The struggle for justice in our country happens locally every day in our classrooms. Join the DWMC as we honor Juneteenth and look deeper at the educational inequities that exist with three remarkable leaders from Salinas.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required to receive a link to the webinar.
Kenya Burton is a poet activist who will be perform her piece, "When You Feed A City Its People." Ms. Burton is the Salinas Youth Poet Laureate, an awardee of the New York Silver Key in Writing and NEA Big Read Award. Through her work, she tackles difficult themes around racism, classism, sexism, and the other “isms” that plague America. She hopes to promote understanding and equality for the next generation.
Teacher Oscar Ramos discusses what we learned about equity during a pandemic. What issues were exposed during this unprecedented time? What gaps in resources were exposed as we transitioned to distance learning across all grade levels? The problems are bigger than we imagined. Mr. Ramos was born in Mexico and grew up working in California's agriculture fields. He attended U.C. Berkeley and has been teaching for 25 years in Salinas. His work in the documentary, East of Salinas, brings attention to young migrants’ struggles. He has been featured in the NY Times, Univision, and PBS. Most recently, he received the Cesar Chavez Human Rights Award from the California Teacher Association.
Teacher Vanessa Robinson discusses her experience teaching and advocating as a woman of color in the 21st century, during a pandemic. Ms. Robinson is a fourth-generation Salinas individual who attended local schools, including receiving her bachelor’s degree from CSUMB. She began her teaching career in South Monterey County 10 years ago and continues to advocate for her students, families, teachers, and communities in Monterey County. She is a current CTA State Council Delegate as well as a NEA Representatives Assembly Delegate. She is the Chair of the Women’s Equity Team for her Local Service Center, and in the 2020 election, added City Council Candidate to her list of accomplishments.