By Edwin Freeman
Photos: Edwin Freeman
On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, what would have been the 96th birthday of Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the 117th Founder’s Day of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Black Spectrum Theatre was filled to capacity as education and community leaders gathered for the latest Black Edfluencers-United (BE-U) convening. The event brought together influential figures committed to advancing educational equity in New York City.

I attended representing The Freeman Foundation for the Arts, which runs Hip-Hop Harmony, an innovative curriculum centering Black and LatinX cultural experiences in NYC schools. The program exemplifies our commitment to culturally responsive education through arts integration.
The distinguished attendees included BE-U Founder Dr. Shango Blake, Patrick Freeman of Pathways College Preparatory School, and Projects II Projects Founder Latoya LeGrand, who is also running for Queens District 28 City Council. Carl Clay, Founder of Black Spectrum Theatre, and Lynette Shelborne-Barfield, Director of Strategic Partnerships from Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams’ office, were also present.


Notable public officials in attendance included New York Senator Leroy Comrie, New York Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams, and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Avila-Ramos, demonstrating the strong institutional support for advancing educational equity in our communities.
The energy in the room reflected a shared commitment to transforming education through cultural empowerment and community collaboration. As we continue this important work, partnerships forged at gatherings like BE-U will be crucial in creating lasting positive change in our education system.
