Vol. 10
July 2022
The Future is US exists to fight for Galveston youth through community voice so future generations can meet their full potential.
The Texas Education Agency is Attempting to Erase Black History!
By Brian Lopez
State education board members push back on proposal to use “involuntary separation” to describe slavery.
A group of Texas educators have proposed to the Texas State Board of Education that slavery should be taught as “involuntary relocation” during second grade social studies instruction, but board members have asked them to reconsider the phrasing, according to the state board’s chair.
“The board -- with unanimous consent -- directed the work group to revisit that specific language,” Keven Ellis, chair of the Texas State Board of Education said in a statement issued late Thursday.
The working group of nine educators, including a professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, is one of many such groups advising the state education board to make curriculum changes. This summer, the board will consider updates to social studies instruction a year after lawmakers passed a law to keep topics that make students “feel discomfort” out of Texas classrooms. The board will have a final vote on the curriculum in November.
The Future is US presents at Texas Annual Prevention Providers' Meeting
The Future is US presented twice this month at Texas HHSC and Behavioral Health Promotions Annual Prevention Providers' Meeting to share about the work we are doing in Galveston!
June 23rd Co-Coordinators Shanice Blair and Jonathan Warren presented with Prevention Institute and fellow Communities of Care initiatives Asian Americans Attaining Awareness and Connect Community. Together, we discussed how we have stayed connected with our communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic! Be sure to check out what these wonderful groups are doing in Houston!
June 24th, Co-Coordinators, Parent Lead Advocate Clara Miller and Youth Lead Advocate Toby Agnew presented to 192 attendees! We shared how we have engaged Galveston in meaningful community work in the area of racial justice, community assessment, and community collaboration!
Children's Defense Fund Movie Night!
Join young Texans for a movie night July 7th, to take action for education! We'll watch award-winning documentary "The Revisionaries" and write to State Board of Ed members to demand honest, engaging education for all students.
All participants will receive a $10 gift card following the event.
You can register for the event here!
Galveston's Protest For Women’s Rights!
In light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade, disregarding the concept of Stare Decisis, local Galveston citizens are organizing a civic action. Members of TFIU will be there, marching with sisters and brothers. We hope you can join!
Find out more about the July 2nd event here.
TFIU Man on the Street!
Advocacy 101 Civics Training (Redux)
On Thursday, June 2nd, The Future is US' Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (TFIU-SNCC) hosted a youth advocacy training by the Children's Defense Fund: Advocacy 101.
They talked about how to make change and speaking up about issues they care about, hoping to convince elected official and others in power to listen to those potential changes.
One of the focuses talked about was day-to-day issues within the life of a student. Those being mental health, discipline, and teacher engagement.
They also talked about the people that have power over these day-to-day issues discussed, which are local officials.
Youth Civic & Engagement Coordinator for Children’s Defense Fund of Texas (CDFoT) Maggie Stern - who is from Austin, Texas - talked about why she had came hour away for Thursday’s discussion. She said CDFoT runs a youth organizing program called “Youth Texas” that works with students across the state. This is where they try to make sure the youth stay involved in advocacy work and support them wherever they are.
This was a hybrid event, with the in-person location at Rosenberg Library.
To find out more about future discussions like this, visit cdftexas.org/youthtx or www.thefutureisus.co
LAUNDRY & LEARNING, Presented by Nia Cultural Center, July 15th!
From Nia Cultural Center's Facebook:
Join us for a presentation and discussion with doula Channel Ojo about early childhood brain development and building baby brains. We invite Galveston parents, guardians, and caregivers of children under the age of 3 to register and attend. We will provide refreshments and $10 of laundry for registered attendees.
Register at tinyurl.com/LaundryLearning
This event will take place at iWash Laundry, 2027 45th Street, Galveston, TX.
This event is organized through Nia Cultural Center's Harambee! for Galveston's Youngest Citizens initiative. "Harambee" is the Swahilli word for "Let's All Pull Together". Funded by Episcopal Health Foundation, this effort invites our community to pull together and address the racial disparities in health and education outcomes experienced by Black children in Galveston by strengthening and improving local supports and resources available to families during the most critical time of their baby's brain development, the first 1000 days of life. We will have free baby books provided by SMART Family Literacy as well as diapers from the Angel Bottoms initiative by God's Kingdom & Restoration Ministries in partnership with Galveston Diaper Bank.
If any of your folks are interested in volunteering, please invite them to sign up here: tinyurl.com/Volunteer15July2022
Honey Hope Brown Foundation Presents Their Parent Advocacy Toolkit
Update about event
On June 11th, Nia Cultural Center and TFIU hosted the Honey Brown Hope Foundation at the Boys & Girls Club.
The training was for the parents of students. And, if your child has experienced frequent discipline, been expelled, or suspended, this was the perfect event for you! Attendees learned how to fight for their children and to help others to keep Black children out of the school-to-prision pipeline. The event was free and open to the public and included refreshments, prizes, and door prizes.
Again, the event was hosted by The Future is US and Nia Cultural Center's Children's Defense Fund's Freedom School with special guest Tammie Campbell of the Honey Brown Hope Foundation. The event also included the "How to Advocate for your Child: Toolkit for Black & Brown Parents & Guardians."
You can download the toolkit here!
Hooked On Reading
Galveston's 61st Street Fishing Pier has a reading log for children 5-12!
Read 10 books and bring their completed log to the pier and receive a FREE child's admission and one adult/chaperone admission!
1000 Books Before Kindergarten!
Did you know that by reading and sharing stories with babies and young children not only helps their brain development, but strengthens your relationship with them? Research has found that reading and story telling:
Helps in developing children's brain development in concentration, focus, social skills and communication
Expands children's vocabulary! A 2019 study found that children that were regularly read to the 5years leading up to Kindergarten were exposed to 1.4 million more words.
A 2008 study found that children feel secure when read to and can support a solid parent-child relationship.
Sign up today for Rosenberg Library's Reading Challenge!
Nia Cultural Center's Harambee
Harambee means let's all pull together.
The way Harambee for Galveston's Youngest Citizens plans on pulling together is through our new program designed to assist families with Black Galveston's children ages 0 to 3 by paying parents, grandparents, and guardians $30/hour to enroll and participate in our community's children's brain development support classes. Participants then give feedback on their experience through shared decision making on how we can increase appeal and cultural relevance in these classes. Local data shows that Galveston's black children consistently experience disadvantages when it comes to health and education. Through this program we will pull together alongside our parents, guardians, and partners to bring better access for local resources.
For more information and to register, visit Harambee Interest Form.
Minority Mental Health Awareness Event
Friday, July 29th 6-8
July is Minority Mental Health Month, a time to bring awareness to the challenges that many racial and ethnic minority communities experience regarding mental health. To bring awareness to the minority owned business and supports locally that support the mental health of Galveston's minority community, The Future is US is partnering with NAMI Gulf Coast and more to host a Minority Mental Health Awareness event July 29th at Texas A&M Galveston.
We will be discussing topics and resources that influence and support mental health such as:
Music
Poetry
Inter-generational Trauma
Movement
and more!
Stay tuned to The Future is US Facebook for more details!
Black to the Future! (Black History Lessons)
Get a greater understanding about why OUR Texas Education Agency is making the decisions it is making.
TFIU School Board Watch Doc!
The Future is Us’ critical goal is to effectuate policy change in GISD, so that black students, and ultimately, all children receive a quality education. However, institutional power can be adversarial at times. Therefore, it is compulsory to us as parents, youth, and Galveston community members to hold our local institutions and Board of Trustees accountable.
Through a collaborative effort, TFIU created and is making available our The Future is US SCHOOL BOARD WATCH Document. With this self-explanatory document, any interested community member can attend or watch a school board meeting, and record detailed notes and minutes, as well as assess, in real time, the quality of content in the meeting.
Once completed, please e-mail the document to info@thefutureisus.co. We will compile the information so that we can become better equipped and more effective in our advocacy for positive change and creating better GISD schools.
Thank you all in advance for your support and dedication to making sure all of Galveston’s students get the best education possible!
Upcoming Board Meetings:
(All scheduled times of meetings are subject to, and often do, change without notice.)
Check out the TFIU Toolkit!
More Upcoming Dates!
Next Steps!
Please stay informed and up to date by visiting the following links:
You're on your phone anyway...
Follow these accounts for continued education and exposure!
There are lots of ways you can make a difference in the community!
Take our Survey (QR Code below) and let us know what you think will make change in the school district.
Join the TFiU/NIA Book Club.
Become a TFiU Member!
Visit TFiU's Youtube.
Visit TFiU's Website
GISD School Board Connection
Upcoming Board Meetings:
(All scheduled times of meetings are subject to, and often do, change without notice.)
In Memoriam
Julenne Andrisee Faith Brown
October 25, 1985 - August 29, 2021
