THE EDUCATORS ROUNDTABLE
The Educatrs Roundtable was established by Esther Productions, Inc. in 2026 following the success of its award-winning Sterling A. Brown symposium funded by HumanitiesDC and the Luger Charitable Trust. The Roundtable is composed of distinguished scholars, educators, museum professionals and writers.
More specifically, the goals of the Educators Roundtable are:
-
to generally advise and support the creation, implementation and expansion of humanities programming in traditional schools throughout the Washington Metropolitan Region;
-
to advise and assist in the creation, design and development of various printed or digital resources, including the online DC Literary History Center, focused on literature and creators of that literature that can be used by educators, community leaders and families assist as they seek to teach young people about their culture and history and as they seek to help young people develop their individual and unique creative voices to expand that culture and history; and
-
to provide an objective review and evaluation of all programs and program materials, such as exhibitions, professional development manuals, teacher student guides, podcasts, and short films that may be used by Esther Productions Inc. as it presents its arts and humanities programs for educators and students in a variety of venues.
Consistent with its mission and goals, The Educators Roundtable established The Sterling A. Brown Poetry & Folklore Initiative as its first major project. A poet, educator, critic and folklorist, Brown shaped the Black aesthetic tradition in the 20th century and has continued to affect literature created in the 21st century.
The Sterling A. Brown Poetry & Folklore Initiative
The Sterling A. Brown Poetry & Folklore Initiative is a transformative humanities education program that uses literature, folklore, and creative expression to connect generations, preserve cultural memory, and cultivate the voices of emerging writers and community leaders.
Developed by Esther Productions, Inc.'s Educators Roundtable, the Initiative extends Brown’s extraordinary legacy into classrooms, libraries, cultural institutions, and neighborhoods, ensuring that his vision continues to inspire future generations.
Through the Sterling A. Brown Poetry & Folklore Initiative, educators, students, writers, and community leaders gain opportunities to study one of America’s most influential literary figures while developing the knowledge, confidence, and creative skills necessary to tell their own stories. The Initiative promotes historical literacy, artistic excellence, civic engagement, and cultural preservation through innovative educational programming rooted in African American literary traditions.
Brown’s poetry is also a testament to the continuity of Black expression. Exploring both the folk and literary traditions, he recognizes the shared concerns, the values, the ways of thinking and feeling about the world that remain bridges from one generation to the next.” Joanne V. Gabbin,Ph.D. author “Sterling A. Brown: Building the Black Aesthetic Tradition”
Why Sterling A. Brown?
Long before multicultural education became an accepted educational practice, Sterling A. Brown—poet, scholar, teacher, folklorist, critic and Poet Laureate--demonstrated that the history of America could not be fully understood without listening to the voices of ordinary African Americans. Brown transformed American literature by elevating the language, music, humor, resilience, and wisdom found in Black communities throughout the United States. Rather than treating folklore as entertainment or nostalgia, he recognized it as a powerful historical archive—one that preserved cultural memory, documented lived experience, and affirmed the dignity of working people.
His poetry gave voice to laborers, musicians, domestic workers, ministers, railroad workers, sharecroppers, and countless others whose stories rarely appeared in traditional historical narratives. Brown understood that every community possesses historians, even when they never publish books. Their histories are carried through stories, songs, proverbs, family traditions, and everyday conversation.
His work permanently expanded the American literary canon while influencing generations of writers who followed.
Today, Brown’s writings remain remarkably relevant. At a time when communities seek deeper understanding across differences, his work reminds us that literature builds empathy, preserves identity, and strengthens democracy by ensuring every voice has value.
