Rachael: Hi everyone. You are listening to the Rachael Maves podcast and I'm Rachael Maves, your host. This podcast is part of the lead up to the upcoming measure what we value Summit, scheduled for February 5th through 6 2025 in Fresno, California. The summit emphasizes honoring and amplifying student voices, fostering inclusive classrooms and equipping Educators with tools for impactful change. You can find more information at parsecsummit.com. Today I have the pleasure and the privilege of speaking with Dr Angie Barfield.

She is an advocate for students and families with over 20 years of experience supporting academic and social emotional success. She is the executive director of black students of California United, empowering black student voices and building strong black student unions Statewide. Dr Barfield is passionate about creating culturally responsive environments and Bridging the Gap between K-12 and higher education. Her work and research on cultural identity restoration have established her as a leader in advancing meaningful change in community empowerment. Dr Barfield, thank you for joining me today. I'm so excited about our conversation.

Angie: Good morning, Rachael, good to see you, and you can just call me Angie.

Rachael: Perfect, we're good, we family, so call the edge. I love that. So, Angie, the way that we always start out the podcast is giving the opportunity for you to just share a little bit about yourself, your story, your journey, what led you to your current role, just an insight into who you are.

Angie: Wow, Let's see where do I start? Well, I can say I am the? U, the daughter of Bobby parks and William Brown, the granddaughter of Ruby Smith and the great grand niece of Tisha Walton and Hazel shé. And I mentioned my grandmother and my great- Grands because, you know, they are the ones that, at a very early time in my life, instilled in me the importance of education and just being a beautiful black woman, and so I honor them constantly because I know that their spirits still Elevate me and carry me. I'm the mom, so my husband and I my husband is Gregory, I we have a blended family of seven, get, yeah, we, but we raised four of our children together and I think my. Truly was revealed to me when my Two children, our three younger children, were in school and they experienced some things in the public school system.

I think that shifted the reality that my children aren't safe. Yeah, I'm a basketball coach, love X's and O's, but I also realized that whole concept of coaching needed to go in another Direction, because my children and then on top of that, the other children that I was blessed to be able to serve in my roles in public schools it really challenged me as a mom, as a community member and now as an ad Advocate, yeah, to understand that human. It has shifted a little bit and there needs to be some things done. So I am grateful for the journey that started for me in 200. And six s 2006, 2007, my children were in school, were in Middle Secondary School when President Obama was elected and, at a time that America should have been so proud and happy, black children were made to feel ashamed and not, and so I got to see all of that as a mom and an educator and it just shifted everything for me and I went all in and started this journey of empowering students, but empowering their parents, because when children fall, they have to land somewhere, and so it's just been an ongoing Journey for 20 years. I'm grateful for the educational leaders that saw something in me, that said: we believe what you're doing.

You know I was. I mean, it's just they invested in me, and so I feel like I owe it not only to them, and I'll name them only because people need to understand that you never know who's going to bless your journey. That's right, and so I'm grateful to Dr Carlo prandini, who had the courage to say: Angie, you're right, we got to change the way this, how this goes. And I think Dr Scott, who invested in me as a classified employee at the time to say: you, we're going to help you, I want to help you do this grateful to, actually, Michael Hansen. Dr Michael Hansen, who used to be in Fresno Unified right, he saw what I was doing for black children and said: I need you to help do this so that we can make this better for this district. And then Jim Yovino, the former county superintendent and they believe it or not, those men and then my Village, just my community, but I'm talking about those gentlemen who were in decisive roles that said: this me, this matters, yeah, right.

And so I'm so grateful for the opportunity. And then here I am, at the man, what we F? Hou about to have this crazy conversation, right. So I'm just, I love what I do and I'm hoping that from this Summit, that people will walk away with a little bit more courage. To stand T toes deep and stand on business to say we're going to ensure that every child in our system of education is valued, respected and gets the quality education they deserve.

Rachael: Yeah, I love that and it's a is the perfect segue to question too. Angie, but I'm actually GNA. Pause before we go there, because one of the things that you said and you started off with is just the way that your grandmother and your mother really instilled this like deep value of Education. I'd love for you just to speak a little bit more about what did that tangibly look like for you growing up and then how did that influence? Because I think what you said as a mom, when you become a mom and your kids are in public school, like in any school it really like gives a whole different lens and experience and I'd love to see like for you just to share what was that through line and how does that? Did that impact your position then as a mother?

Angie: So my grandmother grew up. I mean and it's funny I had to accept this part about my history and my narrative right, so I'm literally only one generation removed. From cotton picking. My mom picked vegetables and cotton in the field, so I'm only one generation removed right, and so my grandmother grew up in Arkansas. My two great aunts grew up, or they were, in Oklahoma, so I do have Native American ties that we're still trying to connect to. But my grandmother had a sixth.

Education. My great aunt, I believe, was third grade education, but they were two of those three women were the smartest women ever, right, and so whenever I was blessed to be with them my grandmother more so than my great aunt, because they lived in Oklahoma and we were in California they would always tell me: read. They would just get magazines or, like my grandmother, she had readers, digests and different, all these different things, right, and she would sit me on the bed or I would sit next to her bed and she's like, read. My great aunts it was the Bible, read this verse, because they knew the power that education brought. And if I could decode and that's how my grandmother put it if you can go, if you can decode this baby girl, you're going to be fine. Yeah, and so education was everything.

I would read hundreds of books my mother had. I had a library card at. 4, and so I was going to the library checking out books and she, you know, it was just embedded in me where others in my neighborhood, Unfortunately, they didn't have that. Yeah, so I was seen as a weirdo sometimes growing up, because I, like, I gotta get my homework done, I gotta read a book, I gotta write, you know, and so I attribute their courage and love for me to do the things that didn't seem right. Yeah, they pushed it, and so I think that's what drives me in the work that I do, in getting our students to understand the value of what's in front of them, right, and that it's okay to be the nerd, yeah, right. And so I mean, I love those three women.

I remember them like they were still here yesterday because they didn't finish the cycle as Society has it: ktk through 12. They didn't do that, but you would never know it, yeah, and so it's the value. And people think that black families don't value education. Well, I'm, I'm a living witness. That's a lie. They, it was everything to them, and our culture, our people, our race, we gave education to the world.

We did educate the world prior, you know, to my ancestors being, you know, kidnapped and brought here. So we know, we just have to be reintroduced to the Excellence that's the education part of us.

Rachael: Well, and what a? I mean just an amazing Legacy that your grandmother and your aunts passed on to you and I. You had the pleasure of joining us and we had the privilege of it last year at the summit, and I see the impact then. That Legacy has continued on, not just for your own kids, but all the kids that you're bringing in and impacting atie. I mean they were to watch those students sit in like such a confident place of their own self and their own selfworth and be able to share their experiences The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, like I. You could see how much your direct mentorship had an impact on that and it was just really powerful.

So, yeah, I Legacy that continues to spread multiple seeds and growth and fruit.

Angie: I appreciate that they're. They're my driving force.

Rachael: Yeah, I love those kids and to know that so many have gone off to college, they finished on time and now they're, you know, pursuing the next level of whatever that is for them, it means so much, yeah, but it also shows them what they said about you wasn't true.

Angie: Yeah, you know. And so, yeah, those young folks last year were. Amazing and I can't get for because we have a whole new group of students coming in me too.

Rachael: So, as we think about the summit, you're going to be one of our session speakers and you're doing a couple of Keynotes with us. Can you give us just a little sneak peek of what you'll be sharing with people?

Angie: You'll have two different sessions. One is the power of cultural appreciation how to build courageous educational spaces to impact positive change, and then also the one with student voice, called listening to our students. So I mean, what a I'm going to be busy for two days and I'm excited about it, right, I know. This year there's really a focus on the impact of the nword, yeah, and so we're going to have some conversations about that, because that word has been so normalized in society, but I don't think people are taking into account the damage and the trauma, psychologically and mentally, that it has on our students. Yeah, and so a lot of our students now feel like if they engage in it makes it easier to process and digest. But it's not true, and so we're finding that a lot of educators are just blowing it off, so to say, you know, just like, oh, don't worry about it.

Well, you can't do that. You know, our kids are not, they're not Ducks, right, it's not going to roll off their back. And so the conversations we want to have on that Wednesday is looking at how to develop the courage it's going to take for someone that's not impacted by that word so much. The steps they're going to need to take to stand up for kids that are inacted by it. And sure, it's a scary thing, because society says one thing and it could impact their career. It could impact, you know, their livelihood.

It's a lot of things. So we're going to have a great conversation with a gentleman who is the father of two biracial children and he's impacted by it and not quite understanding. So I'm looking forward to that. And then we have four amazing young people that are sitting in space and that they're by racial some are, they're African, they're they're africanamerican and it's like: what has this word done, you know, and what are you doing on your campus to curve the use of it? But also educate without carrying the water of your peers so that they understand. You might hear it in the song, but it doesn't make it okay to say yeah, you know and so, and then give a little historical content.

So then in the workshop I have H A co-lead with me. His name is Mr David. Watson, and he has, you know, some background in covering things like this as well. But we want, though, if those that want, to embrace and learn the strategies of being courageous in these spaces and you want to know how to do it. We're going to walk through that on Thursday, because sometimes we have to sit in it to understand it in order to move forward, because that word is so damaging. Yeah, you know, and really I mean, Society still doesn't see people like me as a whole human, and the Constitution still says we're three fists, even though there's amendments, right, so we're hoping that we can build.

This circle of humanity that says enough is enough. We're not going down that rabbit hole, you know, and these children are worthy of my services as an educator, because I know I'm the best in this work and I want a whole child to come out of my classroom and not a damaged child.

Rachael: Yeah, I'm really looking forward to the conversation and that's what I think struck me and makes me excited for a rich coming in to have that conversation with you and bab aend and I so greatly value bnd's take on all of this of how do we create the space for discussion, for questions, for people to really interrogate, not in like, in a like a police sense, but like question things and be able to ask the hard things. And that watching that unfold organically between rich and Baba tind when it first happened was just really amazing and it led to such a great outcome that I'm glad that they'll be able to share that story and you'll be able to be a part of moderating in that I'm so excited about.

Angie: Yeah, it's gonna, it'll be good.

Rachael: So, knowing our audience and school leaders and practitioners, Andie, what are some of the tangible takeaways they'll be able to apply to their context?

Angie: So, as a part of my work with black students of California United, we are working in districts currently to help them. One to identify the need for Affinity spaces for black students. But more than that, give, to give space for cultural, culturally relevant and culturally responsive. Learning. One thing in my research over time that I found is when you're removed from your history and you don't really understand, it makes it hard for you to connect to it and be proud of it. Yeah, and so we're in through the workshops and the kids will probably talk about it as well.

The power of these spaces will actually close learning. Gaps that districts want to see anyway. You know everybody, you know, we see the, we see the graphs, right, and it's was like, oh, look at this gap between the black kids or the white kids or the Mexican kids, and it was like, how about we just create spaces where we can give them the resources that they need so that Gap becomes no more and then the whole campus finds success in it. Great example: when I was working at a school at a local District here where I got my career started, those kids were looked upon. They were like: those kids are only here because we drew the line. That's what people were saying about them.

Horrible, right, but I knew, and my kids were two of those kids. There were 37 of those kids and so I, without knowing what I was doing, was like: listen, we are going to dedicate ourselves to Excellence. You're not here just because the line. And this is a great education you can get. So let me show you how to maximize it right? So we created a BSU.

Those kids came twice a month. We learned together, we engaged with the community, we did all these things. The first graduating class of that school, Rachael, let me tell you, 100% graduated. 100% of the black kids graduated. But the crazy part was is when I went to the counseling staff and said, do you realize that all of our black students are graduating, they were like what? So it's not the norm, right?

It's like there's always going to be some black kids that don't get it. Okay, so they graduated 100% for the next eight. Years, every black student that was a part of a senior class at that school graduated. They didn't break until covid, oh yeah. But the crazy thing was the kids start saying Miss Barfield because I wasn't Dr Barfield, then they go, or Mama Barfield they would call me. They were like some of our white friends want to know how come they aren't doing that, how come their group isn't doing that.

So there was one year I want to say was a class of 2015 or 16, maybe the whole senior class graduated and I had to tell my kids it's because of you, yeah, that they decided we can do this too. I was like, so why change that narrative? You see what I'm saying? It's like excellent be gets Excellence.

Rachael: That it's so true. And it I, what you're saying is so powerful. When I think about like kids, you know, and what they're looking for, like they're looking for people to say you see me and you believe I can do it, or I see that this is, we can accomplish this. Somebody else is can do this, maybe I can too, and you provided such a clear picture of that's yeah, those. It's a powerful thing.

Angie: So imagine, if we get theond, the color of skin and racial stuff, what these kids can do together. Yes, that is right, everyone won that year.

Rachael: Yes, every that's the. That should be the slogan. We need to put that on t-shirts: everyone won.

Rachael: Yes, yep, absolutely so. As you think about the summit, it's coming up here pretty quickly. What are you most looking to?

Angie: Last year? I loved the conversations I had, post, you know, discussions and just people checking in, right, I loved. I'm looking forward to hearing someone say: I'm ready to stand on business because I love all children. Yeah, you know, and what Parsec brings to this event is something you don't get anywhere else. You know it. You're given permission to be as vulnerable as you need to be in order to improve who you are.

Yeah, I mean, and I, you know, when those students get up on stage, I actually look at the crowd to see how they're taking it in. I saw tears last year, oh for sure, yeah, you know. And so I saw. I talked to some superintendent who were like we didn't realize to what extent this had gone. But I'm just, I'm just excited about year two, but I'm more. I mean, it's like I want people to come up and ask me: what's next?

What more can I do, you know, and not just sit in space because it's G to be a. Road to travel. Yeah, but if you believe in the ability of these children and what I know is in them as black biracial bipo kids you're not going to leave this Summit the way you came in. You're just not, and I'm praying that. Both panel discussions and all the workshops because they there's some amazing workshops that are going to be given I just know we're going to come out better than we went in.

Rachael: Yeah, I agree, 100%. Yeah, last year. Well, last year was our first summit, but it was my first year with Parsec and I mean it. I' had never attended anything quite like what Parsec Summit was, and it everyone's just really anticipating what this year is going to be even better. So, as we wrap up, Angie, I'd like to give you the final word for our listeners. Any Sage advice, thought to ponder that you would like to live?

Leave us with.

Angie: One. I think, well, we do it in two are teacher Educators. Believe in your ability to teach all students and allow them to be blessed by presence and not your fear. Yeah, and then for our administrators, I would say: think about if you have children. Think about how would you feel if your child had to endure what some of our black and brown students have to endure on a daily basis, and would that be okay with you then? Yeah, and as a parent, for the parents out there, please get engaged, don't, don't walk away from this moment in your child's life, in their education.

Be there, be present and support our Educators who are in these roles to understand your culture and what's necessary for your child. Because Equity says we meet children and people where they're at, where their need is. But you cannot, you can't take away, you can't say that all educators are Superman, because they're not. Yeah, but you can help them be Superman for your child, yeah, so just, it's one step at a time. We can fix this and we, but we have to do it together.

Rachael: Yeah, together in community, absolutely in community. That's a great word. Thank you, Angie, for your time today. I really appreciated our conversation. I look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks.

Angie: Oh, I can't wait. I got my. Tissue.

Rachael: I think we all do. Parsec education is hosting the measure: what we value Summit on February 5th through 6 in Fresno, California. Join us for impactful conversations on empathy, engagement, hard truths and more, alongside leaders like Shaka Booker, Rich sto, Jamila Scott, Angie Barfield and student speakers like Liliana Sanchez and Timi Ilori. We have a promo for 25% off all Summit tickets until January 31st. Seats are filling up fast, so make sure you secure your spot today. Get your tickets at parsecsummit.com.

--- This transcript was created from the episode's captions and lightly edited for readability. It may contain small errors; please refer to the audio for exact wording.