Lift Every Voice: Achieving Black Student Success

Widely considered the Black national anthem, the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is described as “a prayer of thanksgiving for faithfulness and freedom.” It was first performed as a poem in 1900 to commemorate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Its words still resonate with broader audiences, and it was recently sung by Alicia Keys at the 2020 NFL Kick-Off.

“Lift Every Voice” remains a rallying cry for educators, parents, and community leaders everywhere who are committed to eradicating achievement disparities between students of color and their peers.

It turns out that finding one’s voice is at the heart of what can make a significant difference in helping students break free from the shackles of low self-esteem and academic setbacks. At the Journalistic Learning Initiative (JLI), we have witnessed and documented firsthand how journalistic teaching strategies are enlightening the lives of students who have struggled.

We’re currently piloting Black Student Magazine (BSM), a new print publication designed to celebrate cultural diversity, created by students from high schools across Lane County, Oregon.

BSM students meet weekly after school via Zoom and learn research, interviewing, writing, and multimedia skills. Recently two participants who share an interest in photojournalism interviewed Polly Irungu, founder of Black Women Photographers, a global community and online database of Black women and non-binary photographers. Such near-peer mentoring experiences expose young people to new possibilities and career pathways.

Anna, another BSM high school participant, interviewed Eugene Black community matriarch Lyllye Parker about her life and legacy.

Prior research confirms that students with publication experience earn better grades and test scores in high school and college than their peers. JLI is producing Black Student Magazine in partnership with the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication UO’s College of Education, and the Lane Education Services District, with partial funding from the Oregon African American/Black Student Plan (HB 2016), the Autzen Foundation, and the Oregon Cultural Trust. JLI plans to spread the program to more cities in the coming year. For more information visit: journalisticlearning.com.