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Celebrating Black History

Black History Month is an opportunity for us to continue celebrating the trailblazing contributions and impact of African Americans in education and beyond. We know that Black history transcends the month of February, and we strive to amplify Black voices of the present and past.

This month, we’ll invite a guest blogger to share their experiences and achievements as a Black leader in the education space. We’ll also highlight some of the changemakers who are inspiring young minds in the classroom and the community. There is a rich and prodigious history of African Americans shaping progress and culture. In education, many California pioneers have paved the way for the leaders of today, like California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and President of the University of California system, Michael V. Drake.

LAEP will continue growing and learning as we center equity in our work. As a staff, we will observe Black History Month by doing individual learning as part of a broader liberatory learning journey. We’ll observe the 28 Days of Black History newsletter each day and come together later in February for an all-staff discussion.

We know that our journey of learning will extend well beyond these 29 days, and we welcome the opportunity to celebrate Black History and champion Black voices this month and beyond.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Support the holistic, diapers-to-diplomas approach to liberatory education.

Eric Barela, Ph.D.

Senior Consultant, Raya Cooper Impact Consulting

Dr. Eric Barela has worked as a measurement & evaluation professional for over 2 decades, helping organizations to better understand and act on their social impact. He’s currently a Senior Consultant with Raya Cooper Impact Consulting and previously worked at Salesforce, where he led efforts to measure the social impact of the company’s work with nonprofits and educational institutions across the globe. He began his career working with the Los Angeles Unified School District and with the nonprofit, Partners in School Innovation. Eric previously served on the Board of the American Evaluation Association and currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Journal of Evaluation.

Eric grew up in East LA and was educated in the Montebello Unified School District. He holds a Ph.D. in education from UCLA. He loves a good road trip, with his husband serving as trusty navigator.