HOW TO: Start your own Black History Program

Kristi Williams, Founder of the award-winning Black History Saturdays, explains how you can start your own local Black History Saturday program

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
I don't want to ask your question real good. Let's
just keep it real straight shot with no chasing. I'm
gonna get a little bit ruptured. I'm here for those
who really believed in the American process, all of us.
Straight shot, no chase with your girl tess On figure
Out on the Black Effect Podcast Network network. Who's having
everybody Verse's Tilton figure O on the Black fa Podcast Network.

(00:29):
Straight shot, no chaser. I am here again with my
beloved to Christine Williams, who I am constantly talking about
her all the time and will until they lay my
body down, because she's just that spectacular, amazing, awesome woman
that is doing so much to help our community. And
I always, you know, want to make space for her

(00:51):
and I always want people to know the awesome thing
she is doing. I have had probably a couple of
shows with Christy by now on her bl Black History Saturdays,
Black History Saturdays. As she started in Tulsa, Oklahoma in
response to books being banned. She did not wait around
for a politician or organization or anybody else to do

(01:12):
what needs to be done. She did it herself. Took
those books and said, you know what I'm going to
I Vury of band Books and then I'm going to
further go further with it and actually teach people. And
so that program now has hundreds of people that come
through throughout the year. National Geographic has partnered with her
as well. After watching her do the work, I do
want to encourage you to go back and listen to
that podcast to go more into detail about that. Also,

(01:34):
I believe I have it on YouTube and I'm constantly
promoting her program every Saturday on my Instagram so that
she can follow her as well. So have Christie back.
Because as I rolled out this no season on Street
Shot No Chaser, just to give you guys an update,
and I've mentioned it in my last couple of episodes,

(01:55):
but I'll just mentioned it again for good measure. Every
episode will be a how Tom turning this completely into
a training mechanism, which I always you can pretty much
say every episode, I'm always trying to teach something, train something,
but moving forward, everyone will be every episode will be
a how to do this, how to do that. I
am just over you know, there's so many people are

(02:18):
having the same conversations about everything you know, over and
over and over in the podcast space, and it is
just heavy upon me to really focus on the training.
You know, we talk a lot about the problems, but
we got to get solutions. And so I just want
to do my part to make sure every platform that
I use, whether it's here at Black Effect, whether it's

(02:38):
Revolt NOS, if it's my Push the Line training, everything
is focused on solutions. So with that said, Christy also
was a part of my Push the Line training which
is politics until something Happens, which is it teaches you
to utilize your local resources to get things done, to
not wait on everybody, you know, to actually get things done.
And that's what this program is all about. Out that

(03:00):
Christy has done. And not only she've been to the
training herself, but she's also one of my trainers that
I call upon to teach people how to organize. So
we have Christy here today because as I mentioned, the
Black History program Black History Saturday is the bandbook program
that she has started or library. She actually has this
information available on her Patreon. So so many people have

(03:22):
reached out to her to say, hey, I want to
start it in my own town. How can I start it?
What can I do? You know, how can I get
that done? So she has released that content made it available. Yes,
it is ain't feed because again, these programs, guys, it costs,
you know, to operate these programs. Everybody attends her program,
by the way, attends it for free in person. She's

(03:42):
speeding them twice a day, even though I believe it's
only with the four or vibe hour word. You know,
class and you breakfast and they get lunch. So you know,
folks are working and getting this stuff done. So this
is a program. This is a way that you can
support the program so that it can continue to stay
you know, alive and well, and also can teach you
how to do this with your community and raise funds

(04:02):
as well. So the same way we support everything else,
you know, people's comedy and you know business, this is
also a business as well. So I wanted to bring
her on to talk about the program, how you can
start yours, and to encourage you to go download her
information is available on Patreon. So I set all of
that to set it up to breathe in Christy William Selo,

(04:24):
Christy Pats, that's always that, always good to see you
have so many wonderful things you're doing. You sit on
about fifty five different committees, you know, right there in
almost the Black Wall Street, the Hall of Black Wall Street.
So you truly, truly are not just talk about it,

(04:45):
you are absolutely be about it. So tell us first
what two available programs or curriculum as you will call it,
are available on your Patreon. Let's just get that out
the way first and where they can find that page
trying it, and then we'll get into would it include yes.
So on my Patreon there is four tiers, and I

(05:08):
wanted to make something affordable right for people to actually get.
Whether you're a family, you're a teacher, you're an organization,
there's something to fit your needs. And so the first
tier is just ten dollars a month, and I call
that the san kofa supporter, you know, that's just what
We'll have a monthly banned book quote black History Starter

(05:31):
activity that's for pre k to adults, and a shout
out in our monthly newsletter letter and then behind the
scene updates from Black History Saturdays and the team. And
then we have Tier two, which is our Legacy Learner.
And this is just to expand your knowledge with monthly
content that brings black history to life, as I say,

(05:53):
and this is for your home or your classroom, so
you'll get a downloadable lesson per month and again that's
an and this one is pre K through eighth grade
and monthly discussion questions for families and classrooms and then
also a monthly video message from me and our educators
that will get you know, family, some inspiration and also

(06:14):
for our teachers. And then we have an educator circle,
which what I really love. And this is for those
teachers who are in the classrooms who still want to
figure out ways to teach black history where they won't
get in trouble. So it's really kind of pushing them
on the line a little bit, but how to make
Black history like I say, a trojan horse, So they

(06:36):
don't know that's really what they're getting, but that's what
they're getting. And this is great for those public schools
who are facing laws like we are in Oklahoma that
I'd love to work with the educators because there's so
many educators who want to figure out how do we
push back through this, and so this is where we
are intends. I know you've probably heard last week the

(06:57):
Oklahoma past where the teachers, if teachers are coming to
Oklahoma to teach, they have to pass the America's First test,
and which is something that our Superintendent Ry Walters wanted
to identify who is the so called woke teachers coming
from these liberal states. Intends they really have to dumb

(07:19):
themselves down because they have to also acknowledging this test
that we weren't just enslaved Africans. We were workers who
wanted to work on plantations to make America great. M hm. Okay,
So when you're doing this program resivating on Patreon, go

(07:40):
ahead and say where they can buy your patrion and
want to put that at the top when you go
to our patreonists typing in Black History Saturdays. That's the
name of our page. Okay, black chess is said, so
it'll come right up. And then also your website is
Black Saturdays with an s dot com. Let's talk about
what you have to offer in guys. This is a

(08:01):
how to start your own Black History Saturdays. And as
I just mentioned, Christy is the only one in the
country that is a quit capabooks ready to go. In
order to get you guys started now again, you can
find an information on Black History Saturdays dot com which
will lead you to her Patreon in order to purchase

(08:22):
this package. But let's talk about what exactly do they
get in the package, and Christy please explain it to
us like a sixth grader, go step by step. Yes,
So this package is for queen organizations or community groups
that want to teach black history and have their own program.
And so you'll get me for a full day workstop

(08:44):
where I plaim you and your team how to teach
black history with confidence and even and restrict of the state.
And so I will do a live demonstration, help you
conneke sure that you're having the white educators because that
is tricky sometimes. And then also how to customize blessings
based on your local history and give you some curriculum

(09:06):
who start you off with. And then also how to
create your own band book library, which is super important
right now. And then you also will get two private
one hour coaching calls with me and twenty about twenty
lesson plans into last fit months. Well, this is this
is a really good package to get you going, and

(09:29):
I won't leave you by yourself. You'll still have me
there for support because that's so important as you go
through implementing this in your community. Okay, and then what
else the Workshop. Yes, that's so, that's the workshop of workshop.
I'm going to teach you how to do this, God

(09:49):
will organize it, how to get your militaria. I want
to help you get the materials you need to get started,
and particularly with the banned book library. I'm gonna give
you in books to start you off with curricum that
goes to those books that I curiated myself, and so
that's going to be really important and textlan. Some of
those books will be The Bluest Eye by Tony Morrison,

(10:13):
the Narrative of Frederick Douglas. But I will give you
those fIF ten to start out with. And then again,
like I said, I want to also give you two
hours of that coaching, so you'll have me and even
beyond that you'll have access to me. And then those
twenty lensings which will last you six months. Those nothing

(10:34):
will be from Athlatu, King Donk, the history of Black
Wall Street, the treatment of the Five, to the life Tribes,
things that you normally don't see in textbook. You'll get
all of that in this package. Okay, thank you for
going into more details, because we can say all the
materials you need, but people don't know like what that
material is, you know, and why it's so important, particularly

(10:55):
the bad book, and so that consulting advice that you're
giving them that worshop Not only and I'm just recapping it.
Not only are you training you know, the the sound
you know, on how to teach, but you're also giving
them ideas, and I would assume and clarify this, you're
giving them ideas on how to actually run the program.
So for example, your program was able to be funded

(11:17):
by National Geographic, you've been able to bring in other
partners of their educators. Tell us a little bit about
that so they can know like what the strength and
value in your consulting, because just saying they get a
word shop, I want to make sure they know like
what that really means. Besides just teaching, there's some organization,
organizational structure that you've been able to do that has

(11:37):
allowed you to be highest successful. So what are the
type of things you know, without giving it away, what
are the type of things that they can look forward
to on actually organizing it and doing it so that
it can be a print pro program, you know, for
their community as well. Yes, if I'm going to teach
you how to structure your your entire time and you're
going to be teaching black history and like Forton, Wow,

(12:00):
Well when I started Black History Saturday. I have all
these ideas that I'm going through together and my educational coach,
Sat Christy. You have the belittle you know, our kids
pre carry the fifth grade, they need recess. You didn't
incorporate that. So those are some things that I'm going
to help people kids will work through, and then also

(12:21):
helping them divine because everybody don't you know, they don't
want to go as grand as I did it right,
So I want to make I will customize you to
exactly what you'll want me to help you pick out
the target audience that you want. Assessment assessments is critical.
I'm going to teach you about how even have those
assessments because you measure the growth impact that you have.

(12:43):
If you're wanting to be able to apply for grants
and things like that, you have to show the impact
and measure that. And so I'm going to walk you
through that and give you assessment that you can use it.
Why did he start m H and that's important and

(13:08):
so you've had people already, you know, invest in this
program because PEP are very excited about it. I know
we talked about it in the previous episodes on why
this was so important, on why black history is so important,
but let's just recap that in case they did not
hear it, just quickly on you know why you started this?
For we know black history is important? But what motivated

(13:29):
you to start this program in Oklahoma? Instead of just
sitting back saying, oh my god, they took away black history?
Run us through that how we started this and why
and would it was a result of so our governor
he signed how with the strict black history being taught
in public school and the banning of over one hundred

(13:52):
books and for me being a defendant of a nineteen
twenty one thirty math because you know, I really got
pissed off because I felt people that all the time.
I got picked off and it drove me into action
and I said, you know what, I'm going to fight them.
And I started fighting. I would go down there to
the Capitol and I was like, why am I wasting
my time doing this one? I can just start my

(14:12):
own in peach our children, ourselfs. And so that's what
I did, and that's how That's how black history Saturday started,
and it's so important because still a lot of people
don't realize our history is being the race and real pride.
Right now, there's twenty feet states that have adopted legislation

(14:33):
jump like Oklahoma and across the country. Right now, over
ten thousand books have been banned, and most of those books,
like pe O, we look like a authors that I
see on TV right now, a lot of their books
are banned. And so now'm dealing not book banning or
you know, we hear things black history, but this is

(14:54):
truly an erase here of our history and people don't
understand that. A lot of people don't and I you know,
you think they would, but they don't. And so we
still have to keep hitting on that because we are
being a rape in real time. It says you've thopped
about this on your showing, well, I mean we are
being erased and real time mm and and a lot

(15:17):
of people have reached out to you Christia to say,
you know, I want to start this on my own,
and that's why you came up with this program because
you were just getting so many requests on how they
can do it. I have had so many people reach
out to me, some different states on how can I
do this in my state? How did you do this?

(15:38):
But this is why I wanted to offer this, because
this is how we put the line and people, you know,
don't realize too. In Oklahoma we had seventy seven counties,
all of them are red. And I always say, if
I can do in Oklahoma, you can do it in
your community as well, if it's going to take all

(15:58):
of us. But yeah, people reach out to me in
from Florida, Texas, Archiba, even Chicago or Chicago. It doesn't
need to have this type of legislation that we have,
but they're like, how do we get in front of it?
You know? And so I'm happy to you know them
as well. And I always tell kids. I'm speaking a

(16:19):
kid in Denver and I told them, I said, you
all are a privileged because what I'm teaching you I
can't teach my kids in Oklahoma at public scheme. I mean,
I'm in your public school teaching you black history and
our kids can't even do that here in Oklahoma. And
so their eyes light up like wow. They was like, well,

(16:40):
how do we help them? You know? And so now
I have them spending a meet book for kids here
and so built those band books and so it's starting
to call the accent across the country and it is
so needed. Absolutely well, you have certainly when we do
call push the line. I said it beginning the show.

(17:00):
What I'm saying again, you went from being the trainee
to the trainer of my program. In my program pushed
the line of politics till something happens. And you are
the star example on exactly how to push the line
in your local community. And I love that a part
of the program also you're teaching them. You take the
time to teach them how to pull history from their

(17:20):
own local communities as well, because a lot of people
don't know that they have rich history there locally. So
I love that. I love that you give access to
national history a lot of gems that were just not
aware of. You know, people know the basic stuff, Harriet
tell me, you know, Martin, Luther K and Malcolm X.
But you really get it to the we think that
people just are not familiar about it. And I've learned

(17:41):
so much and I love how you help people, you know,
really dig into their local community. More important the organization
of it all. You know, guys, I understand we have
the internet we got chat GPT, but there beats nothing
beats really having access to somebody who has started a program,
been successful in a program, can show you where to
get funding and show you how to keep it successful.

(18:03):
Christy trains hundreds of people on this every year and
has grown into a six figure program with grant. So
I cannot encourage you, guys enough. Reach out to her
if you have any questions. Black History Saturday is Christy Williams. Certainly.
I promote her constantly on my page at least once
a week every Saturday. I try to show something that
she's doing. She shows you tours, she shows you, you know,

(18:25):
like really what it looks like in real life. So guys,
follow her and thank you Christy. As always, I always
wanted you utilize my podcast to be a space for
you to be able to continue to let your life shine.
Because again, guys, if we are not securing our own organizations,
you know, everybody's saying holy like the good thing about Trump,
stop it everything, we get to do it for ourselves. Well,

(18:47):
now we get to show up to see who really
gonna do it. Because it's one thing to say it
and it's another thing to do it. So if you
don't right right if you don't want to do it,
the support somebody who is and tell about thank you
so much because you know I always say and I'm
not saying it just because we're on the tow right now, Plsey,
but you I could not have done this had I

(19:09):
not been a part of the push the line training
and watching you what you have been through. You were
alway you still our boots on the ground, but watching
you in Oklahoma City, the things you have done, the
training I have went under with you, that prepared me.
And you're still training me, you know, and so that
has prepared me to do what I'm doing now. And

(19:31):
so I am so appreciative of you, and which is
one of the reasons why I put you in my curriculum.
So you know, our students said way history Saturdays, even
the pre k or is my middle Then they know Tessland,
figure out, they know the line. If you walk into
that school on a Saturday, they will say that is
miss Tangling. So they know who you are. And so

(19:54):
it's important not to just study the history of the past,
but also the history that is happening now, because Pensy,
you created history right there in Atlanta. You've created history
in Oklahoma City, You've created history, and you're you're continuing
to create history in live come and so that's important

(20:15):
that our kids understand it. They need to know the
people who are fighting for them right now and just
as important as those who has thoughtfered us in the past,
but the people who are fighting right now in real time. Yeah. Absolutely, Well,
thank you so much. I appreciate that, and we're going
to continue. And I'll just say this as a you know,
one of the things we're covering this week is, you know,

(20:37):
san Dra Macy. A lot of people say, Ossandra Macy, say,
you know, this is all waste of time. You know,
protests are a waste of time. What's the point if
you know nobody's going to jail. And this is just
a great example on how the governor, Governor Pitsinger did
sign you know, legislation the Illinois governor to you know,
make sure that that our police officers have full background

(20:58):
checks and that you know, we are looking more into
who we're actually hiring, and so those things are made
through policy. You know, those are the things that people
forget about, you know, and so I'm just always excited
when we get the small wins because it is huge,
and you, me and so many of us really do
you know, do all we can, and we get criticized
that it's not enough, but we always got to remember

(21:19):
that we're putting something on it. And I tell people
it's not gonna completely perfect on our watch. And if
that's what you signing up for it, you signed and
you do signing up with a roun go do something else.
But if you can say I'm gonna throw something at it,
I'm gonna put a little bit of something on it,
I'm gonna put five on it, like what you're doing
with your program, then that's doing so much more than
anybody else ever has. And I believe that God is pleased.

(21:41):
He's pleased with your work. He's pleased with your adnocacy.
He's pleased. And when you go stand before him, this
ain't gonna be no. Well, you know I was waiting
on tesling to get the programs. Sorry, this is that? No? No, no, Christy,
what fun? What have you done with the gifts that
I've given you? And so you have made it? You
have you are pleasing to our Father and those of
you at religion, And I guess I talking to you,

(22:03):
but I know I'm talking to Christian. Well, please, and
we continue to do what's justin what's right. We are
not perfect, but we will find our skills on the
righteous side of things. That's right. That's right. I'm all right, well,
thank that's right, and we will talk to you next time.

(22:25):
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(22:47):
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