My name is Kelly Lerash Gomes. I am a school administrator in Harlem. Before becoming an administrator, I taught ELA in grades 7-11. I began my teaching journey at a maximum security prison in Milwaukee, WI, I moved to Dallas, TX to join Teach for America where I taught high school for three years and then I moved to NYC where i taught middle school for three year. I am passionate about my work, my student and making education equal for all - because it is clearly not. Currently, I am working to finish to finish my masters of arts in Urban Education.
The course #blackgirlmagic challenged me in ways that I have not been challenged in graduate school for the entirety of my time here. I was immersed in a space that was not meant for me, a white woman, was not catered to my lived experiences, and was unapologetically focused on the magnitude of oppressions that black women and girls face everyday. Naïvely, I thought I had a clear understanding of black culture, oppressions, and erased history, but this course clearly showed me I had a lot to learn. I was enlightened by the magnificent minds of Kimberly Crenshaw, Audre Lorde, Silvia Wynter, Sista Soulja, and Zora Neale Hurston to name a few.
The first webpage is focused on “The Hip Hop Feminism Pedagogy Reader Wish to Live” Edited by Ruth Nicole Brown and Chamara Jewel Kwakye. I chose this as a focus because it brought so many fabulous #blackgirlmagic women’s voices to light that may have otherwise been silenced. This book gave me perspective on the elements of hip hop, of black feminism and of black love. This book is a showcase of powerful black women sharing their voices.
The second webpage is focused on black women’s hair. Hair is such a personal part of who a person is. Unfortunately, as a society we isolate and discriminate black woman for wearing their hair in any way other than straight like a white women’s. This site is dedicated to showcasing beautiful, natural black hair and embracing how magnificent it is. I showcased with photos and interviews some young women that I see nearly every day in hopes to celebrate their beauty.
The first webpage is focused on “The Hip Hop Feminism Pedagogy Reader Wish to Live” Edited by Ruth Nicole Brown and Chamara Jewel Kwakye. I chose this as a focus because it brought so many fabulous #blackgirlmagic women’s voices to light that may have otherwise been silenced. This book gave me perspective on the elements of hip hop, of black feminism and of black love. This book is a showcase of powerful black women sharing their voices.
The second webpage is focused on black women’s hair. Hair is such a personal part of who a person is. Unfortunately, as a society we isolate and discriminate black woman for wearing their hair in any way other than straight like a white women’s. This site is dedicated to showcasing beautiful, natural black hair and embracing how magnificent it is. I showcased with photos and interviews some young women that I see nearly every day in hopes to celebrate their beauty.
|
Site Designed/Maintained by Carmen Kynard
|