Bringing the Gifts That My Ancestors Gave

press release: Black History Education Conference: Bringing the Gifts that My Ancestors Gave, February 15-16, 2019

The Bringing the Gifts that My Ancestors Gave: Black History Education Conference is intended to provide a venue where community members, practitioners, educators, and families from across the state will be able to share policies, practices and procedures that have proven effective in promoting high levels of achievement for those often underserved in our school systems. Through a variety of workshop sessions, national consultants, performances, videos, resources, networking opportunities and much more, participants will be immersed in professional development that strengthens their skills by sharing around innovative instructional and learning strategies that have proven successful in motivating African American youth and enhancing their minds, bodies and spirits.

This conference will focus on 22 evidence-supported interventions associated with Black students' educational outcomes found from systematic review of research conducted by The Midwest Achievement Gap Research Alliance, along with the conference organizer and other partners including researchers, policymakers and practitioners who share an interest in improving educational outcomes for Black students. A second focus of the conference is on a professional development model called Cultural Practices that are Relevant (CPR): 7 Experiences utilizing book studies, articles, guest speakers, conferences/workshops, community site visits, school visits and finally, coaching and modeling, to assist educators in breathing new life into their instructional practices and "filling" their hearts and minds with background knowledge about the cultures of the students and families they serve.

Day 1 Friday, February 15, 2019, Madison Concourse Hotel

1:00p-4:30p, Early Registration, pre-conference, vendors, & sponsor recognition

5:00p-8:00p, Welcome Reception

Day 2 Saturday, February 16, 2019, Edgewood College

7:00a-8:10a, Morning Your Way

8:30a-10:00a, Welcome & Opening Remarks

10:00a-10:15a, Break

10:15a-11:30a, Conference Sessions #1

11:30a-11:45a, Break

11:45a-12:45p, Lunch & REL MIDWEST 22 Interventions Presentation

1:00p-2:15p, Conference Sessions #2

2:15p-2:30p, Break

2:30p-3:45p, Conference Sessions #3

3:45p-4:00p, Break

4:00p-4:45p, Closing Ceremony

4:45p-5:30p, Vendors, Sponsors, Art Gallery, Networking

Keynote: Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, mother of the Culturally Responsive Teaching Movement

Gloria Ladson-Billings is professor emerita and former Kellner Family Distinguished Professor in Urban Education. She was the 2005-2006 president of the American Educational Research Association. She is currently the president-elect of the National Academy of Education. Ladson-Billings’ research examines the pedagogical practices of teachers who are successful with African American students. She also investigates Critical Race Theory applications to education.

Dr. Ladson-Billings is the author of the critically acclaimed books, The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, Crossing over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms, and Beyond the Big House: African American Educators on Teacher Education. She is editor of 6 other books and author of more than 100 journal articles and book chapters. She is the former editor of the American Educational Research Journal and a member of several editorial boards. 

Her work has won numerous scholarly awards including the H.I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship, the NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, and the Palmer O. Johnson outstanding research award. During the 2003-2004 academic year, she was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. In fall of 2004, she received the George and Louise Spindler Award from the Council on Anthropology and Education for significant and ongoing contributions to the field of educational anthropology. She holds honorary degrees from Umeå University (Umeå Sweden), University of Massachusetts-Lowell, the University of Alicante (Alicante, Spain), the Erickson Institute (Chicago), and Morgan State University (Baltimore).  She is a 2018 recipient of the AERA Distinguished Research Award, and she was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2018.

Special Guest: Dr. Mahalia Hines, mother of the Grammy & Academy Award winning artist Common

Dr. Mahalia Hines was appointed to the Chicago Board of Education in May 2011 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. She is currently the president of the COMMON Ground Foundation and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Obama Foundation.

Dr. Hines has worked in the educational field for more than 35 years as a teacher and principal. During her 15 year tenure as a principal, she serviced grade levels from elementary through high school in the Chicago area. Dr. Hines has worked as a coach for first-year principals, a mentor for current principals and prospective principals in Chicago and other parts of the country. Dr. Hines continues to work with school leaders of public and charter schools in urban areas throughout the country in order to develop effective school leaders who will guide others to provide the best possible education for the children least likely to receive it. In addition to working with schools and school leaders, she travels the country speaking to single mothers on raising successful sons. 

Dr. Hines received her doctorate from the University of Illinois, Masters from Northeastern University and bachelor's degree from Central State University.

One of her proudest accomplishments is being the mother of recording artist and actor, Lonnie "Rashid" Lynn-- better known to the public as Common.

Conference Rate: 2-day conference rate, $350.00 

Payment Options: To register for the conference, you must pay now with a credit card. At this time, day-of registration or pay by check is not allowed.

Cancellation & Refunds: To cancel your registration and process a refund, please email diversity@edgewood.edu by Friday, February 1, 2019. Cancellations/refund requests before this date will be processed less a $100.00 service and processing fee. In the unlikely event the conference is cancelled, we will refund 100% of the registration fees paid. Refunds will be processed by check.