David Smith

Educator, Doctoral student, Lifelong learner, swimmer, Advocate for racial, gender, and educational equity

[Ed Accura @ed_accura]

@davidgsmith17

[Black Twittėr News⚫ @BlackTwittaNews]

On July 28, 2018, a boat carrying 25 passengers capsized on the Abonnema-Bakana waterway in Rivers State, Nigeria. Joe Blankson repeatedly dived into the water, rescuing 13 individuals. On his 14th attempt, exhausted, he drowned. He was the only fatality in the accident.

[Black People Will Swim @BPWSwim]

What happens when 4 powerful brands, like @OutdoorAfro, @WLSL, @senatorcomrie, and BPWS (😉) come together to prevent drownings in the community? You get The World's Largest Swimming Lesson. Subscribe for more free events here: https://t.co/Ei9y58FJXK

[Black People Will Swim @BPWSwim]

When it comes to water safety, we're not new to this—we're true to this. 🛟 It's summer vacations, pool parties, cruise season, and it is imperative for all swimmers to know what to do in the event if your boat capsizes. #BPWSWaterSafety

[David Smith @davidgsmith17]

A Black teen was wrongly executed in 1931. His family is suing the county. - The Washington Post https://t.co/fCR6cCh424

[Don Salmon @dijoni]

Welcome to the African-American community in Florida in the 1950s. Black American.

[AFRICAN & BLACK HISTORY @AfricanArchives]

103 years ago on November 2-3, during Election Day in 1920, the single bloodiest day in modern America political history happened, The Ocoee Massacre.

A black man attempted to vote & the Ku Klux Klan responded with rampage that led to the exile/death of every black person that lived there

—The dark day in Florida's history escalated after one Black citizen tried to exercise his right to vote at a polling location but was turned away on Election Day.

Mose Norman, who had been part of the voter registration drive in Orange County, decided to vote in the national election on November 2. When he attempted to do so, twice, he was turned away from the polls.
When Norman was driven away the second time, a white mob, then numbering over 100 men, decided to hunt him down. Concluding he had taken refuge in the home of another local Black resident, Julius “July” Perry, they rushed Perry’s home hoping to capture both men there. Norman escaped and was never found while Perry defended his home, killing two white men, Elmer McDaniels and Leo Borgard, who tried to enter through the back door. The mob called for reinforcements from Orlando and surrounding Orange County. Eventually they caught and killed Perry and hung his dead body from a telephone post by the highway from Ocoee to Orlando to intimidate other potential Black voters. Perry’s wife, Estelle Perry, and their daughter were wounded during the attack on the Perry home. They were sent to Tampa by local law enforcement officers.
The mob then turned on the Black community of Ocoee.
Homes and properties of Black families were scorched, burnt to the ground. At least four Black individuals were confirmed killed -- one of which was lynched, his body hanging from a tree limb for all to see.

On June 21, 2019, a historical marker honoring July Perry and others killed in the massacre was placed in Heritage Square outside the Orange County Regional History Center.
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[David Smith @davidgsmith17]

A potent reminder of the need to fully tell our own stories…

[David Smith @davidgsmith17]

@RnRNationlive @RnRliveRadio Rock Steady by Aretha Franklin
https://t.co/j4dmEKWQ25

[Dr. Bryan Pearlman #MaslowBeforeBloom @DrP_Principal]

What Is A Ruckus?
My secretary called and said there was a ruckus in the front hallway. I was really excited to see what was going on. I wanted to know what a ruckus was. I learned that a ruckus was a small boy I hadn’t net yet. The ruckus was ripping our bulletin board off the wall, knocking over a table and cursing.

He turned around & said, “What the F--- are you looking at?” He continued, “You’re fat, bald, and stupid.” I responded with, “You seem to be upset. What do you need? How can I help?” He moved a step closer to me and said, “Are you deaf, too? I just said you’re fat, bald, and stupid.”

My response was, “I heard you just fine. Now I really can tell you are upset. What do you need? How can I help you?” He started crying while re-stating for the 3rd time (in case I missed the other two times), “You’re fat, bald, and stupid.” He then said, “I hate this stupid school; I don’t know why I’m here. I don’t know where my mom is. I hate my foster family.“

He reached his arms out. I asked if he needed a hug and he nodded. I then asked if he wanted to go to my office. He nodded. I let him know that “Dr. P” is here if he needs anything. He sat at my table and put his head down.

He looked me in the eyes and said, “Dr. P, I’m very sorry for everything that I did. I just miss my mom.” I responded by telling him that I appreciate his apology and that I accept it. He then said, “I am also really sorry for calling you those mean things. I didn’t mean it.”

We brainstormed some ideas of what he could do in the future if he was having a tough day. He suggested that he could ask to get a drink, ask for help, or just put his head down. I let him know that these are great strategies. I added that he could always ask to see the counselor or me.

We then discussed how he could be on the lookout for signs that he was getting upset, frustrated, angry, or agitated. He said that he sometimes started to clinch his fists and his breathing changed. I told him that those were good signs and that the body often gives us signs that we are starting to get upset. We both agreed that it was so important to listen to our bodies.

He asked if he could get his backpack and coat. I thought that was an unusual request for 10 a.m. I asked him why he would need his backpack and coat. He replied, “Because I’m going to get suspended like I did at my last school.” I let him know that there may be another plan. He scrunched his face and looked puzzled.

I asked, “How do you think you could fix what you did this morning?” He thought about it for a minute or so and responded with, “I can pick-up what I threw and fix anything that I broke.” I let him know that this seemed like a good plan. He picked up the items that he threw and helped put the bulletin board back on the wall.

I went over the plan for the next time and we made sure he knew what to do in case he got upset, frustrated, angry or agitated again. I said, “Since we’ve agreed on the plan, let’s shake on it to make it official.” He reached out his hand and shook mine. I let him know that he could go back to class. He picked up his bookbag and his jacket and started off to his class. I called his teacher to let him know that he was on his way. His teacher was so happy to welcome him back to class. I never had another problem with him.

A teacher stopped by later that day. She couldn’t understand why he wasn’t suspended. “He called you fat, bald, and stupid.” My response was that it never was about me. I then asked the teacher if any of the comments were false. She looked at me like I was crazy. I let her know that I am fat and bald. Those were both true statements. I also argued that stupid is a relative term. She didn’t like my answer.

How do you deal with colleagues who are fixed mindset, focused on punitive methods or who believe that alternatives to suspensions equate to being soft on discipline?

From the book “Maslow Before Bloom: Basic Human Needs Before Academics”
(https://t.co/IsFQnYpsnh)

[Good Morning America @GMA]

This woman is on a mission to teach Black children how to swim.
https://t.co/CU3gF2hCpV

[Zinn Ed Project @ZinnEdProject]

"I was attacked with fists, brass knuckles & the broken portions of glass sugar containers, & was burned with cigarettes. FBI agents were observing inside but took no action." — Tougaloo prof. at Woolworth’s sit-in, Jackson. #terrorism #tdih 1963 More⬇️🧵
https://t.co/o6HazxehZF

[Laurence Tribe 🇺🇦 ⚖️ @tribelaw]

There are no words for how awful this is:

[TeacherGoals @teachergoals]

So true. 🌱

[Eric Holder @EricHolder]

This is not the first time southern politicians have made false promises to vulnerable people and shipped them north. Shameful. These same pols won’t work to reform our broken immigration system. They’d rather exploit human beings for political gain. https://t.co/NcgCb6icpN

[David Smith @davidgsmith17]

“I promised myself that I would teach math in a way that celebrated and incorporated my students’ experiences through high-quality, engaging, and culturally relevant content.”
Neven Holland

[EdReports.org @EdReports]

"Not only did my time in teacher training help me to realize how much I loved math, I also came to understand that for all students to see math the way I now did, accessibility was key." https://t.co/u5duHqmWYA

[The New York Times @nytimes]

Juneteenth, an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S., has been celebrated since the late 1800s.

Here’s a brief guide to what to know.
https://t.co/0WcPsusrZ9

[Learning for Justice @learnforjustice]

Dr. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas explains honest history in children's books: “These stories have a reparative function—they must humanize and liberate. These stories must uplift, hope and heal while presenting the truth of slavery’s echoes in the present.”
https://t.co/homspbAxzN