Letter to the Editor: Celebrating, Reflecting and Growing

By Chris ‘Baba C’ Chatmon

As we embrace the warmth of summer, I want to take a moment to reflect on the significant milestones we’ve celebrated recently. This season, we honored the remarkable figures in our lives on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, recognizing the invaluable support and love our elders provide. I was humbled when friend, mentor and venerable elder, Ron Walker, took note of my musings about A.I., or what I refer to as Ancestral Intelligence, in a letter related to his endeavor, A Legacy of Leading. Ron is an extraordinary man and leader whose thinking I encourage you to discover here.

Continuing in our own legacy building, we held Crowning Ceremonies in both San Francisco and Seattle.  These celebrations remind us of the strength and dedication within our community, especially as we conclude another school year.  As we are half way through our second year in our West Oakland space, KOO Labs Design Center and Production House and June 7th Street Thrives hosted an inaugural community cleanup with neighborhood businesses.   The love that we focused on during our annual Spring Symposium in April is what we aim to foster at our local hub serving and preserving the community in this way.

Spring Symposium is also when we shared voices from the community with the new edition release of Griots of Oakland which features interviews of another 80 local Black youth in the acclaimed book series.  A screening of the powerful documentary,  Black Boys, hosted by Wu Yee Children’s Services at UC Hastings followed the book launch in June. I have been a part of these important events for the past year which provide a deeper understanding of lived experience of our young Kings.

Summer offers a unique opportunity for reflection, planning, and growth. As students, teachers, and administrators, it is a time to practice being lifelong learners.  We ended the school year with an unprecedented achievement: establishing a Black Educators’ Coalition to dismantle barriers hindering high-quality educators of color from becoming credentialed classroom teachers.  The Fellowship Initiative (TFI) offered its rising juniors a growth opportunity as well when TFI Oakland and TFI Los Angeles joined forces in a tour of eight universities across Northern California.

Finally, I’ll be heading to a university myself at the end of July when I travel to Louisiana for Xavier’s Magnificent Male Weekend designed to empower and inspire Black male students who are rising juniors in high school, providing a platform for growth and connection, much like our own TFI program.

As we look ahead, let’s carry the spirit of continuous learning and growth into the upcoming year. Together, we can build a brighter future for our community, one that thrives on curiosity, resilience, and a commitment to excellence.

Wishing you a summer filled with joy, discovery, and rejuvenation.

Author: Wallace