March 11, 2021

Dear Black Genius,

It is with my whole heart that I welcome you Black to school. Behind you is the chaos of school closures, zoom burnout and social isolation from clubs, sports teams, and friends. 

You proved you could learn in ways most adults thought impossible. You showed up in class with your pajamas, headwraps and hoodies, art-walls, music and your whole village beside you.

The best teaching this year has been modeled in your homes, in your neighborhoods, and in protest marches all across America. You and millions of other Black Geniuses have made history and changed the future of learning. 

More than learning, you’ve been teaching us all. It’s a no-brainer that you aced the most basic lesson of our lifetime: Black Lives Matter.

On your first day back in person, Village of Wisdom wants to remind you of all the genius we see when we see you. We invite you to watch this two-and-a-half-minute Dear Black Genius film short made just for you by an entire village of Black Genius Protectors. We got you!

In Love & Liberation,

Aya Shabu (she/her/hers)

Curator of Culturally Organizing Our Liberation