Happy 2026! Welcoming a new calendar year offers us all the opportunity to renew and recommit to the important work we share in support of educators, youth, and families in and connected to urban schools.

We recognize that we all continue to do this work in a political climate that questions the importance of urban communities and public education and further seeks to undermine equity-centered work. At a time when educators are constrained, youth are marginalized, and families are blamed rather than supported, CUE’s commitment is both intentional and unwavering. We affirm who we are, who we serve, and the necessity of this work, even when it is misunderstood, devalued, or actively opposed.

In the months ahead, we are excited to host a range of speakers and events that will create space for learning, dialogue, and connections across our community. We also invite you to save the date for CUESEF, our Summer Educator Forum (June 25-26, 2026), where we will once again come together to share knowledge, build relationships, and strengthen our collective practice.

Thank you for being part of this community and for the vital work you do every day. We hope that the start of your new year is filled with meaningful collaboration, shared learning, and continued impact. And we look forward to seeing you in Posvar Hall soon!

In CUE-mmunity, 

Lori Delale-O’Connor 
Interim Director, Center for Urban Education 

P.S. Please view events details and register below. Feel free to share with others!

Tuesday, January 27, 2026
12 - 1:30 p.m.
4303 Posvar Hall (CUE Commons Room)

Food for Thought with Doctoral Candidate Samuel Allen, Dr. Audrey Murrell, and Dr. Frits Pil

In this talk, Doctoral Candidate Samuel Allen and Drs. Murrell and Pil will discuss how social movements mobilized in opposition to DEI, consumer boycotts following organizational DEI endorsements, and mounting state and federal interventions all signal that organizations are currently operating in an era of pronounced backlash to DEI and related organizational structures, policies, and practices. This presentation highlights the role of alignment between organizational framing (what an organization says) and organizational practice (what an organization does) regarding its DEI strategy and the handling of contested social issues.

They will situate backlash in a historical context and outline a research agenda for understanding how stakeholders assess organizational strategic choices with respect to DEI commitments in a particularly salient context: U.S. research universities.   

As with every Food for Thought, complimentary lunch will be served at 12 p.m. Join us!

Tuesday, February 10, 2026
12 - 1:30 p.m.
4303 Posvar Hall (CUE Commons Room)

Food for Thought with Dr. Dominque Branson

In this talk, Dr. Branson examines how Blackness, language, and criminality are deeply intertwined and uniquely shape the lives of Black girls and women in the United States.

Drawing on her sociolinguistic research and experiences as an expert witness, educator, and advocate, she explores how Black voices are routinely interpreted through racialized and gendered ideologies—what she terms a Carceral Listening Frame—that mark Black girls’ and women’s speech as deviant, unreliable, or criminal. The talk is motivated by the experiences of Rachel Jeantel, a key witness in State of Florida v. Zimmerman, whose treatment revealed how listeners' perceptions of African American Language influence credibility and blame.

Building from this case, Dr. Branson shares findings from her dissertation on listener perceptions of Black-sounding voices, expert witness work involving Black girls and women in the criminal legal system, and research on school discipline that disproportionately targets Black girls for subjective, language-based offenses. She concludes by inviting listeners to imagine liberatory approaches to educational, legal, and other institutional practices that affirm Black linguistic practices rather than punish them.

Tuesday, February 17, 2026
12 - 1:30 p.m.
4303 Posvar Hall (CUE Commons Room)

Food for Thought with Dr. Allyce Pinchback-Johnson, Dr. Tracey Reed, and Dr. Sister IAsia Thomas

Join scholar activists from Black Women for a Better Education (BW4BE) to unpack the past and current Black woman-led education advocacy and activism efforts in Pittsburgh Public Schools, and how effective district reconfiguration efforts could lead to educational justice for the district's most marginalized students. 

Presenters: 

- Dr. Allyce Pinchback, Black Women for a Better Education Co-Founder and Executive Director 

- Dr. Tracey Reed, Black Women for a Better Education Co-Founder, and Pittsburgh Public Schools Board Director (District 5) 

- Dr. Sister IAsia Thomas, Black Women for a Better Education Learning Institute Facilitator, and Pittsburgh Public Schools Equity Advisory Panel Member 

📆 SPRING CALENDAR - 

Save the date! In addition to the events above, we are excited to announce additional upcoming spring programming!

Food for Thought:

Writing Retreats:

When: Select Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 15 & Jan. 22, more dates to come.
CUE Commons (Room 4303 in Posvar Hall)

Join us at the Center for Urban Education for a drop-in block designed to recharge, connect, and grow! Bring your lunch, meet friends, study, collaborate, or just take a break between classes. Open to all students! Come build community and make the CUE Commons your space for personal, academic, and professional growth. 

No RSVP necessary. See you there! 

June 25 - 26, 2026
University of Pittsburgh – Oakland Campus

Critical Pedagogy for a Changing World — Innovation & Justice in Urban Education is a two-day professional learning institute designed for educators, youth-serving practitioners, and community partners committed to justice-centered teaching and learning. 

Participants can expect a highly interactive experience where learning happens through dialogue, reflection, and collaboration.

Across the two days, participants will engage in:

CUESEF 2026 is designed to move beyond passive professional learning, offering participants to learn from one another, build relationships, and imagine what education must become in a changing world. 

Registration opens in February. Stay tuned! 

Tuesday, January 20,2026
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
O'Hara Student Center Ballroom

Join the Center on Race and Social Problems for a meaningful gathering in recognition of the National Day of Racial Healing, championed by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. This is the only National Day of Racial Healing event open to the public in Pittsburgh. 

The theme for the program, Envisioning Just Futures, invites participants to engage in collective reflection and dialogue about the world we hope to build together. This theme also supports and celebrates the Envisioning A Just Pittsburgh Call for Art and Showcase, amplifying creative visions of justice and equity in our community. 

The program will feature opening remarks from Dr. Kyaien Conner, Director of the Center on Race and Social Problems, followed by an interactive reflection and dialogue activity designed to foster connection and shared vision. 

Lunch will be provided. 

Free and open to all. 

Sponsored by the Frederick Honors College. 

Feb. 2 - 3, 2026
Alumni Hall Ballroom (Feb. 2 at 4:30 p.m.)
CUE Commons (Feb. 3 at 9:30 a.m.)

The Ignite: 2026 Dean’s Speaker Series takes place February 2-3, 2026, featuring Dr. Candace N. Hall (Southern Illinois University) and Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III (University of Michigan).

Their creative project, “Imagined Futures,” is a powerful digital and visual scholarship project exploring the voices and visions of Black scholars. Through a book, music EP, documentary film, podcast, and art installation, the project aims to raise the collective consciousness on how Black faculty hope to experience the academy in the future. 

Film Screening and Art Installation
Monday, February 2, 2026
4:30 - 7 p.m.
Alumni Hall Connolly Ballroom (first floor)
4227 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Register here >>

On the opening night, there will be a film screening of Things We Imagined, featuring interviews and essays from college and university faculty with filmmakers Dr. Hall and Dr. Davis III, along with the opportunity to view their artistic portraits exhibit. 

Post-Screening Discussion Group co-sponsored by CUE
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
9:30 - 11 a.m.
Center for Urban Education (Posvar Hall, Room 4303)
Register here >>

The following morning, the filmmakers will lead a post-screening discussion at CUE centered on the creative, research, and production processes that informed the documentary. A light breakfast will be served.

February 27, 2026
Homewood Community Engagement Center
622 N. Homewood Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15208

CGSE is excited to announce that the 2026 Spring CGSE Conference, Towards Mutuality & Praxis: the Role of Responsibility and Partnership to Enact Change, will take place on Friday, February 27, 2026 at the Homewood Community Engagement Center.

This year’s theme emphasizes the vital connection between theory and practice, examining how we translate our commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion into meaningful action. Participants will engage in critical dialogue about amplifying marginalized voices, challenging oppressive structures within institutional systems (e.g., education, healthcare), and co-creating knowledge alongside the communities we serve. 

Graduate and undergraduate students in the School of Education, as well as graduate students from other fields who engage in related research, are invited to contribute to this year’s conference through:

CGSE is accepting proposal submissions, due by January 16th, 2026, with notifications of acceptance sent by January 30, 2026. Students who are interested in presenting at this year’s conference can find more information on the presentation offerings and more critical details here, and can submit proposals here. Please direct any questions or concerns about the conference to CGSE co-chairs, Kiara Thorpe (kmt125@pitt.edu) or Alicia Oglesby (alo101@pitt.edu). See you there!