2026 Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum Fair
On Saturday, January 24, 2026, Teaching for Change’s D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice will host an online curriculum fair featuring a keynote speaker and interactive workshops that uplift the guiding principles and demands of the Black Lives Matter at School movement. These principles focus on improving the educational experiences of Black students by centering Black joy, confronting anti-Blackness, and fostering authentic partnerships with all who work toward creating equitable school communities across the nation.
Educators from across the country are invited to connect, collaborate, and prepare for the 2026 National Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action (February 2–6, 2026) and Year of Purpose.
The Black Lives Matter at School movement is a powerful, non-violent peace movement that systematically examines injustices that exist at the intersections of race, class, and gender, including mass incarceration, poverty, non-affordable housing, income disparity, homophobia, unfair immigration laws, gender inequality, and poor access to healthcare.
KEYNOTE
Jessica A. Rucker
Jessica A. Rucker (she/her) is a doctoral student in the Department of American Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park where she is studying Black radicalisms. Jessica is a President’s Fellow, a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, a 2023-2025 graduate assistant at the Frederick Douglass Center for Leadership Through the Humanities, and a 2023-2024 DISCO Graduate Scholar. In 2023, she was a summer Tenant Organizing Fellow with DC Jobs with Justice and a 2022-2023 Prentiss Charney Fellow. Prior to Jessica’s graduate work, she was a high school social studies teacher, department chair, instructional coach, and a participant in the 2018 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Teacher Institute at Duke University. She has also volunteered as a docent at both the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History. Jessica resides in her home city, the U.S. colony of Washington, D.C., with her loving partner.
GLOBALISM AND LOVING ENAGEMENT
As part of the guiding principles of Black Lives Matter at School, this year's featured guiding principles are Globalism and Loving Engagement, a call to remember that we are part of a global Black family, united in the ongoing struggle for education, justice, and liberation. In these challenging times, we are invited to lead with courage, compassion, and truth, while creating space for reflection, learning, and authentic connection. Together, we can honor our shared commitment to build communities grounded in love, interdependence, and collective care.
WORKSHOP PROPOSALS
We are accepting workshop proposals for the curriculum fair that speak to the national Black Lives Matter at School Year of Purpose, centering the guiding principles and national demands in the classroom. Accepted workshop presenters will receive a modest honorarium. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until Monday, January 5.
SCHEDULE
11:30AM ET: Welcome & Keynote
12:05PM – 12:55 PM ET: Round 1 Workshops
1:00PM – 1:50 PM ET: Round 2 Workshops
2:00PM – 2:30 PM ET: (OPTIONAL) Group Collaboration
