Black Californians United for Early Care and Education

We were at the Capitol yesterday. And we had something to say. BlackECE's annual Staff Advocacy Day brought us directly to California's legislative offices to advance our 2026 Policy Agenda. Two priorities that are non-negotiable for us: 💲 Economic Justice From supporting the California Reparations Task Force recommendations and ensuring ECE is included in reparations legislation, to demanding a cost-based rate system that reimburses providers for the true cost of care — we're fighting for the resources and recognition that Black ECE professionals have long been denied. Our babies deserve educators who are paid their worth, supported in their growth, and sustained in this field. 🤎 Cultural Affirmation We're pushing the conversation beyond culturally responsive — and into culturally affirming. Black children deserve to be seen, valued, and proud of who they are inside every early learning space. That means centering Black culture and language, recognizing Black English as the rule-governed language it is, dismantling anti-Blackness in ECE, and building a mixed delivery system that truly serves Black families. Every conversation we had yesterday was for our children. Every ask we made was rooted in love and backed by evidence. Find our 2026 Policy Agenda on our website at /policyagenda

🔥 Powerful. Unapologetic. Unstoppable. During ECPCA’s Community Power Building Day, Tonia McMillian of Black Californians United for Early Care and Education @blackececa delivered a spoken word poem that reminds us exactly who holds the power: parents. Her words are a declaration, a call to action, and a promise to our children: I am the one. I am that parent. I am that voice. I've got my power, and I've made a choice to call out the system designed for my failure. Today, I stand tall because I am that warrior. One thing I know, my children will thrive. We've come through many storms, and we still survive. The system is wrong on so many levels, but my voice has the power to defeat many devils. I stand in the gap. Don't mess with me now. These problems can be fixed, and I'll tell you how. When parents reach out, don't turn up your nose. Help them, support them to flourish and grow. We don't want your pity, not even your sorrows. Grant us the resources to see our tomorrows. Remove all the hurdles and barriers there. Tear down the walls. Make the system fair. We want what you want, and there's plenty of room for all God's children like flowers to bloom. I am that parent. I'll fight till the end for my precious children to succeed, to win. I'll use all my strength. I know I've got choices. I walk in all power within parent voices. I am that parent. Please don't get it wrong. My voice will be heard and my kids' future strong. I'm paving the way, and I guarantee my work done today, the whole world will see. So I put on my armor and hold my head high. I do what I must so children can fly. I am that parent. Hear me roar. Take a look out your window, 'cause I'm at your door. Open it up. Welcome me in. Let's talk about plans where everyone wins. I am that parent. I am the one I was waiting for, and so were you. This is what community power looks like. This is what parent leadership sounds like. When parents speak, systems must listen. #CommunityPower #ParentVoices #EarlyEducation #ECPCA

Registration is now OPEN! Registration is now open for the 2026 BlackECE Symposium: We are the Return, happening August 6th - 7th. In honor of Black History Month, we’re offering special registration perks to our community: ✨ Exclusive Black History Month Discount Previous BlackECE Symposium attendees will receive a discounted registration rate as our thank you for building with us year after year. ✨ The Kickback — Included Everyone who registers during Black History Month will receive an RSVP to the Symposium Kickback at no additional cost. After Black History Month, Kickback access will be available for an additional fee. We’re not starting from scratch — we are carrying forward the legacy. Register at #BlackECE #BlackECESymposium #BHM #BlackHistoryMonth #EconomicJustice

The knowledge brief series, The Brilliance and Importance of Affirming Black (English) Language in Early Childhood Education, by @blackececa , @caltog , @catalystcalifornia , and @earlyedgeca launches its third volume: Honoring Black Language in Early Learning: Foundations for Literacy Development. The third volume explains that literacy is a broad, interconnected system rooted in language, where young children develop essential skills through diverse forms of communication long before formal reading begins. It emphasizes that affirming #BlackLanguage in early childhood education is critical, both because early language experiences strongly shape long-term academic success and because literacy has historically been tied to freedom and resistance for Black communities. By recognizing Black Language as an asset and using it to bridge learning, educators can strengthen comprehension, identity, and engagement while supporting early reading development. The brief calls for culturally affirming practices, meaningful partnerships with Black families, and policy changes, particularly in California, to ensure Black Language is recognized and embedded as a foundational part of literacy development rather than overlooked. Access this knowledge brief and more at: /blackenglish/ #BlackChildren #BlackECE #BlackEnglish #ECE

Meet Marcella Graves @marcellagraves4 , a family childcare provider and returning advocate for our annual Lift Every Voice Advocacy Day. In our upcoming Advocacy Day on Wednesday April 29th, Marcella and our other advocates are looking forward meeting with legislators to share about their concerns for the rate structure in California and the future of Black children in our state. Follow along to see who we meet with and who else is joining us to advocate for economic justice! #blackece #lifteveryvoice #economicjustice

✨ Join @blackececa , @caltog , @catalystcalifornia , and @earlyedgeca for the second webinar in the three-part webinar series, The Brilliance and Importance of Affirming Black English in Early Childhood Education, which will examine the historical roots of #BlackEnglish and its connection to early literacy development. Centering community knowledge and parent–child relationships, this session highlights how honoring home language is grounded in the wisdom of families and cultural insiders, and how it shapes how young children come to understand language and learning. This dynamic conversation will feature special guest speakers, Dr. Jamilia Lyiscott and T’Shaka Bailey moderated by Dr. Ash from Black Californians United for Early Care and Education (#BlackECE). The session will draw from family and community listening sessions to connect history, language, and literacy, offering grounded insights that support language-affirming practice across early childhood settings. Register here (link in bio): https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9l8iyT7vRfK1qRlsyoYkWA#/registration #BlackChildren #BlackLanguage #ECE

This second volume of the knowledge brief series, The Brilliance and Importance of Affirming Black (English) Language in Early Childhood Education, by @blackececa , @caltog , @catalystcalifornia , and @earlyedgeca explores #BlackLanguage as a historically rooted rule-governed linguistic system shaped by African diasporic knowledge, resilience and cultural continuity. The brief highlights how African-descended communities developed rich and systematic forms of communication and shows how history has defined language hierarchies. The brief calls for recognition of Black Language as an asset in early education and emphasizes its role in affirming identity and strengthening early learning and care systems. Access this knowledge brief (link in bio) and more at: blackece.org/blackenglish #BlackChildren #BlackECE #BlackEnglish #ECE

Two conferences. Two cities. Countless reasons why this work is non-negotiable. 🖤✨ Norfolk, Virginia — @blackliteracymatters_official Conference at Norfolk State University. Our Samantha Thompson and Lisa Wilson walked into that room and delivered. Their presentation on Black Language in Early Care and Education wasn’t just a talk — it was a declaration. Black language belongs in early childhood spaces. Full stop. 🎤 Anaheim, California — @thecaaasa_ Annual Conference. Fellowship. Fire workshops. Exactly the kind of energy that recharges you for the work ahead. 💪🏾 BlackECE was in the building — both buildings. And we’ll keep showing up wherever the work calls us. And shoutout to @black_spice_va for one of the best meals we’ve ever had! #BlackECE #WeShowUp #BlackLiteracyMatters #CAAASA #BlackLanguage #EarlyChildhoodEducation #ECELeaders #BlackExcellence

💵Millions of California kids have CalKIDS accounts, with $2B+ already saved. But most haven’t been claimed! Learn more about this early wealth-building program and how families can access it in Bringing Up California’s new webinar: 👶 From Cradle to College 📅 April 14, 2026 🕓 12PM PT 🔗 Register here: tinyurl.com/CradleToCollege26

Happy International Women’s Day Today, we honor the power, leadership, and legacy of Black women — especially their foundational role in the history of child care in this country. Black women were the first child care providers in the United States. They nurtured generations of children, built the foundation of the early care and education system we know today, and did it all while their labor was overlooked, undervalued, and underpaid. That legacy lives on. In the Family, Friend, and Neighbor providers. In the center-based educators. In every caregiver who shows up each day with love, intention, and an unshakeable commitment to Black children and our communities. To the Black women who nurture brilliance, protect joy, and hold our babies with care — we see you. We honor you. Not just today, but every day. #InternationalWomensDay #BlackWomen #BlackECE #ChildCareProviders #ECEJustice #BlackWomenLead

We said We Are the Return — and we meant it. We are BEYOND thrilled to announce @michaelharriot as a speaker at the 2026 BlackECE Symposium: We Are the Return. The King of Black Twitter. NYT bestselling author of Black AF History. Harvard's Nyhan Prize recipient. CNN's go-to on the word "woke." The man who invented "invited to the cookout." Michael Harriot doesn't just tell history — he restores it. And this August, he's bringing that energy to a room full of people fighting for Black children, Black families, and the future of early care and education. 📅 August 6–7, 2026 📍 Tsakopoulos Library Galleria 🎟️ Register now → blackecesymposium.org #BlackECE #WeAreTheReturn #BlackHistory #EarlyChildhoodEducation #MichaelHarriot #BlackAFHistory

Join Us at the Black Literacy Matters Conference 2026! BlackECE is excited to be presenting at the Boots on the Ground: Black Literacy Matters Conference, taking place March 11–14, 2026, at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia. @blackliteracymatters_official 🎤 Presenters: Lisa Wilson, BlackECE Language Justice Consultant & Samantha Thompson, Woman Who Makes Things Happen ⭐ Session Title: Language as Identity: Supporting Early Literacy Through Black English and Black Languages This national conference brings together educators, parents, advocates, researchers, and leaders committed to reclaiming literacy and rewriting history for Black children and communities. If you are passionate about literacy, education, language, culture, advocacy, or systems change, we invite you to join us in Norfolk and be part of this powerful movement. 🔗 The link to register is in our bio! #BlackLiteracyMatters #BLM2026Conference