Thanks for Naming Me 1st World Changer! by B. Woodard

True story: I remember making these More than Peach boxes in third grade and placing them outside all the classroom doors in my school. I was the single brown/Afr. Am. girl in my grade (still am) and there were zero Black or Hispanic teachers in my building at the time. And I remember seeing some of the classroom boxes day after day—mostly the same ones each time—turned around now facing the wall——and the More than Peach logo would no longer show. It screamed at me. And it reminded me just how important it all was and just how much my voice and others were needed. So? I turned the boxes back around. Every time. And finally, the boxes stayed put.

It’s been over two years since I started More than Peach and 5 years in the only school I’ve ever known. (5 and not 6 bc of a skipped grade.) And on Tuesday, my school is going to honor me as its first World Changer (seen here) and dedicate a wall in my honor. For growing our school culture and helping to bring change to our world. More Brown/Black teachers have been hired, more consistent equity-centered strategies, more conscientious leadership, and more intentionality. More brilliance uncovered. It’s a different place and everyone knows it and I’ve loved so many of my days here. But there’s more work to be done. I see it. But I’ve challenged myself to leave things much better than I found them. In just a couple of weeks, I’ll be gone. So this is still my challenge and is for every place I walk into expecting the most from. And I challenge everyone there to do the same. Looking forward to next week.❤️-Bellen

“Can’t hear over all this Freedom!”