May 8, 2024
Band of Brothers visits the Legacy Museum
Our Band of Brothers visited the Legacy Museum to examine primary and secondary sources in government and politics.
May 10, 2023
Band of Brothers visits the Equal Justice Museum
As we explore our truth-telling past, our Band of Brothers explored the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Ala., to learn the comprehensive history of the U.S. with a focus on the legacy of slavery. Situated on a site where enslaved Black people were forced to labor in bondage, the museum offers an immersive experience with cutting-edge technology, world-class art and critically important scholarship about American history.
September 8, 2022
MSCS African American Male Academy Helps Young Men Achieve New Heights
The goal of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools African American Male Academy is to help young Black men reach high school and beyond. The program helps 8th-grade men understand what is to be expected in college through activities, increased academic exposure, career preparation, and mentorship.
May 20, 2022
Band of Brothers Mentoring Program Visits The Legacy Museum
More than 40 young men from our Band of Brothers Critical Mentoring program recently traveled to Montgomery, Alabama to visit the Legacy Museum. Through this experience, students had the chance to experience compelling visuals and data-rich exhibits that provided a one-of-a-kind opportunity to investigate the history of injustice and its legacy.
March 11, 2022
Creative Student Art Celebrated In 2022 Black History Month Fine Arts Contest
MSCS is proud of the various student engagements for the 2022 Black History Month Fine Arts Contest, hosted by the Office of Equity and Access. Scholars in grades 3-12 from multiple cultural backgrounds translated the theme, “I Belong and I Will Change the World By…” into creative art.
December 1, 2021
2021 I AM a GENIUS Workshop at Cummings K-8
As part of the District’s social-emotional and trauma-response support, the SCS Office of Equity and Access hosted an I am a Genius Workshop at Cummings School featuring a fun “musical learning pep rally” that promotes academic achievement, literacy, school safety, the arts, as well as good health and fitness.
November 10, 2021
SCS calls on men to step up as mentors for students
The Band of Brothers mentoring program is dedicated to supporting male students in grades 5-8. Following the program mention in Superintendent Dr. Joris M. Ray's open letter about violence in the community, Equity Officer Dr. Michael Lowe spoke to the role and impact of male mentors.
June 22, 2021
SCS Equity Officer Addresses Anti-Racist Literacy for AchievetheCore.org
SCS Equity Officer Dr. Michael Lowe has been featured on achievethecore.org as part of a series of articles addressing culturally relevant pedagogy and how education can move towards culturally relevant practices using standards-aligned instructional materials as a starting point.
May 13, 2021
SCS Equity Officer, Dr. Michael Lowe, Joins National Panel to Discuss "Developing Systems to Support Black Male Students"
Schools and districts across the country are facing the racism that exists in American education systems and listening to and elevating the voices of students and educators of color as they dive into equity work. Dr. Lowe joined a national panel of experts to discuss the experiences and achievements of SCS.
January 18, 2021
Secure the Chalk: Educator Forum Focuses on Cultivating Black Male Educators
The SCS Equity Office held its latest Educator Forum on January 21, titled "Mending the Broken Pipeline: Investing Time, Energy & Cultivating Black Male Educators." The conversation included TN EDUCATORS OF COLOR ALLIANCE founder Dr. Diarese George and Man-Up founder Patrick Washington, along with SCS Director of Student Support Dr. Roderick Richmond.
January 18, 2021
SCS Equity Office Offers Perspective on Race in Sports & Education during Grizzlies MLK Day Discussion
The SCS Office of Equity had the unique opportunity to join the Memphis Grizzlies for its annual MLK Day forum. Equity Officer Dr. Michael Lowe joined the discussion, titled "Intersection of Race & Sports: Inequities in Education." He shared important perspective on how SCS is addressing inequities in education, from supporting efforts to ensure home care to providing reliable WiFi and digital devices to support virtual learning.
September 8, 2020
Secure the Chalk: SCS Educators Learn to Create "Healing Spaces"
SCS is committed to unity, inclusion and revamping educational and mentoring opportunities for male students of color. In preparation for the new school year, the District's "Secure the Chalk" forum this summer focused on equipping SCS educators to create academic and social "healing spaces."
March 2, 2020
African American Male Empowerment Progress Update
Last summer, Superintendent Dr. Joris M. Ray, along with our School Board, launched the African-American Male Empowerment Initiative. This effort will strategically propel our African-American boys to become our next generation of scholars and leaders through EQUITY, EDUCATION, and EMPOWERMENT. This video highlights the progress made and how we are aiming to change the odds for students in need.
February 28, 2020
Lift Every Voice and Listen Event
Superintendent Dr. Joris M. Ray, along with our School Board, hosted a community event to celebrate Black History Month and to share the progress of our African American Male Empowerment efforts. This video summarizes this fantastic event while highlighting our students, schools, and teachers..
February 13, 2020
National Spotlight: USA Today Highlights SCS Efforts to Increase Male Teachers of Color
USA Today recently published an article, titled "‘Not happenstance’: Male teachers of color make a difference at Memphis schools." The article focuses on how Shelby County Schools is making it a priority to recruit, retain and support male teachers of color
February 6, 2020SCS partners with U of M to launch the African American Male Academy
Thursday, February 5, 2020
SCS Hosts Third Secure the Chalk Session
December 17, 2019
MIFA Community Service Project
Superintendent Dr. Joris M. Ray, along with our School Board, teamed with African-American male students and MIFA to deliver meals to those in need around our community.
Monday, December 9, 2019
SCS Secure The Chalk Educator Fellowship Aims To Diversify And Support Teaching Force
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Superintendent Ray delegates "Equity Champions" Across the District
Monday, July 22, 2019
Superintendent Dr. Joris M. Ray Launches Groundbreaking African-American Male Initiative
Shelby County Schools launched the Office of Equity & Access in 2019 with a mission of improving systemic culture, conditions and competencies across the District to better serve children and families situated furthest from opportunity.
We aim to remove the predictability of success or failure based on race. We will contribute to a collective understanding about race and gender and how our policies and procedures emphasize legitimate issues related to discipline disparities and access/accelerated exposure to effective instruction and higher achievement in Math and English/Language Arts (ELA). Our reporting will seek to be more than stunts designed to create sound bites for culture critics, caricatures of young Black boys and fodder for popular discourse or righteous indignation. We acknowledge that thousands of marginalized and minoritized scholars suffer the consequences of the negative perceptions and stereotype threats associated with grim statistics. Collectively, our earnest work is never to cast a spotlight on the problems of our students of color without highlighting the important work germinating from within SCS to disrupt inequity and better serve children and families situated furthest from opportunity.
Dr. Micahael Lowe of the MSCS Equity & Access Office and David Jamison host the event to reflect on milestones of triumph and courage.