Home > Convening	Print View

Elona Street-Stewart, MMEP Board Chair; Dr. Meria Carstarphen, Superintendent of Saint Paul Public Schools; and Dr. Rosa A. Smith, MMEP 20th Anniversary Keynote Speaker

Over three hundred people attended MMEP’s 20^th Anniversary Dinner and Annual Meeting on Nov. 15, 2007 and heard Dr. Rosa A. Smith’s powerful presentation, “Black Male Students: Minnesota’s Litmus Test and Opportunity for Public Education.”

When asked, “What will you do differently in your personal or professional life to save the lives of black boys in your sphere of influence,” attendees responded:

“I will intentionally advocate for black boys when I am at the table for conferences, sit on discipline committees, and serve as a representative for special education when I conduct walk-thrus. I will work to create programming that is designed to specifically meet the academic and social needs of African American boys.”

“As a white, female science teacher I will bring black male volunteers in science-related fields into my classroom so that the black boys have role models that they can more closely identify with.”

“Rosa’s speech motivated me beyond any other presentation I’ve heard. I now know solid data and supporting evidence to back up my work as an educational supporter of eliminating the achievement gap.”