Deputy Secretary Jim Shelton; Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon; George Cooper, executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Ivory Toldson, deputy director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs; and David Johns, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans will participate in several sessions during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 44th Annual Legislative Conference Sept. 24-26 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
Shelton will participate in a panel discussion titled “My Brother’s Keeper: Bringing the American Dream to Life.” Launched in February, My Brother’s Keeper is aimed at addressing persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensuring that all young people can reach their full potential.
Johns will moderate two panels, and Lhamon, Toldson and Cooper will serve as panelists at several sessions. The sessions include: Stopping the School to Prison Pipeline; Strengthening HBCUs and Predominantly Black Institutions; Gauging the Impact of Cultural Competency in Education; and 2% is Not Enough – How do we get more black male teachers in America’s classrooms.
The Obama Administration’s commitment to equity in education underlies every significant activity of the Department, from the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility and the Excellent Educators for All initiative to School Improvement and Pre-K Grants.