Dr. Sheva Quinn’s program has educational lessons for all ages.
Very regularly, Black stories are absent from the school’s educational plan. Information on Black history is either instructed at home or obtained through books, broad research, or at a more seasoned age, HBCUs. Instructor Dr. Sheva Quinn has introduced her answer to the issue.
The retired U.S. Air Force based veteran and self-teaching mother of two has created the Black Classical University, a course intended to assemble information on social justice issues through exercises about the Black Lives Matter experience, Black legendary figures and the historical backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement.
“When I initially opened up the course, the target audience was grades 4-12. But, in reality, I had kids in there that was as young as 5 years old and adults,” Quinn told NBC News.
In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, she concedes the interest for her program has expanded.
“Right now, I am inundated with parents who want to enroll their children in my program because they are apprehensive about sending them back to school with COVID[-19],” Quinn told Patch in June. “They wanted an environment where children can see teachers who look like them, teach history related to them and with the Black Lives Matter protests and social injustices going on, they are being forced to have these discussions and some parents don’t know how to do that. We can’t shelter them when it is their reality.”
Quinn clarifies that her course will examine hardpoints encompassing Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, and others whose skin color was the main reason behind their horrific deaths. “We also have guest speakers who have been at the forefront of protests, in law, in history and more,” she said. “The thing is this is nothing new. It’s just that the cameras are here now. This course is designed to make them more aware, see what activism looks like and understand what they may be up against.
The Black Classical University had more than 500 parents enrolled for the summer session, however Quinn disclosed to Patch another session will be offered for the fall.
© 2020, Jonathan P-Wright. All rights reserved.
