89. Achieving Excellence Through Equity (not Equality) in Education with Steven Cleveland Education Evolution

We’ve all heard that equality and equity are not one and the same. What one child needs to be successful can (and likely is) wildly different from what another child needs to be successful. But yet, so many schools still teach prescribed curriculum to the masses.
On this episode, Professor Steven Cleveland is sharing his own take on equality and equity and offers a different way to look at it--one that will make the concepts crystal clear. 
Steven’s understanding of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s old-school love message is sure to build bridges and develop solutions for everyone, while at the same time not wasting time and energy focusing on our differences of opinion. His perspective on loving those you disagree with and choosing to focus on commonalities and success is refreshing.
Tune in for a fun and really positive conversation around critical race theory, transformative parents, equality, and making sure students feel centered. You won’t want to miss this one!
About Professor Steven Cleveland: Steven was born into poverty in Birmingham, Alabama. His family eventually settled in the Bay  Area, specifically Richmond, CA, which at the time had more murders per capita than anywhere else in the country. From these humble beginnings, Steven graduated from UCLA & USC in  Los Angeles, the first of his family to go to college. 
College transformed Steven’s worldview by opening him up to the many possibilities that are available but when he returned home to his  “ghetto,” he noticed a different message of hopelessness. He wanted to change that message through the use of film and education. 
After cutting his teeth in production on music videos for such artists as Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, and Mandy Moore, Steven was fortunate enough to executive produce commercials and music videos for the likes of the Old Lahaina Luau Company and Grammy Award Nominee Ledisi. He then began to develop a media-based service-learning curriculum aimed at producing high-quality media by pairing professionals with youth. 
The marriage of cultural exploration via the arts served him well in both of his roles, i.e. filmmaker &  educator. At Cal State University, East Bay, Steven is a Black Studies Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies, a Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Professor in the Department of  History, and an African American (AFAM) Faculty Fellow at the Diversity and Inclusion Student  Center (DISC). Currently, Steven resides in Los Angeles where he wakes up every day working to infuse Black Humanity into a variety of media projects.
Jump in the Conversation: [2:03] How transforming learning began for Steven [2:40] Power of parents as tools for transforming education [4:08] What to consider in critical race theory construct [6:15] Social justice isn’t one size fits all [7:31] Black Excellence Project [11:10] MLK’s old school love [14:23] Applying radical love to education [16:34] Collaboration: We can’t get there alone [17:43] Commonalities are the heart of collaboration  [18:57] Turbo Time  [22:32] How to become a change agent in education [24:04] Steven’s Magic Wand  [26:43] Maureen’s Takeaways Links & Resources Episode 57: Hearing Untold Stories for Change Black Excellence Project Episode 61: Examining Polarity Thinking Episode 44: Learning about Trauma-Informed Education The Dream Begins: How Hawai'i shaped Barack Obama by Stu Glauberman and Jerry Burris Email Maureen Maureen’s TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools The Education Evolution Facebook: Follow Education Evolution Twitter: Follow Education Evolution LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution EdActive Collective Maureen’s book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids Micro-school feature on Good Morning America The Micro-School Coalition Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition LEADPrep