Dear PAAC and Community Leaders, I woke up to sadness this morning. 6 children directly affected by gun violence in which 2 of the juveniles were killed at 3am this morning. As a result of police activity, Burton Elementary School went into remote learning. My heart breaks for the children in the surrounding area and what […]
I am thankful for all that we accomplished in 2021, and we have laser focused vision on the “more” in 2022. I reached out about a month ago to share my concerns about the gun violence that our youth are experiencing in Durham and I heard from many of you about the impact and what […]
Youth Grow in Community, Not Cages Town Hall On 11/17/2021, Durham county issued this following statement regarding the New Youth Detention Center. Durham County Statement On 11/18/2021, a coalition of local Durham organizations, hosted a Town Hall to discuss the plans for building a new $30,000,000 Youth Detention Facility, in Durham, NC. EPiC believes in […]
As we end this historic, unprecedented year we must remember the multitude of lessons we learned. We must aim to embody the saying, “when you know better, you do better”. We were quickly reminded of the ways in which social inequities create barriers to access and quality learning experiences. As we navigate these challenges, we […]
Our world turned upside down when COVID-19 shut the state down 8 months ago. Like every other person, I felt overwhelmed, confused and scared. I was fortunate to not be personally affected by the disease itself, but that is not the case for some friends and family. As we saw the Durham Public School (DPS) […]
With the mournful loss of RBG, we consider all of the issues that she stood for impacting human rights. As she stood for human rights, who will take a stand for Black, Brown and Exceptional Children’s rights for equity in education? Who will have a seat at the table and have voices being heard during […]
Virtual education is no easy task for adults. As administrators and teachers worry about the technology and grieve the loss of physical connectivity, our babies showed up with laptops in arm and headphones ready to put on. Our children are resilient beyond measure. Now, I’m not saying that those cute pictures on social media of […]
“If you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to do something about it.” These words from the late honorable John Lewis echoes in my mind as I think about the work we do here at EPiC through our PAAC initiatives. I often wonder “am I doing […]
In the EPiC “Black Parent Empowerment Series, part II” of Access to Advanced Academics, we began with an overview by Senior Program Strategist, Charity Gunn who shared context on the work done with Durham Public Schools and Black Parent Leaders last year around this topic and the data point from 2018-19 that showed areas of […]
In these trying times amidst a global pandemic, economic recession and the constant onslaught of violence against Black people, it is important for us to find joy and remain focused on our mental health. The media cycle is a perpetual reel of violence, depression and death, only adding to the burdens we all face in […]