History
Created in July of 2020 the Philly Black Students Alliance (PBSA) was formed to ensure Black students matter in all of our schools. We understand that in order for our demands to be accepted, our students, teachers, and alumni across the entire school district must apply pressure. The PBSA seeks to hold individual administrations and the entirety of the district accountable. We believe it is the moral obligation of every individual in the district to be actively engaged in promoting an anti-racist learning and living environment and furthermore demand that it be shown through real non-performative actions.
We must see tangible change.
It is time for Black students to be seen, to be heard, to organize.
Core Members
Meet the 2020-2021 Philly BSA Core Leadership Team
Brandon Archer
Alliance Chairperson
Bio Coming Soon
Sheyla Street
Alliance Chairperson
Bio Coming Soon
Tatyana Roldan
Alliance Chairperson
Bio Coming Soon
Shamiyah Boozer
Event Coordinator
Bio Coming Soon
Aniyah Harris
Event Coordinator
Bio Coming Soon
Youma Diabira
Outreach Coordinator
Bio Coming Soon
Samyah Smalley
Communications Coordinator
Bio Coming Soon
Core None Student Representatives
Meet our Core None Student Representatives below!
Ginneh Akbar, Ph.d
Non-Student Representative
Bio Coming Soon
Hannah Gann
Non-Student Representative
Bio Coming Soon
Keziah Ridgeway, M.Ed
Non-Student Representative
Keziah Ridgeway is an activist, educator, mother and a wife born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Keziah attended Philadelphia public schools like Conwell Middle Magnet and Philadelphia High School for Girl’s. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in History from Temple University and a Master's degree in Secondary Education from Saint Joseph's University. She also serves as a sponsor of the Black Students’ Association and the Muslim Students’ Association at Northeast High School. Keziah is also one of the founding members of Melanated Educators Collective and a member of the Racial Justice Organizing Committee. She serves as a member of her Building Committee and recently was selected as a Lindback Teacher Award Winner.
Elizabeth Wesley, M.Ed
Non-Student Representative
Elizabeth Williams Wesley is a 15-year veteran social studies teacher in the School District of Philadelphia. At Central High School she teaches primarily African American History, and an AP Seminar course with African Diaspora content while sponsoring the Black Youth Coalition and coaching Girls Varsity Basketball. She values building meaningful relationships with students and colleagues and engaging in social justice work for radical change with local grassroots organizations such as Melanated Educators Collective, Racial Justice Organizing Committee, Philly Hub for Liberatory Academics, and BARWE. She also recruits for Three Female Ballers, a non-profit organization that takes female scholar-athletes who play basketball to Africa to teach a weeklong basketball camp and sightsee, as well as take part in cultural exchange with African teenaged girls. She is an activist, Pan-Africanist, leader, educator, mentor, student, mother, wife, sister, daughter, world traveler, and basketball coach.