EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
YEAR 1 BUDGET: $200 MILLION
Our second solution is to establish and manage our own school system, which will encompass:
-
New K-12 public charter and private schools
-
New colleges, universities and technical schools focused on real-world community and economic development.
-
New medical, law, and business schools focused on addressing the unique needs and interests of the Black community.
All of these institutions will utilize an African-centered, applied knowledge curricula, and will be funded through monthly membership contributions and per pupil funding allocations.
SOLUTION 1. BUILD NEW SCHOOLS, COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
THE PROBLEMS
For generations, African people have been miseducated through an American school system that distorts, minimizes, or erases the depth of African history. Traditional curricula overwhelmingly frame the world through a Eurocentric lens, leaving out the brilliance, innovation, and global impact of African civilizations and their descendants. And with so few independent Black educational institutions to offer a truthful counter-narrative, many students grow up disconnected from their own heritage, identity, and historical power.
THE SOLUTIONS
To address these challenges, BAF will build an independent, African-centered education system—one that includes a comprehensive online curriculum and the creation of new K–12 schools, colleges, and universities, including medical, law, business, and technical institutions. These schools will develop a new generation of culturally grounded Black educators and scholars while serving as incubators for African-led solutions to both local and global challenges.
Black women make up only 4.8% of U.S. public school teachers, and Black men just 1.3%—a crisis that deeply affects Black student achievement. A 2017 National Bureau of Economic Research study found that Black boys with even one Black teacher in elementary school were 13% more likely to graduate high school and 19% more likely to attend college. Black girls also show significant academic and social-emotional gains when taught by Black educators.
Now imagine the impact if Black students had an entire school of Black teachers.
BAF is committed to creating that future. We will educate, train, and hire a new generation of culturally grounded Black teachers to staff our schools, colleges, and universities. These educators will deliver culturally relevant instruction across all subjects, serve as empowering role models, and help build strong, thriving Black communities.
SOLUTION 3. HIRE BLACK TEACHERS & EDUCATORS
SOLUTION 2. DEVELOP A CULTURALLY-RELEVANT K-12 CURRICULUM
“You can’t teach what you don’t know.” Our first solution is to build African-centered curricula for all subjects and grade levels—giving teachers, parents, and independent learners access to truthful, holistic knowledge of African history, culture, and identity.
Through our partnership with Education for Life Academy (EFLA), all members receive free access to the Standing on the Shoulders of Giants online “Teach & Learn” curriculum, which begins with Africa as the origin of humanity and highlights the continent’s foundational role in world civilization. Members also receive discounted access to the Breaking Barriers African American History Series through EFLA.
BAF also provides live online Black history classes, curated documentaries and films, and year-round cultural programming, including Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Kwanzaa.