Centering Black Immigrants in Education:
Learning, Acting, and Advocating for Equity
📆 Wednesday, May 20, 2026
⏲ 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM ET
📍 Zoom
One of CUNY-IIE’s grounding principles is: Black Immigrant Lives Matter. We stand in solidarity with all those fighting for equality and justice in the Black Lives Matter movement. It is therefore important to approach our work with that sense of solidarity in mind.
Although Black immigrants make up the smallest percentage of immigrants in the United States, they are more likely to be targeted for deportation. By centering the lives and experiences of those who are most vulnerable, we can advocate for equity for everyone.
This webinar highlighted some of the people and organizations that support Black immigrants while also bringing to light the many challenges they face. The information and resources shared helped educators to better tap into the strengths and address the needs of the Black immigrant students and families in their school communities.
Panelists included:
Astou Thiane, Policy and Advocacy Director, UndocuBlack Network
Darnell Benoit, Founder and Executive Director, Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project
Nana Gyamfi, Executive Director, Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)
This webinar was moderated by Tammy Alsace and Carmina Makar, associate investigators at CUNY-IIE.
Video recording of Centering Black Immigrants in Education webinar hosted on May 20, 2026
Resources:
Featured Organizations
Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)
Racial justice and immigrant rights organizing, civic engagement, youth organizing, policy, and legal services.
Website | Instagram | Phone: (347) 410-5312 | Policy inquiries: policy@baji.org
Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project
Serves Black immigrant students in NYC public schools with family support and education advocacy. Services include academic support, college access, career pathways, and city access.
Website | Phone: (718) 774-3037 | Email: info@flanbwayan.org
UndocuBlack Network
Policy and advocacy for Black immigrants at the federal level, plus direct legal services.
Website | Instagram
Direct support and resources highlighted during the webinar
Brave House (ages 16-24)
Community of support for young immigrant and refugee women and gender-expansive youth with focus on survivors of gender-based violence. Services include free legal aid, leadership training, wellness classes, job and school assistance, and support for young moms.
Website | Instagram | Email: TheBraveHouseBrooklyn@gmail.com
NYC Community Interpreter Bank
Translation and interpretation services for families in multiple languages. It supports families accessing social services and school communications in their primary language.
Website
NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA)
Free legal consultations, information on immigration rights, and connections to immigrant support services citywide.
Website | Email: AskMOIA@cityhall.nyc.gov
Phone: (212) 788-7654 (general info) or 1-800-354-0365 (legal support hotline)
The Door (ages 12-21)
Drop-in center providing mental health support, immigration legal support, and wellness programs for young people.
Website | Phone: (212) 941-9090
Organizations and tools shared by panelists to advance advocacy and policy work for Black immigrant students and families
2026 Fact Sheet: Black Immigrants Make the U.S. Stronger
Co-created by UndocuBlack Network, Haitian Bridge Alliance, FWD.US, and NAACP.
Stop Taking Our People (STOP) Framework & Break the ICE Machine Campaign
Learn about Black-led resistance and advocacy strategies for disrupting immigration enforcement infrastructure.
National Newcomer Network
National coalition of educators, researchers, advocates, and policymakers supporting K-12 newcomer students nationwide.
Website | Instagram | Contact: Alejandra Vázquez Baur (avazquezbaur@tcf.org)
Speaker bios:
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Astou Thiane was born in Dakar, Senegal, immigrated to the United States at age seven, and was raised in Harlem, New York City. She learned of her undocumented status in high school, which made accessing higher education a significant challenge. After receiving DACA in 2013, she was able to work and self-finance her college education.
Driven by a belief in education as a tool for empowerment, Astou became a literacy teacher in 2015, serving immigrant students in New York City middle schools for five years. In 2020, she became Assistant Principal of Humanities in Brooklyn, leading ELA and Social Studies teams through remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Astou was selected as a Teach For America Capitol Hill Fellow and served in the office of U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, where she advanced equity for marginalized communities. She later led policy and advocacy efforts at ImmSchools, an immigrant-led nonprofit supporting immigrant-origin students and families.
Astou is currently the Policy and Advocacy Director at UndocuBlack Network, a national organization building power for currently and formerly undocumented Black immigrants. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, dancing, and spending time with loved ones.
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Darnell Benoit is the Founder and Director of Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project, which she established in 2005 after more than a decade as an ESL teacher in New York City. Frustrated by the lack of support and inequitable placement of immigrant students in public schools, she founded Flanbwayan to advance education justice for newcomer youth.
As an immigrant, former English language learner, and educator, Darnell is a leading advocate for improving outcomes for multilingual learners. She works to advance systems that center equity, access, and culturally responsive support. She is an educator, organizer, and dedicated champion for immigrant youth and families.
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Nana Gyamfi is an award-winning human rights attorney, movement strategist, and the Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), the nation’s foremost Black-led immigrant rights and racial justice organization. With over 30 years at the forefront of legal, political, and cultural movements, she has shaped landmark campaigns for Black liberation, immigrant justice, and abolition. A sought-after voice on state violence, international human rights, and Black Diasporic organizing, Gyamfi has appeared across national and global media and served as a legal and political advisor to community-based and transnational coalitions. She is the former President of the National Conference of Black Lawyers and a former associate professor of Pan African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. A graduate of Cornell University and UCLA School of Law, Gyamfi’s work is rooted in a radical tradition of legal resistance and visionary Black organizing.
