Freedom Friday
Freedom Friday
Sharif El-Mekki, Ed Post, Chris Stewart
Brightbeam CEO, Chris "Citizen" Stewart and Sharif El-Mekki, CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development bring you an hour closer to freedom every week as we fight to better educate our children.
What They Don’t Want You to Know About U.S. Presidents
A conversation on the American obsession with revering the deeply immoral "founding fathers."
Feb 16, 2024
1 hr 11 min
Radically Reimagining a Black Future
Let's dive into Black history as we always should, but also imagine a powerful Black future.
Feb 9, 2024
54 min
Do We Really Need Black History Month?
Instead of trotting out the same tired stories and narratives every February, can we be more forward-thinking and spend our time envisioning a Black future?
Feb 2, 2024
59 min
The Power and Limitations of Political Engagement
Can political engagement help us reach our goal of quality education and achieve true freedom for our people? Chris, Sharif and Ismael discuss.
Jan 26, 2024
1 hr 5 min
Thinking Critically about Colonialism, Imperialism, and Oppression.
Chris, Sharif and Ismael discuss how we teach about settler-colonialism and systemic oppression and how they have played out throughout history, as well as the consequences for modern society.
Jan 19, 2024
1 hr 9 min
What They Don’t Want You To Know About MLK Jr.
Ahead of MLK Day this year let's tell the truth about the man behind the holiday. On Freedom Friday, we're talking about what Dr. King actually stood for, why his ideas weren't overly popular, and why we see such a sanitized version of his legacy.
Jan 12, 2024
1 hr 1 min
Teaching the History of Slave Rebellions
A discussion on the lessons we can take from slave rebellions throughout history and how we can include these stories in our children's education.
Dec 8, 2023
1 hr 1 min
Black Voters and Third Party Politics
Chris, Sharif, and Ismael discuss whether African Americans should reevaluate their political strategy in relation to the Democratic Party, and possibly consider third party candidates, while discuss the education platform of each party.
Dec 1, 2023
59 min
Are Teachers Equipped to Teach Our Kids to Read?
A new study shows that a majority of states use weak elementary teacher reading licensing tests — leaving thousands of young students with educators unprepared to help them achieve literacy.
Nov 10, 2023
1 hr 8 min
Teaching About Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism, and the Middle East.
How do we talk to our young people about what's happening in the middle east, and the rise of islamophobia and anti-semitism?
Nov 3, 2023
57 min