Issue 54: Dreams

Noun. A cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.

Photo Description: A photo of the late Nikki Giovanni. Poet, writer, activist, and educator. Photo taken by Deborah Feingold.

Check-In:

We lost another literary legend last week in Nikki Giovanni. Artists give us a gift. Their art allows us to continue to learn and be inspired by them beyond their time on earth. I’m reading another literacy legend this week. I’m listening to Maya Angelou read A Letter to My Daughter. It reminds me of other books written the same way- James Baldwin’s A Letter to My Nephew, Imani Perry’s Breathe: A Letter My Sons, and Ta-Nehesi Coates’ Between the World and Me. I’m a fan of this style of writing. It feels like I’m reading a love letter not addressed to me but I won’t get in trouble if I read it.

The theme of dreaming is prominent in these personal letters. Dreams deferred. Dreams realized. Aspirational dreams. The writer wants their younger relative to experience more than they did. They don’t want them to be limited by their current circumstances but to dream above and beyond it.

When I taught high school English, we started every period with journaling. I gave a prompt but also students could free-write. It was beautiful to see students who regularly took the “free write” option to put their feelings on paper. They knew that I read what they wrote so I felt honored for them to feel safe enough to share some of their innermost thoughts with me. I wish I gave a prompt to write a letter to a younger sibling, cousin, or any relative. I would have loved to learn what type of reflections, advice, and wonderings my 15, 16, and 17-year-old students would have shared.

Last month, Dr. Christopher Emdin spoke at the Black Men in Education Convening and he talked about the importance of having radical dreams. He celebrated those of us who had the audacity to live our dreams out loud. He also warned the audience that for some of us, our dreams have been colonized. We have limited ourselves to what we think we can do.

The idea of colonized dreams made me think about the teachers in my education experience who actively tried to limit my aspirations. I have heard the same story from my children and friends. Sometimes the limiting comes from parents. Adults often are the ones imposing colonized dreaming on children. They push us to make safe dreams or to only dream within the confines of walls that were not created for us.

As we end another fall term, send students off to winter break, and connect with younger relatives over holiday meals, I’m wondering how are we creating spaces for them to dream audaciously into a new year? Or as Emdin said, how will support our youth to “let go of the gravity in order to fly?”

#mondaymotivation:

in my younger years

before i learned

black people aren’t

suppose to dream

i wanted to be

a raelet

and say “dr o wn d in my youn tears”

or “tal kin bout tal kin bout”

or marjorie hendricks and grind

all up against the mic

and scream

“baaaaaby nightandday

baaaaaby nightandday”

then as i grew and matured

i became more sensible

and decided i would

settle down

and just become

a sweet inspiration

“Dreams” by Nikki Giovanni from Black Feeling, Black Talk, Black Judgment. Copyright © 1968, 1970.

Interview with a Leader of the Global Majority:

Kwaku is a headmaster in Ghana. He has been in the role for over two years. The comments below are Kwaku and do not reflect the opinions of his school system.

Mary: Can you share how your role as a headmaster supports young women in pursuing their dreams?

Kwaku: At our all-girls school, we emphasize providing quality education and fostering confidence. For instance, we offer a "confidence scholarship" each year to a girl from the local community, ensuring she has access to top-notch education. This initiative not only supports the community but also inspires these girls to see their potential.

Mary: Why is it important to specifically focus on young women?

Kwaku: The founder of our school is a gender equity advocate, and we aim to empower girls in a society where challenges like balancing professional and family responsibilities often limit women. Through education, we prepare our students to navigate these challenges and achieve their ambitions.

Mary: What advice do you give your students about dreaming big?

Kwaku: We encourage our students to see beyond societal limitations. We regularly engage in community projects, instilling a sense of leadership and purpose. By showing them that their efforts can make a difference, we motivate them to dream boldly and contribute meaningfully to society.

Mary: What future do you envision for these girls?

Kwaku: I see them as leaders and change-makers in their communities and beyond. By equipping them with the right skills and mindset, we help them aspire to roles that might have seemed out of reach.

Please let me know if you would like to be interviewed and/or if you would recommend someone to be profiled in this section. I need new interviews!

What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To:

• READING: I’m listening to Maya Angelou read A Letter to My Daughter. I have written in this style once before. I may need to revisit it. You can find a full list of my book recommendations here. Please note that I am an affiliate with Bookshop.org and receive a small compensation for your purchase when you use the book links provided.

• WATCHING: Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project is a documentary on HBO that gives us insight into the poet's past and how her work has transformed including her battle with memory loss.

• ALSO WATCHING: Rez Ball is the story of The Chuska Warriors, a Native American high school basketball team from New Mexico, who reconnect to their native roots after losing their star player. Basketball, a female coach who is a runner, and some learnings about Navajo Nation traditions. It’s a perfect combination for an inspirational movie.

How to Continue to Support Leading-Within:

• Go to Amazon and rate or review the book there! Reviews are a great way for others to see that this book is worth the time to read.

• Post about the book on social media using the hashtag #leadingwithin. Even better if it includes a picture of you WITH the book!

• Host a book club with your affinity/ERG group. Two study guides are also available on the ASCD website - one for leaders of color and one for white co-conspirators that are perfect for starting a group conversation. For book clubs with participants who have purchased and committed to reading the book, please reach out to me so I can support your journey!

• Connect with me to speak to your organization or group about topics covered in the book, like ‘practicing love and rage’, ‘building a coalition’, and ‘taking a stand’.

If this is your first time reading, please go back and read my Introductions post.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think. If you like it, please share it with your network!