Greensboro sit-in begins

On February 1, 1960, in Greensboro, North Carolina, four Black college students spark a nationwide civil rights movement by refusing to leave a “whites-only” lunch counter at a popular retail store after they are denied service. The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State students—Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil and David Richmond—become known as the “Greensboro Four.”

The students sat at the Woolworth counter until the store closed, promising they would be back the next day. By the end of the first week, 200 protested at the store.

The demonstration in Greensboro continued for six months, until Woolworth gave in and integrated the lunch counter.

Although not the first sit-in, the non-violent Greensboro protest became the best known. Local television provided extensive coverage, and in subsequent days, similar sit-ins occurred in more than 30 other cities.

The initial protest was a result of extensive planning by the students, who received guidance from mentor activists and others.

In 2002, a monument to the “Greensboro Four” was dedicated at North Carolina A&T. The Woolworth’s store, which closed in 1993, became home to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum

READ MORE: Civil Rights Movement Timeline

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Journalist Daniel Pearl is murdered

On February 1, 2002, 38-year-old American journalist Daniel Pearl, the Southeast Asia bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal, is murdered by a terror group in Pakistan. Weeks later, a videotape of Pearl’s beheading was released, shocking millions and underscoring the threat of terrorism less than a year after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

On January 23, 2002, Pearl, who was Jewish, was on his way to what he thought was an interview with a Pakistani religious leader in Karachi as part of his research into Islamist militants. But he was kidnapped near a hotel by terrorists, who claimed he was a spy. The group—which called itself the National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty—demanded the United States free all Pakistani terror detainees.

The terrorists released photos of a handcuffed Pearl with a gun at his head and holding up a newspaper. The group did not respond to public pleas for his release from his family or others.

U.S. intelligence failed to track down the kidnappers of Pearl, whose remains were discovered weeks later in Pakistan. The journalist’s kidnapping and death received widespread media coverage.

In 2002, British national Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh was convicted of Pearl’s murder. (The Pakistani Supreme Court ordered his release in 2021.) In 2007, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed of the al-Qaeda global terror network claimed responsibility for Pearl’s murder. Others have been connected to the journalist’s death, including an Egyptian with ties to al-Qaeda.

Pearl’s widow, also a journalist, wrote a book about her husband’s life titled A Mighty Heart. In 2007, the movie version of the book was co-produced by Brad Pitt and starred Angelina Jolie.

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Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Search Update

The Broward County School Board is committed to ensuring a fully transparent process in the search for a new Superintendent of Schools.

During a Special School Board Meeting on Tuesday, January 25, 2022, School Board members reviewed the list of qualified applicants provided by Ray and Associates, the independent firm hired to conduct the search. The top four finalists were identified based on the overall selections by School Board members. Ray and Associates read aloud the totals for each candidate during the meeting; however, after the meeting, a concern was raised that the individual selections by each School Board member had not been shared.

On Wednesday morning, January 26, the tally sheet with individual School Board member selections was provided to those requesting the information. Additionally, this information was placed on the District’s website for the public to view.

To ensure the integrity of the superintendent search process, the School Board will hold the meeting again on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, at 10 a.m., at the Kathleen C. Wright Administration Center, 600 S.E. Third Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301. The meeting will be live streamed at browardschools.com/meetingagendas.

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”  

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 170 different countries and 147 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools and download the free BCPS mobile app.

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Amadou Diallo killed by police

Plainclothes officers of the New York Police Department’s Street Crime Unit fire 41 shots at unarmed Amadou Diallo, an immigrant from Guinea, killing him on the steps of his apartment building shortly after midnight on February 4, 1999. Diallo’s killing sparked a public outcry and eventually resulted in the shuttering of the SCU, but the four officers who shot him were found not guilty of his murder.

Officers Sean Carroll, Edward McMellon, Kenneth Boss and Richard Murphy were all members of the SCU, a special plainclothes unit of the NYPD that had earned plaudits from others in law enforcement. At the time of the shooting, the SCU was already involved in controversy: in January, two SCU officers had fired eight shots at Russell “Ol’ Dirty Bastard” Jones of the Wu Tang Clan, falsely accusing him of having fired at them when it was later revealed he had been holding a cell phone, not a gun. 

The Diallo incident was similar: as he stood on the stoop of his building in the Bronx, the four officers mistakenly identified Diallo as a suspect—they claimed to have confused him for a serial rapist, but at other times suggested they had identified him as a mugger or drug dealer. Whatever their reasoning, the officers, who were dressed as civilians, shouted at Diallo to show his hands. Diallo apparently reached into his pocket instead, pulling out his wallet as he attempted to run for the safety of his building. Carroll shouted to his fellow officers that Diallo had a gun. The officers later stated that they warned Diallo before opening fire on him; however, a witness testified that they did not give warning before firing at him 41 times, and that many of the shots were fired after he had already fallen to the ground. 19 shots hit Diallo, who died within minutes.

The killing incensed much of the public, to the extent that the officer’s trial for reckless endangerment and second-degree murder was moved to Albany. On February 25, 2000, the jury found the four officers not guilty of all charges. Diallo’s father, Saikou Diallo, called the verdict “the second killing” of his son, while former New York City Mayor David Dinkins warned “This will send the wrong message to those members of the Street Crime Unit who walk around saying, ‘We own the night.’” The killing did lead to an investigation of the SCU and its subsequent disbandment. Diallo’s family filled a civil wrongful death suit against the city and eventually received $3 million. 

Diallo’s killing has inspired and been referenced in works by a number of musicians and artists, including Public Enemy, Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen and the Strokes. All four officers remained with the NYPD. Boss, who had previously shot another Black suspect dead in 1997, was promoted to sergeant in 2015.

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School Board Approves Broward Teachers Union Contract Agreements for Teachers and Education Support Professionals

On Friday, January 21, 2022, the Broward County School Board unanimously approved contract agreements reached with the Broward Teachers Union (BTU) in December, which provide salary increases to the Education Professionals (EP) and Educational Support Professionals (ESP) bargaining units for the 2021/22 school year.

During the negotiations, held on December 16, 2021, the following terms were reached on behalf of BTU Educational Professionals:

  • $2,000 one-time stipend for all active EP unit members
  • Salary increases of 1.33% for Highly Effective teachers on the Pay for Performance salary schedule, 1.07%
    salary increase for teachers on the grandfathered salary schedule, and 1% for Effective teachers on the Pay
    for Performance salary schedule
  • $1,000 bonus for instructional personnel who did not qualify for the $1,000 Disaster Relief Bonus provided
    by the state
  • $500 supplement for multilingual itinerant support staff whose workload has substantially increased above
    their normal caseload due to providing services to students and families who would normally be serviced by
    a monolingual staff member

On Friday, December 17, 2021, the following terms were reached on behalf of BTU Educational Support Professionals:

  • $1,500 one-time stipend for all active ESP members
  • Increase of salary schedule for Classroom Assistants, including raising minimum hourly rate from $11.51 to
    $13
  • Increase of salary schedule for Teacher Assistants, including raising minimum hourly rate from $13.27 to $15

With the School Board’s approval, District staff will work to provide the agreed upon salary increases and stipends
as soon as possible.

Watch the news conference regarding the Broward Teachers Union Contract Agreement

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is
Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241
schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 170
different countries and 147 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on
Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools and download the free BCPS mobile app.

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2022/23 School Choice Application Deadline is Approaching! Deadline is Tuesday, February 1, 2022

School Choice Logo

Attention families! If you are interested in submitting a School Choice application for the 2022/23 school year, the deadline is quickly approaching on Tuesday, February 1, 2022.

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is a national leader for offering innovative, personalized learning programs to meet students’ interests and prepare them for college and careers. The School Choice application window, which opened December 1, 2021, provides opportunities to apply for magnet programs, Nova schools and school reassignments.

This year, there is a new School Choice application system, which requires parents and guardians to create a School Choice Family Dashboard prior to applying. Families will need their child’s student number to submit an application. Just visit browardschools.com/schoolchoice and click the “Create Family Dashboard” icon to start this process. Note: Parents, guardians and caregivers whose students are new to BCPS may visit any District school by Friday, January 28, to request and receive a student number in time to submit an application prior to the deadline.

Important Information about the John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities:

The state is transitioning the John M. McKay Scholarship public school option to a new Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA). A separate application window will no longer be available. Families that qualify for this scholarship may apply during the current and future School Choice application windows at browardschools.com/schoolchoice.

For more information contact the Office of School Choice at 754-321-2480 or email schoolchoice@browardschools.com.

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James S. Rickards Middle School Students Return Home on January 18, 2022

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is pleased to welcome James S. Rickards Middle School seventh and eighth grade students, teachers and staff back on the school’s campus in Oakland Park on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. The on-site modular portable campus will serve as the school’s temporary home while a new building is built following a structural roof failure on March 5, 2021.

Following the school closure, Broward College immediately opened its North Campus doors to welcome Rickards Middle students who had been attending face-to-face classes during the pandemic. The students remained at Broward College until the end of the school year.

At the start of the 2021/22 school year, sixth grade students began classes at William Dandy Middle School, returning to Rickards Middle in October. Seventh grade students began classes at Lauderdale Lakes Middle School and eighth grade students have been at Northeast High School. The returning students are attending classes in 33 modular portables until the new building is completed.

“Throughout this process, our School Board listened to parents, guardians, students and staff of the Rickards Middle community. Board approval of the modular portables enabled the District to bring Rickards Middle students back on campus together as quickly as possible,” said Laurie Rich Levinson, School Board Chair.

“We are thrilled that our seventh and eighth grade students are returning to the Rickards Middle campus,” said Sarah Leonardi, District 3 School Board member. “By providing the modular portables, all of our students can be together again.”

“During the past year, our teachers have been flexible as they educated students in various locations, and our parents, guardians and caregivers have been patient and understanding as we worked to provide continuity for their child’s learning,” said BCPS Interim Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright. “We are grateful to Broward College for partnering with us and making it possible for our students to continue face-to-face learning at its beautiful North Campus.”

“On behalf of the teachers and support staff of Rickards Middle, we are happy to welcome our students back home to continue to serve their educational, social and emotional needs,” said Principal Washington Collado, Rickards Middle. “We want to concentrate on maximizing their learning opportunities.”

James S. Rickards Middle School Information

  • School hours are 9:15 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. Breakfast starts at 8:30 a.m. (free for all students).
  • Student drop off and pick up: Cars enter via Northeast 9th Avenue from the south gate and loop around the track.
  • Bus loop is now located in the north parking lot.
    Visitors enter the campus through a portable in the north parking lot that provides a single-point-of-entry into the school campus.

For questions, call Rickards Middle at 754-322-4400.

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 92 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 177 different countries and 151 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools and download the free BCPS mobile app.

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Kamala Harris becomes first female vice president

Kamala Harris makes history when she is sworn in as the 49th U.S. vice president on January 20, 2021, becoming the first woman, the first Black American and the first Asian American to occupy the office.

When Harris was chosen as Joe Biden’s running mate in August 2020, the former California senator and attorney general, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, became the third woman to be named on a major political party’s ticket, following Geraldine Ferraro (chosen by Walter Mondale) in 1984 and Sarah Palin (chosen by John McCain) in 2008. Harris made her own presidential bid in the 2020 Democratic Party’s primary before suspending her campaign and endorsing Biden. Together, they defeated incumbents Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

“In many ways, this moment embodies our character as a nation,” Harris said on the evening of her inauguration. “It demonstrates who we are. Even in dark times—we not only dream. We do. We not only see what has been, we see what can be.”

As second in line for the U.S. presidency, Harris has come closer than any woman before her to breaking what Hillary Clinton famously called “the highest, hardest glass ceiling.” 

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BCPS High School Federal Graduation Rate Remains at 89%

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) graduation rate remains nearly unchanged for the 2020/21 school year when compared to the prior year, according to graduation rates released by the Florida Department of Education on January 4, 2022. The Federal Graduation Rate (includes traditional high schools, centers and charter schools) for BCPS was 89.1%, which is 0.3 percentage points lower than the prior year, but is nearly 18 percent points higher than in 2010/11. The graduation rate for traditional District high schools only (excludes centers and charter schools) decreased slightly by 0.5 percentage points to 96.6% in 2020/21, compared to the prior year.

Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, high school seniors in 2019/20 and 2020/21 were exempt from statewide standardized assessment requirements for graduation. All other requirements for graduation still had to be met to earn a diploma.

Additional highlights:

BCPS Graduation Rates 2011 through 2021• 35 of 36 traditional District high schools achieved a graduation rate of 90% or higher, with 27 of these schools reaching a graduation rate at or above 95%.

• Graduation rates remained stable among the following subgroups compared to 2019/20: Black or African American students (86.6%, a 0.1 percentage point increase), and white students (92.7%, a 0.3 percentage point increase).

• The graduation rate gap for English Language Learners (ELL) and non-ELL students narrowed in 2020/21 by 0.3 percentage points to 2.5%.

• 8 District high schools earned 100% graduation rates: Atlantic Technical High School, Broward Virtual School, College Academy at Broward College, Lauderhill 6-12, Millennium 6-12 Collegiate Academy, Pompano Beach High School, Sheridan Technical High School, and William T. McFatter Technical High School.

• Hollywood Hills High School and South Broward High School achieved the largest graduation rate increases from the previous year, each increasing nearly 3 percentage points.

“The past two years have been challenging for our students and school communities due to the pandemic,” said BCPS Interim Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright. “We remain committed to providing all students with the resources and support they need to be successful. We’re proud of the hard work by our teachers, administrators and staff toward ensuring our students graduate on time and are college, career and life ready.”

For information about the state’s graduation rates, visit https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7584/urlt/GradRates2021.pdf.

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.” Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth-largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. The District is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962 and has nearly 261,000 pre-K-12th grade students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers, and technical colleges, and 92 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, representing 170 different countries and 147 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS mobile app

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