Is the Left OK? Advisor to PA Gov. Josh Shapiro Raises $20 Million to Bring

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Here at RedState, we have covered a variety of topics, and at this point, we should be used to crazy antics and inverted moral arguments from the woke, but it can still be shocking to hear what some people don’t think twice about saying out loud.

Sharif El-Mekki, founder of Center for Black Educator Development (CBED), was handpicked by Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) in 2022 as an advisor on his transition team. He has raised almost $20 million dollars for his foundation that openly advocates for black children to only be taught by black teachers. Yes, you heard that right.

El-Mekki, a former middle and high school teacher and principal, founded the Center for Black Educator Development (CBED) in 2019, which defines its vision as “a world where. . . all black students are taught by high-quality, same-race teachers,” and where “all teachers demonstrate high levels of expertise in anti-racist mindsets.” CBED argues that employing black teachers to educate black students increases educational outcomes.

His foundation has received donations from NBC Universal, Nike, the Bezos Family Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania School of Education, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which donated over $1.4 million.

El-Mekki was raised by parents who were members of the Black Panthers Party. He attended a Pan-African elementary school in Pennsylvania, Nidhamu Sasa, and then moved to Iran during middle school. El-Mekki’s mother Aisha, whose birth name was Saundra Marie Dickerson, was a Muslim convert and moved the family to Tehran so that they could experience living in a Muslim country. Her biography from the Philly Muslim Freedom Fund says, “She loved that Imam Khomeini continuously stood up to the bully without any fear. He called out the oppression of America and other superpowers.” The Khomeini she is referring to is the man we know as the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which plunged Iran into oppression and global isolation from Western countries.

Her son Sharif was also fond of Iran and still praises the country to this day. His unique upbringing has shaped his vision for how he believes black children should be educated. Part of his methodology is to
“inform” educators of the racial injustices in the history of the school system, but instead of celebrating one of the most triumphant human rights victories of our nation’s modern era, the desegregation of schools, he actually makes it out to be part of the conspiracy.

The Center for Black Educator Development is rebuilding, and not building, the Black teacher pipeline because we are well aware of how desegregation after 1954 was used to systematically undermine the Black teaching corps nationwide.

Extremists like El-Mekki have become well-trained at wording their agendas to sound noble. Do we want more black children to have access to good education? Do we want to see more black college graduates? Do we want more qualified professionals who are black? The answer to all of these should be yes for any sane and good person in America. However, the why, the how, and the at-what-cost are important parts of the conversation that often reveal less than noble agendas.

The purpose of Civil Rights Movement was to advocate for much needed equality for African Americans, but it wasn’t about putting one race in front of another. That is exactly the opposite of the movement. For the next generation of activists to advocate reversals of their wins, only this time with themselves put on top, is a dishonor to those who sacrificed for the progress of this nation.

The real question is, why are we even listening to this nonsense? Why does the Left pride itself as the champion of minorities, whilst adopting regressive practices that bring oppression back in another form? There can only be two explanations- ignorance or malevolence.

El-Mekki has been very articulate in describing his dream of a brighter future for black children in America. What he hasn’t described well enough is where white people would fit into that future. Is this about equality, or dominance? That is a question we all should ask, especially with such a progressive movement.

El-Mekki’s organization trained over 1700 educators in 2023. They have expanded outside of Pennsylvania and have made contracts with schools in California, Texas, and New York.