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As we deliver this exclusive, impacting, new episode concluding our celebration of Black History Month, you’ll recall, our first episode which was informative, empowering and wildly popular focused on: Pretextual Traffic Stops; Initial Contact with Police that Turns Deadly -- that disproportionally impacts upon minorities and individuals of color.
Today, we are richly blessed and highly favored to sit and visit anew exclusively with one of the returning favorites of Light ‘Em Up, Dr. Sandy Womack Jr.
Dr. Womack Jr. is the Region 3 area superintendent of the Columbus, Ohio school district (the largest district in Ohio) and a lifelong educator with 30+ years of experience.
He is an inspirational, motivational leader, frequent keynote speaker, role model, an Urban Educational Transformation Expert, and the author of 2 books: "Even the best of plans go astray" and "Creating Successful Urban Schools: The Urban Educators Month by Month Guide to School Improvement”.
The cornerstone of Dr. Womack Jr.’s educational philosophy that has led to phenomenal positive outcomes is that "exposure changes expectations and experiences change lives”. Dr. Womack Jr. earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Ashland University. He is a devout man of learning, wisdom and history – most importantly to me, he’s a dear friend of mine.
In this explosive episode, certainly you need not be a person of color to benefit from the (always) profound messages shared by Dr. Womack Jr., you need only to be human.
We intensely unpack topics such as:
● The founding “father” of Black History Month, Dr. Carter G. Woodson and the importance of the legacy and tradition he started.
● The richness, culturally, educationally and economically, and the advancement that predates 1619 regarding the vast and deep history of black people, which traces back to Africa, the cradle of mankind, where education, mathematics, commerce, urban planning, and construction originated.
● “Knowledge of self” being indispensable to the existence of a collective people: “A people without knowledge of self is like a tree without roots.”
● The imperative to “be able to read, write, speak but more importantly, think critically” and be able to research any topic to its fullest extent.
●The criticality of “service before self”. The difference in serving vs saving students - especially in the urban educational environment.
● The Kerner Commission Report & The “Overton Window” and its relevance in this critical moment in history.
● The “cultural lenses” with which we perceive and receive messages in our daily interpersonal encounters – including such factors as “hyper-sensitivities”, “micro-aggressions” and the tone and intent behind the words we choose. “Words matter.”
●The power of action. Progress is good, but "until it is on paper”, chiseled into law and woven into the fabric of society, it has little true effect.
●The bombshell class-action lawsuit filed by Brian Flores against the NFL, a league with a history that has for far too long shunned the leadership contributions of black people while financially benefitting enormously from their skills, talents, abilities and service.
We pray you tune in and be enlightened, educated and empowered.
We are here for you and because of you!
Thanks, so much!
Phil Rizzo
Executive Producer