K-12 Education

On May 26, 2020, Philonise Floyd learned that his older brother, George “Perry” Floyd, Jr. had been murdered by four police officers in Minneapolis after a store clerk alleged that he passed a counterfeit $20 bill. The world watched as named officer, Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. George’s death sparked a worldwide outpour of protests against police brutality, especially toward black people. Philonise vowed that George’s death would not be in vain, another hashtag on a t-shirt, and started the Philonise and Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, actively working to eliminate the daily impacts of police brutality, criminal justice reform and systemic racism.

APB speaker and "Maria" on Sesame Street, Sonia Manzano, has a new book called Coming Up Cuban, and it will be out in April of 2022. Coming Up Cuban is set in 1959 and follows the lives of four children who each represent different intersections of race and class in Cuba. Publishers Weekly recently revealed the cover.   

APB speaker, producer, and educator Michael Davis wrote the New York Times Non-Fiction Best Seller Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street and is a co-executive producer of the documentary, Street Gang, which is gaining immense praise on HBO.   

Heather Abbott’s life changed forever when she was struck by bomb shrapnel at the Boston Marathon and lost her left leg.  After receiving a prosthetic leg for walking, she was then told by her insurance that they would not cover anything additional. This became the catalyst for the Heather Abbott Foundation, which is dedicated to mission of giving fellow amputees the prosthetics insurance won’t cover.  Now recognized by CNN as the complete embodiment of a hero, Heather Abbott captivates audiences with her inspirational story of pain, anger, optimism and resilience.

New books from Maria Hinojosa, Michele Borba, Jessica Lahey, Steve Pemberton and Richard White to add to your reading list:

We are excited to share that APB's Justin J. Shaifer will be featured on ABC's new series Soul of a Nation on Tuesday, March 9th! A rising star in STEM education and advocacy, Shaifer is a LinkedIn Top Voice in Technology and popular science communicator with a talent for understanding and inspiring GenZ. The series will focus on the black experience in America. “The way we have been talking about the show, internally, was sort of a news variety show,” Robe Imbriano, executive producer along with Eric Johnson, said during the network’s Winter Press Tour panel. “And we are covering real life. We are telling these stories. We are out in the field doing very cinematic, sort of short film documentary features.”

We all want to experience life satisfaction and emotional health. But getting to that place is another matter. From lockdowns to isolation, ongoing racial injustice to political turmoil, lost lives and lost jobs — this past year has tested our minds and bodies in profound ways. During the Addy Hour podcast, APB exclusive speaker Dr. Nii Addy will discuss topics at the intersection of brain science, mental health, faith, culture and social justice. Featuring community leaders, scientists, professional athletes, entertainers, faith leaders, and mental health experts, Addy Hour engages listeners with dynamic conversations and insights.

APB would like to congratulate exclusive speaker, Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, on being named The Stowe Prize 2021 honoree. The Stowe Prize recognizes a distinguished book of general adult fiction or non-fiction that illuminates a critical social justice issue in contemporary society in the United States. Dr. Glaude’s Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own is a New York Times best-seller, shortlisted for the Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice, and was named “One of the Best Books of the Year” by both The Washington Post and TIME.

Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and Harvard professor Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. has just released his new book, The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. This book is a companion to a PBS two-part documentary series featuring interviews with Oprah, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, and many others.

International Women's Day is driven by the goal of bettering gender balance and our future. Many of our speakers have played a vital role in the pursuit of a gender equal world and continue to challenge us to be more alert, informed and become catalysts for change. Check out some of our top inspirational, trailblazing female voices: