About

Click above to see documentary short What is Progressive Pupil?

Progressive Pupil makes Black studies for everybody by creating documentary films and interactive media.  Founded in 2012, the organization’s blog expands knowledge about the history, culture and politics of Black communities.  Reaching 50,000 users in over 120 countries per week on average, this blog’s content promotes community engagement and encourages collaboration between artists, students, scholars, activists, teachers and their allies.  Each month has a distinct theme related to racial equality and social justice.  For example, January focuses on “Abolition, Emancipation and Change,” June LGBTQ Pride, August “Education, not Incarceration” and October Afro-Latino Heritage.

As an educational organization based at The New School in New York City and fiscally sponsored by the San Francisco Film Society, Progressive Pupil addresses the causes and consequences of racial discrimination, which is an international human rights issue.  In addition to publishing this blog, the organization produces the documentary film Black and Cuba, organizes the New Leaders for Social Change program and administers a social media education project through Facebook and twitter.

Progressive Pupil invites you to participate in this blog in the following ways:

• Share your creativity. The editors enthusiastically welcome your original writing (journalism, opinion/memoir essays, poetry, film/book reviews and fiction), photography, visual art, interactive design and short films that feature discussions about racial equality and people of African descent in a manner that advances social justice.  Email TheProgress@progressivepupil.org by the 15^th of each month for publishing consideration.  Please see Participate page for guidelines and further information.
• Donate and Shop. Progressive Pupil is possible because of readers like you. Your support is essential to making Black studies for everybody.  Contribute your tax-deductible gift here.  Shop our fashionable tees and tote bags here.
• Spread the word about your work.  This blog is a vehicle for artists, students, teachers, scholars and community organizers who are committed to racial equality and social justice to share their struggles and triumphs.  If you are working on a local advocacy campaign, exhibition, research project, film screening or effective teaching practice—please let us know about it so we can spread the word.  See the Participate page for further information.
• Bring your classroom. This blog is an excellent learning resource for high school (grades 10-12) and college classes about American History, Global Social Studies, African American Studies, American Studies and Ethnic Studies.  Including the blog in your curricula is a simple way to introduce students to conversations about race and discrimination and provide an affirming context for their own experiences and identity exploration.  Students can write comments or craft their own posts based on our monthly themes.  Email community@progressivepupil.org to help your students discover their voices and become part of the solution.
• Connect your community-based organization or grassroots collective.  Do you work with a group of people who are impacted by violence, racial profiling, sexism, economic inequality or discrimination against the LGTBQ community?  Give them a platform by participating in a Progressive Pupil ImageVoice Workshop where they share their stories and ideas about solutions by taking photographs or creating a short video for this blog.  Email community@progressivepupil.org to find out how to have an ImageVoice Workshop at your organization, college campus, high school, congregation or mosque.
• Inform your readers. Re-blog any Progressive Pupil posts that are of interest to your readers.  Email community@progressivepupil.org to discuss partnering your blog with Progressive Pupil to share content and connect readers during one of our monthly themes.  Refer to information this blog provides in your nonfiction writing or academic work.  Please preface any re-blogged posts with the acknowledgment, “This post was originally published by Progressive Pupil.”  Cite the information you use in our writing according to whichever citation style you prefer. Please include hyperlinked text for this site in you references whenever possible.
• Subscribe.  Click the “Subscribe” button on the blog’s front page and enter your email to receive new posts instantly.

This blog is edited by: Robin J. Hayes, Principal Organizer of Progressive Pupil and an assistant professor of Nonprofit Management, Media Studies, International Affairs and Urban Policy, Lynda Nguyen, M.S. candidate in Urban Policy.

Please email the Managing Editor at theprogress@progressivepupil.org if you have any questions.

Yours in Solidarity,

Editor-in-Chief               Managing Editor

Robin J. Hayes, PhD      Lynda Nguyen