Sabriya Jubilee

I do racial equity and social justice work as recompense for my existence in this world. As a Black woman raised in the city of Philadelphia, I am all too familiar with what it means to be “other.” Growing up, I was taught that as a Black person I had to be twice as good for half the credit. And while I know these words of wisdom were shared for my survival, they also have been the cause of great anxiety as I’ve navigated through my academic, personal, and professional worlds. Still, I stand on the shoulders of men and women who made great sacrifices in the face of insurmountable adversity, all for the liberation of their community. I am a result of their freedom songs and prayers. And, because of this, I have an obligation to continue this work, this spiritual work, of dismantling systems of oppression, especially racial oppression. And, when this era is recorded in history, I want to know that I was one of the ones who joined the ranks, took up arms, and fought, for those who were, those who are, and those who are yet to come.

Sabriya Jubilee is Deputy Chief, Equity, for The School District of Philadelphia.