/wrote about whether it is making voting more accessible or is it voter suppression.
For the second year, the “Why I Matter at Harris” reflection was posted on the bulletin board in their multipurpose room for a school-wide activity. The school also hosted community circles and double-dutch during parent lunch day! Staff were encouraged to wear their green Black Lives Matter at School shirts.
Kansas City, Kansas
Violet Martin speaking to Wyandotte students
For the 7th consecutive year, Wyandotte High School organized a Black Lives Matter at School (BLMAS) Week of Action. Michael Rebne, science teacher and alumni study group coordinator, said,
This year our school building was closed for the first two weeks of February due to a fire in the building and staff reported to the district central office for work.
Despite us missing our students, we were able to connect with our fellow staff members. We organized an anti-racial bias training for over 50 staff members, which included rich discussion, reflection, and individualized action steps. Staff were encouraged to wear their BLMAS and Black History Month gear from past years.
When we returned to normal classes, our committee shared mini-lessons relevant to BLMAS guiding principles with the entire staff. We also shared various resources, including the Unapologetically Black booklist, a creative challenge, and supplemental resources for educators to dig into.
Finally, for the first time, we used a BLMAS grant to secure a speaker for our students. Violet Martin’s family was a victim of local police violence and corruption. The central incident occurred over 30 years ago and to this day she fights for accountability and alternatives to incarceration, saying, “I never wanted another family to experience what my family went through. I would never accept being a victim, nor stop using my voice to help others from being bullied by this corrupt legal system.” Students engaged in learning about how she uses her voice to this day to increase safety and health in our local Kansas City, Kansas, community. Students were eager to get her contact information to learn more about how they can engage with her community organization.
Montclair, New Jersey
The Montclair study group developed age-appropriate resources for elementary, middle, and high school educators. To uplift the Black Villages & Diversity guiding principles, all grade levels were encouraged to watch the documentary Our Schools, Our Town, which shows the history of desegregation of Montclair Schools.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
The alumni Teaching for Black Lives and Teaching Palestine study group in Puerto Rico celebrated the week of action for the third year. They hosted a Bomba Kokobalè workshop and book presentation on Liberté by Carlos Padilla that was attended by university and high school students. Watch the 20-second video clip.
Orem, Utah
The Teaching for Black Lives study group partnered with the Black Student Union at Utah Valley University to host a community event with a variety of stations focused on restorative justice, diverse children’s picture books, important figures in Black History, African themed art projects, and other activities related to the Black Lives Matter at School guiding principles. Laurel Dias, associate professor and group coordinator, said,
It was our first event and pretty successful! I ran the station in restorative discipline and adapted a “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire” game. Lots of people said they had heard of the concept but didn’t know all the answers. I noticed as people progressed in the game they started having a better idea of what restorative discipline was and answering questions in a way that reflected their increased knowledge and understanding.
I felt rewarded by learning from all the different people who came through — undergraduate students, graduate students, future educators, current educators, and community members. Everyone I talked to was excited to be part of the event and share their perspectives and ideas. It was a great week to be part of.
