Schools, Districts, Youth Programs, & Organizations
The 3E Program: For Teachers By Teachers
The 3E Program for Social Justice and Change consists of lessons designed by teachers, for teachers who seek a progressive approach to teaching U.S. history topics free of omissions and distortions as it relates to African Americans and BIPOC communities.
The program was created by educators Brandi Webb and Melody Michaux. Webb worked as a teacher (K-12) for the NYC Department of Education, and taught film and theater for various organizations. Melody Michaux served as an educator, curriculum writer, and educational consultant, spanning 35+ years of service with the New York City Department of Education and the Atlanta Public Schools. She founded The Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Academy in Atlanta, a single gender school. Webb and Michaux collaborated with Phillip Panaritis on the development of the program in which Panaritis served as a revision and editing expert. Panaritis worked at the NYC Department of Education for 35+ years as a high school social studies teacher, curriculum and grant writer, and supervisor at the district and city-wide level.
The program consists of 9 U.S. history and current event topics. There is a middle school (1.1) and high school (1.2) version for each of the topics covered. Lessons are based on the New York State curriculum standards for civics, citizenship, and government. These standards require the ability to “ask and answer analytical questions, take a skeptical attitude towards questionable arguments, formulate rational conclusions, and develop and refine participatory skills.”
The 3E Foundation: Ethics, Empathy, and Empowerment
Each lesson is built on our foundational principles; Ethics, Empathy, and Empowerment. Teachers who use the 3E program will guide students through a critical thinking process that allows them to self-assess their social and political views and opinions relative to their moral compass. Topic questions and tasks are carefully crafted to teach students how to empathize and show compassion for others who differ from them in ideology and circumstance.
Engagement activities instill advocacy and leadership skills in students. Those skills will drive them to identify social justice issues and lead calls to action that work toward improvement of social problems in their community.
Program Inspiration: Betrayal of a Nation
The 3E Program was inspired by activist, filmmaker, and educator Brandi Webb’s award-winning documentary, Betrayal of a Nation, and uses video clips from topics presented in the film as a complementary learning aid to lessons. Betrayal of a Nation is a documentary that tries the United States government on charges for crimes committed against Black and Brown citizens. Webb spent four years compiling research and interviewing historians and civil rights activists to get an accurate understanding of the plight of Black and Brown citizens in America. In addition to being used as a learning resource, Betrayal of a Nation has been screened in schools as a part of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs
Sample-Betrayal of a Nation video clip “Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment”
| Lesson Topics |
|---|
Lesson topics correspond to the video topics featured in the Betrayal of a Nation documentary. |
America: The First Crime Trail of Tears, Indian Removal Act, broken treaties, tactics used to acquire Indigenous land and its impact today
Chattel Slavery, Convict Lease system, Equality, Jim Crow, Pig Laws, Vagrancy Laws, Black Codes, lynchings, Emmett Till, Ku Klux Klan
Black-owned businesses, How the community flourished, The Tulsa Race Massacre, Institutional Racism
Recruitment (propaganda) of male subjects, Unethical medical practices (J. Marion Sims), medical distrust in the African American community, effects of the study
Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, their ideals, their impact, why they were perceived as a threat to white supremacy, agencies Involved in their deaths, COINTELPRO, Informants
Socio-economic disparities (housing, healthcare, education, employment), access to the American Dream, American ideals and challenges
Cash Bail system, Kalief Browder, Broken Windows Policing, Stop & Frisk, probable cause, effects of mass incarceration, arrest quotas, plea deals, disproportionate rates of Black and Latino incarceration
Implicit Bias, de-escalation strategies, cultural diversity training, 4th admendment citizen protections, excessive force, racial profiling, qualified immunity
The call for reparations, H.R 40 Reparations Bill, precedents, Special Field Order #15 (40 acres and a mule), inherited generational wealth & poverty, racial trauma, community restoration
Lesson Structure
All lessons begin with a topic question and the viewing of a Betrayal of a Nation video clip that corresponds with the lesson topic. The teacher introduces three or four supporting questions with tasks related to the question. Various resources and strategies are used to assist students with tasks such as think/pair/share, classroom debates, compare and contrast, note-taking, and conducting research. Lesson extensions are introduced to deepen the students’ understanding of how past events affect communities today. Lessons culminate with call to action activities that promote civic engagement. Some civic engagement tasks include: writing a congressional bill, developing community proposals, strategizing social awareness campaigns, and creating public service announcements.
Program Materials
Teachers are equipped with digital, online access to lessons, video clips, handouts, articles, and pre-post assessments in order to effectively implement lessons. Articles are readily accessible via program links for the students. Required supplies for students are notebooks, pen and pencils, markers, glue, poster board, and magazines. Accessibility to a laptop, tablet, or computer, will be needed to conduct research. Technology should have updated software and access to the internet.
Significant Dates & Correlating Lessons
While we recommend the teaching of the entire course, 3E lessons can be taken out of sequence and used to highlight events celebrated throughout the year.
| Significant Dates |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day |
| Anniversary of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre |
| Birthdays of Dr. King, Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, |
| Juneteenth |
| George Floyd Remembrance |
| Correlated Lessons |
| Execution of Civil Rights Leaders |
| Black Wall Street |
| Execution of Civil Rights Leaders |
| Oppressed by Design, Reparations |
| Police Brutality |
Professional Development
Professional development is for schools, districts, and organizations. We offer virtual and in person options. Price varies based on the type of development requested (one on one, small or large groups) and the amount of hours required for training. Professional development may take the form of reviewing lessons and offering suggestions on how to implement, providing demonstration lessons, or a mix of the two options. If something different is needed for professional development other than what is offered, a request can be made to tailor the sessions to the needs of the school or teacher.
Homeschooling Parents
The 3E Program is perfect for middle and high school families, who are looking for a supplemental U.S. history program that acknowledges the experiences of African Americans and BIPOC communities. The lessons are academically rigorous and comprehensive. They cover a wide range of topics that encompass a timeline of triumphs and tragedies that have shaped the current condition of African American, Latino, and Native American communities.
An Innovative Resource for Proactive Parents
The 3E Program offers a digital plan that gives students access to assessments, quizzes, handouts, article links, videos, and lessons.
Convenient learning through a Digital Experience
Our online course is optimal for a convenient online learning experience equipped with guided video lessons and activities. The online course cycle is self-paced and offers student support from our staff. Students will easily be guided through lessons, answering questions, and completing assignments and tasks. When students are in need of help, 3E program staff are available to engage parent or student needs via email correspondence.
All students who successfully complete the 3E Program can be granted a certificate of completion and are eligible to become 3E Program Ambassadors.
View our schedule for upcoming classes semesters.