EMAC Conference
The MTA Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee Conference offers participants the opportunity to engage in discussions about white privilege and racism, ethnic and racial identity, and economic and social justice. The conference uses workshops, presentations and entertainment to inspire participants to work on ideas for action and to bring those ideas back to their locals, classrooms and communities.
Learn about the work of the Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee.
Friday evening's program will feature the Wampanoag Nation Singers & Dancers and our keynote speaker Tricia Rose, Director of the Systemic Racism Project at the Brown University Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America. Saturday's program will include workshops, a conversation with 2024 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year DéShawn Washington and community circles.
**Register by November 21, 2024 if you need a hotel room. More details on the Hotel webpage
Information on Scholarships and childcare reimbursement.
*Non-members may only attend the conference if there is space remaining. Non-members fees.
Learning, camaraderie at the EMAC conference
MTA members at the EMAC Conference heard an energetic and enlightening keynote address by Bettina L. Love, Ph.D., the William F. Russell professor at Teachers College, at Columbia University. And they enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow educators of color, who came together through activities organized by the Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee to support each other.
Love addressed the marking of 40 years of educational policies that have harmed Black children and educators, touching on a range of topics including the recent history of book bans, the damaging environmental conditions present in schools, waves of so-called education reform that have targeted students and educators, and false efforts aimed at addressing “equity,” which do not result in actions.
“You learning about equity is not equity,” Love said. “I’m glad you went to a workshop. I’m glad you learned about equity, but if you still have the same amount of resources, we aren’t talking about equity.”
She signed copies of her recent book, “Punished for Dreaming, How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal,” which was distributed to members.
The Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee conference, held at the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham, opened with a performance by the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers, who guided attendees in a series of tribal dances. Nearly 150 people attended the two-day conference.
