As part of his ongoing book tour, Dr. Worth Kamili Hayes was given rave reviews by students attending Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, New York from his presentation on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. Dr. Hayes is author of "Schools of Our Own: Chicago’s Golden Age of Black Private Education." An Award Winning book, Hayes' works shows how independent Black schools were an outgrowth of the civil rights and Black power movements.
Hayes shared his insights about the fight for private education in Chicago to a history class in Brooklyn, New York. The class is a new elective entitled, "Still I Rise: "Black Activism in the 20th and 21st centuries. Students in attendance thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Hayes lecture on zoom. The youth provided the following responses via anonymous questionnaires:
What did you think about the speaker and his presentation?
I thought the speaker was very informative and clear about not only what his book was about but about the subject of educational racism and segregation in schools in Chicago.
I loved him! He presented so much material and was able to do so while keeping all of us very engaged and transitioned through topics smoothly.
I thought it was a really good presentation. It was informative and not too long. It was special because it was the first (partially) in-person presentation we’ve had in a long time. Although it would have been incredible to have him in person with us, it was still incredible to hear Kamili Hayes speak. I also thought the time for questions was good.
I thought it was quite insightful and his manner was genuine.
I thought that it was very insightful. I think he did a great job speaking to a variety of topics, and also keeping his presentation within the time limit given while also making sure to include important topics. Speaking to the presentation itself, I think it’s amazing that we got the opportunity to hear from the author of Schools Of Our Own. Yes we do talk about about the book in class, but I think there is something that is different about hearing from the author them self.
I thought the speaker was great. He was very receptive to questions and willing to give thorough and insightful responses.
I thought the speaker was very thoughtful in what he presented as well as the way he thoroughly answered our questions.
I thought the presentation was exceptional and the speaker had such contagious charisma-- I hope he is able to come back!
I loved the speaker and I though his presentation was really good and I learned a lot!
I thought it was very interesting, but a bit too lengthy
I thought it was very informative, and gave me perspective.
I thought that the presentation was very well organized and it was very interesting and informative. I also thought that Dr. Kamili Hayes answered all the questions very well and was very thorough in his answers.
I really appreciated that he took the time to speak to us. I think out of anyone he specifically knows how important it is to educate young people & I thought that was really nice of him.
He was very interesting to listen to considering how knowledgeable he is regarding his book and in the topics of his studies.
I really enjoyed learning both from the presentation about how religion played a role in the schools as well from the questions, both were very in depth and helped my understanding of the materials
Dr. W. Kamili Hayes was a wonderful speaker and presenter. He spread light upon many of things that we had only lightly touched on in class, and widened the lens of the spread of educational activism.
I thought it was very insightful! He spoke clearly, and the visuals he gave were easy to follow.
he was very concise
What did you learn as a result of the presentation?
I learned about the founding of the Oblate Sisters of Providence and their importance of Black sisterhood and ensuring educational equality for Black kids.
I learned that the fight against racial oppression often coincides with an increase in systemic discrimination. As the struggle for equal education mounted in Chicago, so did extreme red-lining and systemic oppression. However, Dr. W. Kamili Hayes made it clear in his presentation that a strong foundation for this fight was built under and was perhaps bolstered by the harsh environment surrounding its leaders.
I learned a lot about Chicago’s intense segregation and the fight for better education. I learned that integration is not always the first/easiest step in making things more equal when things are so racially divided.
More about religious history in the US with direct correlation to race and gender.
I learned about the lives of nuns during the battle of school segregation. As we have learned, during this time, black people have been severely blamed for being a victim when they are helpless in the situation. Learning about the different lives of nuns emphasized this.
I learned much more about different educational activists and instances of activism.
I learned that positive learning environments really affects the way students learn. I also learned how black woman were at the forefront of the fight for educational equity even they are overshadowed by black men.
I learned about the protracted and central role African-American women played in both religious and educational life. I was fascinated and moved by the story of the Oblate Sisters' resistance to the verbal abuse they and their students suffered at the hands of Father Ryan. I also am very curious about the story of Thomas Wright Turner's struggle for Black Catholicism and am going to research and read more about it.
One thing that I learned about and thought was interesting was the 'Oblate sisters of Providence'-the first permanent Black and catholic religious sisterhood in the US who worked to create a place that Black children could get a quality education. I thought this was really interesting and I had never heard of that group before.
I learned that there was activism within the Black Catholic community, which I wasn't aware of before.
I learned about the importance of community education
I learned about the black middle class in Chicago and black private schools and especially the communities surrounding those school's. It was very interesting to learn about these things because they were not things I had ever heard about before and it was really enlightening to learn in great depth about the.
I gained insight on what he thought about fugitive pedagogy & educational activism in today's political climate. It was really interesting hearing about the BLM movement & students' effects on it.
About the white male priest's protrusive presence in the black, female church, and how they overcame him
Learning about the dual presence that religion had on Black education, both public and private was really interesting as the readings we had previously gone over hadn't gone as in depth
I learned how influential the catholic church was in educational protest and offering a education for many. What we had previously read in our books did not go into the same amount of detail, or backstory that Dr Hayes shared with us. His explanation of how the white catholic church had set up roadblocks for black nuns to teach, expanded on how black charters were built, and what made them so successful. Dr Hayes's also taught about the protest of black nuns; something that I had not a lot of historical context for before the presentation.
I learned more about the Black school system in Chicago, and I really liked how he focused on individual people throughout the presentation. The way he talked felt more like stories he was telling— more personal, and I found it very eye opening.
how complex and diverse the learning system in american was a the time
Worth Kamili Hayes, PhD, is a professor of History at Tuskegee University has penned an essential chronicle of the establishment and tenure of Black independent schools in Chicago, Illinois.
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