Celebrating Black American Leaders at SXSW EDU 2023

Carter G Woodson, the father behind Black History Month, hoped to prove to White Americans that Black Americans played important roles in the creation of America and deserve to be treated equally as citizens. At a time when the media portrayed the Black community negatively with racist, anti-Black imagery, this hope would increase the visibility of Black life in history.

Many pose these questions: Is Black History Month unnecessary? Should schools ingrain generations with knowledge of Black American history in their primary history curriculum? Today, there still are no federal requirements for teaching Black American history in school curriculum. On average, less than nine percent of history class is spent on Black history, and in some states, it’s completely ignored.

"Black history is American history. You can’t tease it out,” says SXSW DEI Program Director Jason Ottley. “So highlighting any accomplishment in this country is tied to the sacrifice and creativity of someone Black."

This February, we honor and celebrate the many trailblazing Black American leaders and practitioners whose accomplishments have changed the trajectory of many lives while inspiring generations to come.

Black American leaders, learners, and visionaries are coming together this March to share their groundbreaking stories, tackle complex issues, build reimagined paths forward, and collectively create a new tomorrow for learners everywhere. We are proud to celebrate these leaders at SXSW EDU and continue to be inspired by their work, especially in education. SXSW EDU believes that education has the power to inspire, elevate, and change the future.

Explore 2023 Programming:

African Americans in Sports PodClass: Black Student Athletes: Pathways to the Workforce
Black Divers Give New Lens to the Middle Passage
Black Families Matter–Policing in Child Welfare
Building Literacy Access for Black Boys
Civil Rights Practicum: The 1961 Freedom Riders
Closing Advanced Coursework Equity Gaps
Closing the Gap: Black Girls in STEM
Community Care: Black Feminist Eco Approach
Counteracting Book Bans Through Libraries
Disruptive Innovation: Community Designed EdTech
Diversifying America's Teacher Pipeline
EWA Radio: Student Data Privacy as a Civil Rights Issue
Mentor Session: Carletta Hurt
Revolutionary Scholarship: Justice & the Classroom
Teaching Black Genius, Ourselves
“This is My Black” Screening & Q&A

Join Your Community in March

Register to attend in Austin or experience SXSW EDU Online. Celebrate education through compelling sessions, networking opportunities, and so much more at SXSW EDU from March 6-9, 2023.

Be the first to know of any information leading up to the event through Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and our newsletter.

Photo provided by Akash Kataria