CFT celebrates Black History Month
As February gets underway, CFT joins communities across the country in celebrating Black History Month. This month is an opportunity to recognize the critical contributions African Americans have made to our country and our communities, and an opportunity to reflect on the work that is ahead of us in the ongoing fight for racial justice.
Through their Share My Lesson web page, the AFT has put together a great set of lesson plans and resources to help you celebrate Black History Month. These resources are free and are appropriate for all ages and grade levels.
But Black History Month is not just about looking to the past. Every day we are reminded of how much work that remains to be done. The cruel murder of Tyre Nichols at the hands of the Memphis police, and recent news of the College Board giving in to the pressure of conservative activists to dismantle AP African American Studies are but two examples of how the struggle for freedom and equality is far from over.
So as we celebrate Black History Month, we embrace our role as a union that prioritizes racial and social justice and recommit ourselves to the fight for fair and equitable schools and communities.
CFT Leadership Conference underway in Burbank
Over 140 CFT local leaders and activists are gathering this weekend in Burbank to take part in the 2023 CFT Leadership Conference. The conference is an opportunity to bring CFT members together to organize around our unions work and to address the ongoing challenges in public education.
The theme of this year’s conference is Unleash your JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion), with strands in organizing, politics, and racial and social justice work.
Follow CFT’s Twitter feed for updates on the conference throughout the weekend.
Pictured above, Rika Yonemura-Fabian speaks on the opening panel at the conference.
Reminder – Free AFT student debt clinics this month - February 13 and 28
New rules from the Department of Education have made Public Service Loan Forgiveness more accessible than ever for public service workers. CFT has teamed up with our national union, the American Federation of Teachers, to provide members important information and free resources that will help access loan forgiveness. Many CFT members, after years of public service to our communities, have had as much as tens of thousands of their debt canceled through programs discussed in these clinics.
The next online student debt clinics will take place on February 13 and February 28. Register here.
