Zakiya Sankara-Jabar

Zakiya Sankara-Jabar is the former National Director of Activism at brightbeam, the parent organization of Education Post. She is the co-founder of Racial Justice NOW! and most recently served as the National Field Organizer at Dignity in Schools Campaign. Zakiya came to organizing, advocacy, and policy work organically as a parent pushing back on harmful school discipline policies that disproportionately impact Black students and their families. Zakiya's organizing and advocacy acumen has led to significant policy changes at the local and state level in the state of Ohio. Since then, Zakiya has worked in communities all across the country sharing tools, strategies, and skills with Black parents to shift education policy and practice. Zakiya has been named to the inaugural #Power50 leadership fellowship for women of color with Community Change and the Community Activist Fellowship with Wayfinder Foundation. Zakiya is a preeminent thought leader in racial and education justice and has received numerous awards. In her free time, Zakiya enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and two children.

Posts By Zakiya Sankara-Jabar

student achievement

Schools Haven't Figured It Out, So Give Money to the Parents. We Need It.

Whether you support your state’s reopening plans or not, the reality is families locked out of learning for nearly a year are getting fed up. If you have a 6-year-old, like me, then you know online...

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opportunity gap

With Remote Learning, the Issues Go Deeper Than Lack of Internet

Right now—literally, as I’m sitting here typing—I’m watching my friend toggle between distance learning with her son and responding to work emails. It’s the most admirable and cutest thing in the...

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Achievement Gap

Black Excellence Does Exist and It Lives in Our Kids

I’m guilty of saying Black boys and girls are failing in school—a good chunk of us are. Going forward, I’m committing to correcting that language and mindset because I’ve realized how dangerous and...

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School Funding

Schools Are Essential, So Let's Reopen the Right Way This Fall

This afternoon, President Donald Trump said, “We want to get our schools open. We want to get them open, quickly, beautifully in the fall.” I agree. We need children to go back to school in the fall....

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