Siena Blog

Avg. read time: 2 min.

Siena is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2025 by highlighting some recent books and podcasts of interest from diverse Asian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander voices.

In addition to the book and podcast recommendations below, readers can also check the Smithsonian Institution or Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) for relevant resources, local events, and more.

Contemporary Books by AAPI Authors

Here are some additional recent fiction and nonfiction books by AAPI authors:

• At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China — Edward Wong
• The Emperor and the Endless Palace — Justinian Huang
• Interior Chinatown — Charles Yu (recently adapted for Hulu)
• The Emperor of Gladness — Ocean Vuong
• When I’m Gone, Look for Me in the East — Quan Barry

Looking for more book recommendations? Penguin Random House, The New York Public Library, and More Than Words have lists to choose from.

DC-area independent Loyalty Bookstores is a diverse, woman-owned business that often shares bookseller picks and hosts monthly author events (see Loyalty's events information here) consistent with their mission of highlighting all literary voices.

Readers interested in visual arts from AAPI creators can look up Dwight Hwang (who specializes in classic and contemporary gyotaku) or Jamie Noguchi (who has illustrated contemporary comics and other media). 

AAPI Podcasts of Interest

Here are some current podcasts from AAPI voices about various topics of interest:

• Asian American History 101
• Asian Americana
• Dear Asian Americans
• Self Evident: Asian America's Stories
• See also Best Asian American Podcasts and 70 Best Asian American Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025 for more

Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania have podcast recommendations and other resources.

Siena Blog and Resources

See our blog for recent heritage month posts from Women’s History Month 2025, Black History Month 2025, and Hispanic Heritage Month 2024. 

The Siena School proudly serves students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences in grades 3-12 on DC Metro area campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland (grades 3-4 and 5-12), and Oakton, Virginia (grades 3-12). 

Avg. read time: 2 min.

The theme from the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) for Women’s History Month 2025 is Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.

Siena is celebrating this month by highlighting recent books and podcasts of interest to continue educating and inspiring future generations through important cultural contributions.

Recent Books by Women Authors

Here are some additional recent fiction and nonfiction books by women:

• A History of Women in 101 Objects — Annabelle Hirsch
• A Living Remedy — Nicole Chung
• Eve — Cat Bohannon
• Your Brain on Art — Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross
• Magical/Realism — Vanessa Angélica Villarreal
• Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One — Kristen Arnett
• The Icon & the Idealist — Stephanie Gorton
• Theory & Practice — Michelle de Kretser

Editors from Harper’s Bazaar and Woman’s World offer book recommendations in various genres from 2024. See also the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau’s Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.

DC-area independent Loyalty Bookstores is a woman-owned business that often shares bookseller picks and hosts monthly author events consistent with their mission of highlighting diverse literary voices.

Podcasts By and About Women

Here are some current podcasts from women about various topics of interest:

• Her First $100K (finance)
• How to Be a Girl (a mother raising her transgender daughter)
• Letters from an American, The History Chicks, and Footnoting History (history)
• Second Life Podcast (women and career changes)
• Special Ed Strategist (IEP process and special education)
• The Sheepspot Podcast (crafting and handspinning)
• You Must Remember This (Hollywood history)

See also 23 Best Podcasts For Women, By Women, The 13 Best Podcasts for Women in 2025, and Must Listen To Podcasts By Women for additional recommendations on expanding your podcast listening.

Siena Blog and Resources

Past blog posts for Women’s History Month can be found here, including profiles of writers Sally Gardner and Laurie Halse Anderson and WNBA stars A’Ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd.

Learn more about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging here.

The Siena School, a national leader in dyslexia education, serves bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences on DC Metro area campuses in Silver Spring, MD (grades 3-4 and 5-12) and Oakton, VA (grades 3-12). 

Avg. read time: 2 min.

The Black History Month 2025 theme, African Americans and Labor, focuses on how different types of work are central to Black culture and history. For this important month, Siena is sharing some book and podcast recommendations to reinforce the important intellectual labor of these artistic and cultural contributions to the Black experience.

See the Association for the Study of African American Life and History for a wealth of information about Black History Month, including upcoming events and past and future themes.

Recent Books from Black Authors 

• Jayne Allen, Black Girls Must Die Exhausted
• Marcia Brissett-Bailey (ed.), Black, Brilliant and Dyslexic
• Percival Everett, James
• Ijeoma Oluo, Be a Revolution
• Kiley Reid, Come and Get It
• Safiya Sinclair, How to Say Babylon: A Memoir
• Zadie Smith, The Fraud
• Colson Whitehead, Harlem Shuffle and Crook Manifesto

See also this list of Moving Nonfiction by Black Authors from Penguin Random House, including A Visible Man, Legacy, and Four Hundred Souls.

Black Podcast Recommendations 

Need to add some podcasts to your playlist? Have a look at these selections for some podcasts about various contemporary and historical topics:

• 100 Best Black Podcasts You Must Follow in 2025
• Best Black Podcasts (2025) - Goodpods
• Black People Podcast - TheGrio

See also Daily Border Crossings, hosted by Siena’s Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement Samantha Fletcher.

Additional Resources for Families 

Past blog posts for Black History Month can be found here, including a feature on Siena’s community playlist from 2024. This crowdsourced music (available on Spotify) grew out of a student-generated playlist from their weekly multicultural affinity group, with some additional recommendations from Siena faculty and staff.  

See also some other Heritage Month spotlights about Hispanic Heritage Month 2024, Women’s History Month 2024, and Native American Heritage Month 2023. Learn more about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging here on our DEIB webpage.

The Siena School, a national leader in dyslexia education, proudly serves bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences on DC Metro area campuses in Silver Spring, MD (grades 3-4 and 5-12) and Oakton, VA (grades 3-12). 

Avg. read time: 2 min.

The theme for National Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 is Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.

Siena is highlighting some artistic and cultural contributions to commemorate during this important month celebrating Hispanic history and culture. See below for books, podcasts, and other resources of interest to introduce you to some pioneers of change in the Hispanic community.

Reading Pioneers of Change 

Here are some recent fiction and nonfiction books by Hispanic/Latino authors to explore:

• Elizabeth Acevedo — The Poet X and Family Lore
• Kali Fajardo-Anstine —  Woman of Light
• Jamie Figueroa — Mother Island
• Lin-Manuel Miranda — In the Heights: Finding Home
• Dan-el Padilla Peralta — Undocumented  
• Paola Ramos — Finding Latin X
• Erika Sánchez — I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
• Jenny Torres Sanchez — We Are Not From Here
• Alexandra Villasante — The Grief Keeper
• Javier Zamora — Solito

See also Hispanic Executive’s 10 New Releases from Latino Authors and Penguin Random House’s Books to Read for Latine & Hispanic Heritage Month.

Listening to Pioneers of Change

Here are some podcast recommendation lists for various Hispanic, Latino, and other related topics to explore:

• 10 Latino Podcasts to Add to Your Queue
• 10 Podcasts for Hispanic and Latino/a Students
• 100 Best Latino Podcasts You Must Follow in 2024
• From Vegan Taqueros to a Political Scandal (NPR)

National Hispanic Heritage Month Resources

• See Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Latinx - Which is Best? from Duke School of Medicine and You Say Latino Mini Comic from Terry Blas to learn more about the evolving use of “Hispanic” and “Latino/-a/-x” terminology.
• Check the National Museum of the American Latino website for events and media coverage, and visit the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
• Explore Hispanic Heritage Month Resources from the National Museum of the American Latino and U.S. Department of Education.

Siena Resources

The Siena School blog has other Heritage Month spotlights related to innovative dyslexia education, including Native American book recommendations, Mexican writer and activist Victor Villaseñor, Chicano artist Ignacio Gomez, African American writers and dyslexia advocates LeDerick Horne and Marcia Brissett-Bailey, and others.

Learn more about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

The Siena School proudly serves students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences in grades 3-12 on DC Metro area campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia. 

Avg. read time: 3 min.

“Women from every background have long realized that an uneven playing field will never bring equality or justice. Many feel the critical need to speak up and work harder for fairness in our institutions and social interactions.” —National Women’s History Alliance

Women Writers with Dyslexia  

The theme of Women’s History Month 2024 is Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Siena celebrates Sally Gardner and Laurie Halse Anderson, two writers with dyslexia whose years of work in the arts have helped tell inclusive stories about diverse topics and characters.

As the National Women’s History Alliance reminds us,

During 2024, we recognize the example of women who are committed to embracing everyone and excluding no one in our common quest for freedom and opportunity. They know that people change with the help of families, teachers, and friends and that young people in particular need to learn the value of hearing from different voices with different points of view as they grow up.

Sally Gardner 

Diagnosed with a learning difference at age 11, Gardner worked for many years in theatre set design and visual arts in her native England. She then pivoted to writing in her mid-40s. Her first book was The Strongest Girl in the World (1999), and her most recent is The Weather Woman (2023). Other notable Gardner books include I, Coriander, The Door That Led to Where, The Double Shadow, and Tinder. Her books include diverse character types and frequently overlap imaginative stories and historical or fairy tale settings.

See Sally Gardner’s website for a full list of her books for young readers. She’s also a participating artist with artist and dyslexia advocate Gil Gershoni’s Dyslexic Dictionary project.

Disobedience is a part of being dyslexic. A refusal to be classified, to adhere to rules without answers. A defiance against mediocrity. To disobey is to believe in the power of imagination to alter situations. To leave those behind who tell you things must be done the same as they were always done. —Sally Gardner

Laurie Halse Anderson

Diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, Anderson received early intervention for reading and speech learning differences in school. To learn more about her background, see this series of short videos about her life and work from Reading Rockets, where Anderson discusses her schooling and use of haiku as her entry point into writing.

Anderson has written many picture books and young adult novels on a variety of historical and contemporary subjects, including censorship, sexual assault, and eating disorders. Her first book was Ndito Runs (1996), and her newest is Rebellion 1776 (forthcoming, October 2024). Other notable Anderson books include Chains, Shout, Speak (adapted into a movie in 2004), and The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School.

See Laurie Halse Anderson's website for a full list of her young adult, historical fiction, and picture books, as well as a list of her many awards and honors. There are also educators’ guides and discussion questions for selected books.

I write about the things that teenagers have to deal with every day. Many of them have to cope with hard things, sadly. When they read books about similar experiences, they feel less alone. Those kids who are lucky enough to have wonderful, trauma-free lives can learn what it’s like to not be so lucky from my books. That helps them develop empathy and compassion.  —Laurie Halse Anderson
 

Resources and Events for Women’s History Month

Here are some resources and local events commemorating Women’s History Month 2024:

• Women's History Month, American Women Writers—and Readers, Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum (includes information about their inaugural digital exhibition)
• Women’s History Month Events in Washington, DC
• Women's History Month Events | University of Maryland
• National Women's History Museum news, events, and resources
• On Sunday, March 3, the Military Women's Memorial is kicking off the month with a musical performance and program featuring the U.S. Army Band's chamber players.

Siena Resources 

The Siena School blog has other Heritage Month spotlights related to innovative dyslexia education, including WNBA stars A’Ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd and Olympian Meryl Davis for past Women’s History Month posts.

See also our blog posts on Native American book recommendations, Mexican writer and activist Victor Villaseñor, Chicano artist Ignacio Gomez, and NFL star Rashan Gary, and others. Learn more about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

The Siena School, a national leader in dyslexia education, serves bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences on campuses in Silver Spring, MD (grades 3-12) and Oakton, VA (grades 3-11). 

Avg. read time: 2 min.

The theme of Black History Month 2024 is African Americans and the Arts. Since the musical arts have been so culturally fundamental in Black American history, Siena is celebrating this rich musical tradition by highlighting the important work our community has done in generating shared playlists.

Music in Black Culture

As Steven Lewis wrote in Musical Crossroads: African American Influence on American Music,

The music of African Americans is one of the most poetic and inescapable examples of the importance of the African American experience to the cultural heritage of all Americans, regardless of race or origin. [...] Over the centuries, African American musicians have drawn on the ancestral connection to Africa as a source of pride and inspiration.

Recognizing this widespread historical importance of Black music, some Siena students created a playlist of songs meaningful to them in a weekly multicultural affinity group. For high school senior Ash, “We’re happy to talk about something as important to us as music in the group. The playlist is a fun new thing Siena did this year for Black History Month, and it’d  be great to see it happen during other heritage months.” 

Inspired by this group of students, Siena teachers and staff members collaborated on their own Black music playlist, recommending a mix of over 70 songs from the 20th and 21st centuries. Here are just a few songs from this diverse community playlist:

• Billie Holiday — Strange Fruit
• Black Eyed Peas — Pump It
• India.Arie — I Am Not My Hair
• Jon Batiste — Freedom
• Nina Simone — Feeling Good
• Sam Cooke — A Change is Gonna Come
• Scott Joplin — Maple Leaf Rag
• A Tribe Called Quest — Excursions

“We wanted to share our version back with the students about music that matters to us,” history teacher Warren Phenegar added. “We also shared why these songs are important to us, ranging from historical importance to specific personal or emotional reasons.” Both Ash and a classmate shared that they learned about many new songs from the teacher playlist and are seeing this as an ongoing learning experience.

See the Siena Faculty BHM Playlist on Spotify. (Note: some songs have an “E” rating for explicit content.)
 

Black Music Book and Podcast Recommendations

Those looking for recent books can try Kelefah Sanneh’s Major Labels and Questlove’s Music Is History to get started. For additional Black music book recommendations, see 15 Books About the Impact of Black Music on Pop Culture (Teen Vogue), Books for Black Music Appreciation Month (Penguin Random House), and Popular Black Music Books (Goodreads).

For Black music podcasts, see All Music Is Black Music (National Museum of African American History and Culture), Black Music Matters, Questlove Supreme, and Black Girl Songbook, among many others.

See also this very rich and useful piece on African American Music from Smithsonian Music, which includes some featured playlists, learning modules, and videos.

Siena Resources 

See this Black History Month 2024 blog post about Black writers with dyslexia LeDerick Horne and Marcia Brissett-Bailey. Our blog has other heritage month spotlights related to innovative dyslexia education, including Native American book recommendations, Mexican writer and activist Victor Villaseñor, Chicano artist Ignacio Gomez, WNBA stars A’Ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd, NFL star Rashan Gary, and others.

Learn more about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. 

Siena’s mission-focused innovative dyslexia education is designed for students in grades 3-12 with language-based learning differences on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia.

Avg. read time: 3 min.

The theme of Black History Month 2024 is African Americans and the Arts. The arts in all their forms have always been instrumental to Black culture. Since art has been one of our core values from the beginning, Siena is highlighting a pair of contemporary Black writers with dyslexia, as well as sharing some reading and other resources to commemorate this important month.

Writer and Poet LeDerick Horne

Poet, speaker, and advocate LeDerick Horne grew up in New Jersey and received an early dyslexia diagnosis (3rd grade). This laid the foundation for his decades of writing, speaking, and advocacy work on behalf of the LD community and Black identity.

Here are some key points in Horne’s career thus far:

• Horne did foundational work on the governing board of Eye to Eye, a nonprofit mentoring program for LD students. He’s on the advisory board for The National Resources for Access, Independence, Self-Determination, and Employment (RAISE), and he’s a member of the governing board for the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education.
• Horne’s many honors and associations include LDA, Eye to Eye, NAACP, The White House, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as many presentations and media appearances.
• Horne coauthored Empowering Students with Hidden Disabilities: A Path to Pride and Success with Margo Izzo (2016), a guidebook collecting personal stories and strategies for teachers and families.
• He has also released two spoken word poetry collections, Black and Blue in 2011 and Rhyme, Reason, and Song in 2005 (both available on Apple Music). Horne has also been profiled on Poets List and in the short documentary Normal Isn’t Real, among many other platforms.

“What is funny—and ironic—for those of us who have learning disabilities is that the challenges that we were chastised for as children end up becoming these extremely valuable tools out here in the marketplace.” (LeDerick Horne)

Writer and Advocate Marcia Brissett-Bailey

Writer, speaker, and dedicated dyslexia and neurodiversity advocate Marcia Brissett-Bailey grew up in London and received her dyslexia diagnosis at age 16. “I no longer felt stupid” upon hearing about her learning difference, she shared in this article.

Here are some key points in Brissett-Bailey’s career thus far: 

• She is currently Further Education Partnerships Lead at Diversity and Ability, leading their support and guidance for young people under 18, as well as their parents and caregivers, schools, and colleges.
• She edited Black, Brilliant and Dyslexic: Neurodivergent Heroes Tell their Stories (2023), a collection of first-person pieces from the Black dyslexic community from an international, intersectional perspective. In her words, “My book takes us on a journey to challenge structural racism and years of trauma on people who are marginalized by different forms of oppression and may only come forward when they feel safe to be their whole selves.”
• Brissett-Bailey edited a special issue of Contact magazine in October 2021 that highlights the important work of the British Dyslexia Association Cultural Perspective Committee.
• Among other places, Brissett-Bailey has been profiled in Forbes, Business Forums International, and British Dyslexia Association, as well as the Move Beyond Words podcast.

“Dyslexia is daily…but I wouldn’t be authentically me without dyslexia as it’s giving me so many advantages…in seeing the world through a creative lens. My high-level thinking, seeing the bigger picture visually, hyper-focus on my interests, seeing patterns others do not see and conceptual thinking.” (Marcia Brissett-Bailey)

Resources for African American Arts and Culture

See Arts Resources from the Smithsonian for a wealth of local events, spotlights, podcast recommendations, museum exhibits, and more commemorating Black History Month.

The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Anacostia has a series of events commemorating Black History Month and the 206th anniversary of Douglass’s birth. Those interested in books by Frederick Douglass can read his three autobiographies (Narrative of the Life, My Bondage and My Freedom, and Life and Times), as well as selected speeches and his only novel, The Heroic Slave.

In addition to the Douglass Historic Site, the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site and Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site in DC are also offering weekly programs and special events this month.

Lastly, some recent fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books by Black authors to look up include:

• Dr. Mariel Bruqué, Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma
• Common, And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self
• Kia Corthron, Moon and the Mars
• Brianna Craft, Everything That Rises: A Climate Change Memoir
• Melania Luisa Marte, Plantains and Our Becoming
• Ayana Mathis, The Unsettled
• Ijeoma Oluo, Be a Revolution
• Clint Smith, Above Ground
• Jesmyn Ward, Let Us Descend 

Fans of the recent Color Purple film can go back and read Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, as well as her foundational works In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens (1982) and Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992).

Siena Resources

The Siena School blog has other heritage month spotlights related to innovative dyslexia education, including Native American book recommendations, Mexican writer and activist Victor Villaseñor, Chicano artist Ignacio Gomez, WNBA stars A’Ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd, NFL star Rashan Gary, and others. Learn more about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

The Siena School proudly serves students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences in grades 3-12 on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia. 

Avg. read time: 3 min.

For Native American Heritage Month 2023, Siena is highlighting some artistic and cultural contributions to commemorate during this important month. See below for books, podcasts, and other resources of interest to guide you.

Native American and Indigenous Book Recommendations 

Here are some recent fiction and nonfiction books by Native American and Indigenous authors to explore: 

• Cherie Dimaline (Metis), Empire of Wild
• Tiara Doney (Gros Ventre and Cree), Poems of a Dyslexic Native American
• Louise Erdrich (Chippewa), The Sentence and The Night Watchman
• Ernestine Hayes (Kaagwaantaan), The Tao of Raven
• Tomson Highway (Cree), Permanent Astonishment
• Robin Wall Kimmerer (Citizen Potawatomi), Braiding Sweetgrass
• Tommy Orange (Cheyenne and Arapaho), There There
• Eden Robinson (Haisla), Son of a Trickster
• David Treuer (Ojibwe), The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee
• Diane Wilson (Mdewakanton), The Seed Keeper

Get more Native American and Indigenous book recommendations from Book Riot, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, and Penguin Random House.

Native American and Indigenous Podcast Recommendations 

Here are some podcasts about various Native American and Indigenous topics to explore: 

• All My Relations
• Let's Talk Native with John Kane
• Matriarch Movement
• Missing & Murdered
• Telling Our Twisted Histories
• The Henceforward
• This Land
• Unreserved with Rosanna Deerchild

Get more Native American and Indigenous podcast recommendations here: 

• 8 Informative Indigenous Podcasts
• Listen to Indigenous Podcasts
• Indigenous Storytellers: Podcasts
• 5 Native-Led Podcasts for Media Literacy 

Resources for Native American Heritage Month

November is filled with events celebrating Native American history, culture, and heritage. Here are some resources to start with:

• The homepage of the National Museum of the American Indian has plenty of educational resources, exhibits, and more. See also their calendar for museum-sponsored events in Washington, DC, and New York, as well as online.
• The Smithsonian’s Native American Heritage Month page is full of events, links, and more. The National Archives has ample historical and archival information about Native American culture, including video resources and virtual exhibitions.
• The U.S. National Park Service shares information for educators and children, as well as a Rock Your Mocs photo gallery of Park Service staff wearing traditional Native American footwear in parks.
• PBS is celebrating Native American Heritage month by offering a lot of video content, such as A People’s History of Native America, What Does Electric Pow Wow Sound Like?, and Awesome Alaskan Kids.
• Mountain Time Arts in Bozeman, MT, is a nonprofit arts organization that highlights the arts, history, culture, and natural environment of the Rocky Mountain West and its Sovereign Nations. Learn more about their mission.

Siena Resources

The Siena School blog has other heritage month spotlights related to innovative dyslexia education, including Chicano muralist Ignacio Gomez, Mexican writer and activist Victor Villaseñor, WNBA stars A’Ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd, NFL star Rashan Gary, poet Amanda Gorman, and others. Learn more about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

Siena’s mission-focused innovative dyslexia education is designed for students in grades 3-12 with language-based learning differences on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia.

Avg. read time: 2 min.

“When I was growing up there wasn't much literature or contemporary art images that reflected us. I hope that other Chicanos and Latinos surround themselves with a positive circle of friends and associates. Our peers can help us succeed in life.” —Ignacio Gomez
 

National Hispanic Heritage Month 2023

One of the themes for National Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 is Building Prosperous and Healthy Communities. For decades, Ignacio Gomez—a Chicano artist and muralist with dyslexia—has used his art on behalf of his culture and community. Siena celebrates Gomez for his dedication to positive representation of Chicano and Latino culture in his paintings, murals, and much more.

“I want Mexican American and Latino kids to continue the journey of learning throughout their lives,” Gomez reflected about the larger cultural influence of his art. “We are a people who love life, art, music, our families and our cultural identity.” 

A Chicano Artist with Dyslexia

Born in Boyle Heights, California in 1941, Ignacio Gomez has had a long and important career as an artist and muralist. Gomez had early success in 1978 with his painting of the character El Pachuco, which was used as the poster for the first Chicano play on Broadway, Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez.

In a short autobiographical piece from 2002, Gomez talked about his early career doing technical illustrations, time in the Army Reserves, and education at Los Angeles Technical College and Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. “My uncle and my older brother were painters,” Gomez continued. “I was fortunate to have them as my art mentors. They showed me different murals of Diego Rivera and paintings of El Greco from Spain, and Norman Rockwell art.”

Some of Gomez’s famous recent works include the Cesar Chavez Memorial in San Fernando, California, honoring the late Chicano labor leader and founder of the United Farm Workers. As he reflected, “I hope [the Chavez Memorial] has the same impact on the new generations that Cesar had on us and that they learn about the struggles he fought for.”

Gomez also designed the statues for Mendez Tribute Monument Park in Westminster, CA, which opened in 2022. The monument commemorates the landmark Mendez v. Westminster civil rights case of 1947 about school segregation.

Earlier in 2023, Gomez’s work was part of the Estampas de la Raza exhibition of Mexican and Latino art at the Delaware Art Museum. 

National Hispanic Heritage Month Resources

• See this alumni profile of Gomez from the Art Center in Pasadena, California.
• Visit the Mexican American Art archive to see a handful of Gomez’s works online, including a drawing of Chicano civil rights leader and cofounder of the National Farm Workers Association Dolores Huerta.  
• Learn about the historical importance of Cesar Chavez, particularly his creation of the United Farm Workers of America and decades of labor activism and advocacy.
• Read this short overview of the historical and cultural importance of zoot suits as the background for Gomez’s famous painting for the 1978 play.
• See the National Museum of the American Latino website for updates and media coverage, and visit the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
• Explore Hispanic Heritage Month Resources from the National Museum of the American Latino and U.S. Department of Education.

Siena Resources

The Siena School blog has other heritage month spotlights related to innovative dyslexia education, including Mexican writer and activist Victor Villaseñor, WNBA stars A’Ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd, NFL star Rashan Gary, poet Amanda Gorman, and others. Learn more about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

The Siena School proudly serves students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences in grades 3-12 on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia. 

Avg. read time: 3 min.

Women’s History Month 2023

To commemorate Women’s History Month 2023, Siena is honoring WNBA stars Jewell Loyd and A’ja Wilson for their work and advocacy related to dyslexia.

The National Women’s History Alliance chose the theme of Women’s History Month 2023 as Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories, highlighting those “who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, news, and social media.” In telling their stories of dyslexia and advocacy off the court, Loyd and Wilson have worked for causes related to education, learning differences, girls’ and women’s basketball, and more.  

WNBA Dyslexia Advocacy

Loyd’s and Wilson’s career paths have been quite parallel: both have played in NCAA Women’s Championship games, both were #1 overall WNBA draft picks, and both were Rookies of the Year (Loyd in 2015, Wilson in 2018). Between them, they have 3 WNBA championships (Loyd in 2018 and 2020, Wilson in 2022). They’ve also been teammates several times, winning gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in 2018 and 2022.

A guard for the Seattle Storm since she was drafted first overall in 2015, Jewell Loyd has done a lot of strong advocacy and community work stemming from her learning differences. In 2015 right before the WNBA draft, Loyd wrote about her dyslexia journey for The Players' Tribune: 

After being diagnosed [as an adolescent], it took time to figure out what worked for me, but I did. And if I close my eyes right now, I can see the back of my future jersey: Loyd. I won’t know what the front will say for another few hours, but the title I want to carry above all others? Role model.

Basketball was, for Loyd, a “sanctuary” while she was in school, and she applied the same determination and focus she needed on the court to her studies and adjustment to her learning needs.

Loyd’s dyslexia advocacy and role modeling were writ large—literally—in 2016. She was featured in an interactive, three-panel billboard in New York as an Honorary Diplomat for Eye to Eye, a nonprofit mentoring program in which elementary and middle school students with learning differences work with high school or college students with learning differences. 

See the video of the billboard here.

During Women’s History Month 2022, Loyd partnered with 94 Feet of Game and We The Best Foundation for the Future of Basketball Is Female campaign, helping provide 1,000 scholarships for female basketball players, along with access to foundational basketball skills.

A fellow WNBA role model and dyslexia advocate, A’ja Wilson has been a forward for the Las Vegas Aces since being drafted in 2018. She wrote about her dyslexia journey for The Players’ Tribune in 2018, sharing that she actively sought accommodations when starting at the University of South Carolina:

Before school started I sat down with my parents and an academic advisor from South Carolina, and we decided that every professor should know about my dyslexia.
     I never had to just go up to Coach [Dawn Staley] and tell her. But she knew, even before the recruiting process had ended. Freshman year, it was kept pretty quiet. I was doing all right in college thanks to having better resources—and honestly being able to record lectures instead of having to write everything down. That helped a lot.

Wilson later cofounded the A’ja Wilson Foundation with her parents. Through her foundation and public presence as a WNBA star, Wilson supports children with dyslexia and their families to, according to their mission statement, “empower them to reach their full potential through educational programming, workshops, camps and grant opportunities.”

Moreover, the A’ja Wilson Foundation does a lot of work to prevent bullying of students who learn differently through education and mentoring programs. Learn more about the A’Ja Wilson Foundation’s recent work on their Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook channels, especially under the hashtags #SpeakUp, #ChooseKindness, #DyslexiaAwareness, and #PowerToEmpower.

In using their public visibility as professional athletes and role models, Loyd and Wilson continue to advocate for dyslexia awareness and support to help students across the country.

Additional Links and Resources

Learn more about them here:

• “Jewell Loyd Talks about the WNBA Draft, Being Dyslexic and Finding Comfort in Basketball” (SB Nation, 2015)
• “Niles West Product and WNBA Champion Jewell Loyd Never Let Dyslexia Define Her” (Chicago Sun-Times, 2019)
• “The Incomparable Journey of Jewell Loyd” (Sports Illustrated, 2020)
• “How Jewell Loyd is Giving Back to Chicago and Inspiring the Next Generation of Female Hoopers” (Slam, 2022)
• “How Team USA's A'ja Wilson is Using Her Own Life Experiences to Support Others in Similar Situations” (IOC, 2021)
• “South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson Opens Up About Her Struggle with Dyslexia” (Slam, 2018)

See The Siena School blog for other heritage month spotlights related to our innovative dyslexia education, including NFL linebacker Rashan Gary, writer and activist Victor Villaseñor, poet Amanda Gorman, figure skater Meryl Davis, film director Ann Hu, and astrophysicist Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock. See also this 2021 blog post on dyslexia awareness and advocacy at Siena.

Siena’s mission-focused innovative dyslexia education is designed for students in grades 3-12 with language-based learning differences on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia.

Avg. read time: 3 min.

“I teamed up with Made By Dyslexia to advocate for those who think differently.” —Rashan Gary 

Black History Month 2023

To commemorate Black History Month 2023 and the importance of strong advocacy and raising awareness of what dyslexia is, Siena is honoring Green Bay Packers linebacker Rashan Gary for his dedicated dyslexia advocacy.

Gary was born in northern New Jersey in 1997 and attended college at the University of Michigan from 2016 to 2018. He was diagnosed with dyslexia in middle school, sharing in 2021 that “it’s not going to affect me because it’s my superpower. So that’s why I challenge anybody with dyslexia to keep pushing forward and keep chipping away.”

Gary regularly uses his platform as a professional athlete to be the kind of role model he didn’t have growing up. He’s strongly dedicated to “raising awareness about dyslexia and advocating for educator awareness and the critical screening resources are important to me,” as he shared in a recent Instagram post.
 

Rashan Gary’s Dyslexia Advocacy

Since 2020, Gary has used the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats program to raise awareness for Made By Dyslexia. As the NFL shared in this press release, “Players combine forces with artists and cleat manufacturers each year to create these custom-designed cleats that showcase their causes in a way that resonates personally to the player, their fans and the cause.” 

My Cause My Cleats enables players to support causes important to them through one-of-a-kind, hand-painted cleats to wear in a regular season game on a particular week. The cleats are later auctioned off for charity.

Laura Haas, who designed Gary’s cleats for 2022, shared that her own neurodivergent thinking is “kind of my superpower,” and she wanted to highlight “joy and individuality” in her design. (See here for the Instagram post.) Gary’s cleats from 2020 and 2021 likewise highlighted how his dyslexia is a strength for him, as well as how the dyslexic brain might see and process information.

• Watch the NFL’s 2022 ad featuring Rashan Gary here.
• See here for a photo gallery of Gary’s 2022 cleats.
• See here for Gary’s video from 2021 about his cleats.

Additional Links and Resources

Gary has been a visible public figure since he was a nationally recognized high school football player. He understands how important it is to use his platform to advocate for dyslexia awareness and support. Gary has also worked with the Michigan Dyslexia Institute to talk about his journey and inspire others to see superpowers, creativity, and perseverance within themselves.

Other NFL players with dyslexia have raised awareness through My Cause My Cleats, such as Spencer Drango of the Cleveland Browns, Lawrence Guy of the New England Patriots, and Max Scharping of the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Siena School blog has other heritage month spotlights related to innovative dyslexia education, including writer and activist Victor Villaseñor, poet Amanda Gorman, figure skater Meryl Davis, film director Ann Hu, and astrophysicist Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock. See also this 2021 blog post on dyslexia awareness and advocacy at Siena.

Learn more about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

The Siena School proudly serves students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences in grades 3-12 on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia. 

“Be the BEST version of you that you can be. No one will ever do it better. We have dyslexia, and we can accomplish ANYTHING we put our minds to.” —Rashan Gary

Avg. read time: 3 min.

“I wanted my children to see examples of real Mexican heroes, since I grew up thinking Mexicans could only wash dishes and work in the fields.” —Victor Villaseñor, on his book Rain of Gold

National Hispanic Heritage Month 2022

As part of National Hispanic Heritage Month this year, Siena is honoring Victor Villaseñor for his decades of successful work as a writer, speaker, and activist with dyslexia.

The National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers (NCHEPM) chose Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation as the theme for National Hispanic Heritage Month 2022. Since 1988, National Hispanic Heritage Month has spanned September 15–October 15 each year. The September 15 start date coincides with the independence day anniversaries for several Latin American countries, including Chile, Honduras, Mexico, and Costa Rica. 

A Latin Writer with Dyslexia

Born in Carlsbad, California, in 1940, Villaseñor has been a prolific author of fiction, nonfiction, and children’s works since publishing his first books, Macho! and Rain of Gold, in 1991.

Perhaps unusually, Villaseñor was an avid reader and writer well into adulthood before he realized he’s dyslexic. 

Villaseñor was diagnosed with dyslexia in his mid-40s, when his sons were also being tested. As he remembers his conversation with the learning specialist who diagnosed his sons and him,

“Do you see rivers between the words?” she asked.

“All the time,” I said. “I look at a page and I have to take a big breath to stop the rivers from coming down the page between the words from the left up high to the right down low. And you mean other people don’t see these rivers moving on the page?”

She shook her head, “No, they don’t. Oh, I’ve never had someone so far off the charts. It’s incredible, it’s a miracle that you ever learned to speak or read. And to write, to become a professional writer, is beyond my comprehension. How did you do it?”

I couldn’t talk anymore. Finally somebody understood what I’d gone through to become a writer.

Since then, Villaseñor has published numerous other books, including the memoirs Burro Genius and Crazy Loco Love and Mexican folktales for children such as The Stranger and the Red Rooster and Goodnight, Papito Dios. (See here for his bibliography.)

In addition to his prolific writing and public speaking, Villaseñor has also done a lot of advocacy and community building through such efforts as Snow Goose Global Thanksgiving, an annual music festival with shared food that takes place on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Villaseñor also runs workshops for teacher training, Indigenous history, and biographical/autobiographical writing.

For more information about Villaseñor, see these videos on his website, as well as this profile from the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity.

What makes me a special kind of author and public speaker is that I didn’t learn how to read until the age of 20. And because of that, I didn’t get educated into Western civilization and so I was able to retain my grandmother’s Indigenous Native American Sacred Knowledge. —Victor Villaseñor
 

National Hispanic Heritage Month Resources

There are ample online resources to learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month and upcoming events and exhibitions commemorating it:

• Learn more here about National Hispanic Heritage Month from the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The website includes resources for teachers and information about past and present exhibits of interest.
• See the United States Census Bureau’s overview of National Hispanic Heritage Month.
• Visit the National Archives website for a wealth of information about National Hispanic Heritage Month, including video resources, online exhibits, and digitized materials from Presidential Libraries.
• While the National Museum of the American Latino is still under construction, visit their website to learn more and watch a video message from Museum Director Jorge Zamanillo. In the meantime, the Molina Family Gallery at the National Museum of American History is open to the public and features multimedia storytelling and physical relics. Take a virtual tour here.

Resources from Siena’s Blog

Learn about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. And, see Siena’s blog for related material from earlier this year, including spotlights on filmmaker Ann Hu from AAPI Heritage Month, poet Amanda Gorman from Black History Month, and Olympian and activist Meryl Davis from Women’s History Month.

The Siena School proudly serves students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences in grades 3-12 on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia. 

“The beginning of all wisdom is to understand that you don't know. To know is the enemy of all learning. To be sure is the enemy of wisdom.” —Victor Villaseñor, Burro Genius
 

“The brains of some people are just wired differently. They just need a different system of teaching”—so says a character in Ann Hu’s independent film Confetti (2020), which tells the story of a mother and her daughter traveling from China to New York in search of a school that meets her learning needs. 

To commemorate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Siena is spotlighting independent film Director Ann Hu. Her most recent film is the partly autobiographical Confetti, which combines issues surrounding dyslexia and immigration with the diverse identities and experiences related to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 

Confetti continues the cultural contributions Hu has made through her other films, Shadow Magic (2000) and Beauty Remains (2005). Her work has gotten awards and nominations at film festivals in China, Taiwan, and Japan.

Here’s a short synopsis of Hu’s three films:

• Confetti has a contemporary setting and tells the story of a mother taking her dyslexic daughter from a small town in China to New York in search of a school that meets her learning needs. Based partly on Hu’s own experiences with her daughter Michelle, Confetti shows Meimei in school doing multisensory learning and other methods used in LD classrooms, as well as uses visuals to represent how Meimei sees words and letters.
• Shadow Magic is set in Beijing, China, in 1902 and tells the story of a Chinese photographer and British innovator trying to introduce the modern technology of film into a traditional Chinese society.
• Beauty Remains is set in Qingdao, China, in 1948 and follows the lives of two sisters as they deal with their late father’s will and legacy, as well as a common love interest that complicates their relationship.  

As a 2021 article on the underdiagnosis of learning differences in Asian American community quotes Hu, “Seeing how Michelle struggled in the classroom and struggled to finish her homework after school between 3:00pm and 11:00pm every day was truly a heartbreaking experience for me. Often Michelle would pretend that she understood the question just to help me feel less stressed.” 

Learn More About Ann Hu

• See Confetti’s official website and rundown of its cast and crew, as well as its official YouTube channel for related content and interviews.
• Read this profile in Deadline (from 2017) to learn more about Hu’s background, reception of her earlier films, and cultural and creative differences between China and the U.S.
• Listen to Hu on The Filmmakers Podcast discussing Confetti and her overall approach to independent filmmaking.
• Read Hu’s Interview with Medium, “5 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Children Thrive and Excel In School.”
• See this review of Confetti and interview with Hu in Forbes.

Resources for AAPI Month

The theme for AAPI Heritage Month 2022 is “Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration.” Learn more about AAPI Heritage Month and why it’s in May here. 

Hu gave an interview with Women in Hollywood in August 2021 about Confetti’s autobiographical roots, noting “In trying to figure out what to do, I ended up walking a long and hard journey to get to where I am today. In the process, my viewpoint changed, and I became a different person.”

Learn about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. And, see Siena’s blog for related material, including a spotlight on poet Amanda Gorman from Black History Month and Olympian and activist Meryl Davis from Women’s History Month.

“I learned how I learned and how my brain worked. It helped me adjust and compensate for my differences…. It opened me up to problem solving, seeing things differently, and how I can help myself overcome things.” —Olympian Meryl Davis on her dyslexia

 

Even before she won Olympic gold in 2014, Meryl Davis knew the importance of advocating for herself and others. A competitive skater and ice dancer since age 5, Davis has used both her public presence and her community dedication to help young people achieve their goals. 

As part of Women's History Month this year, Siena is honoring Davis for her successes in inspiring women and girls both on and off the ice, in part through her perseverance in adjusting to her own learning differences. 

Davis’s dyslexia diagnosis came in 3rd grade. At first, she felt less-than and inadequate, and she eventually figured out how to learn in her own way, finishing high school as a member of the National Honor Society. She attended the University of Michigan, majoring in Cultural Anthropology (Class of 2020) while also training full-time on the ice rink. 

Davis also lacks depth perception and has trouble seeing out of her right eye, which was another adjustment she made successfully. As she did in the classroom, Davis developed accommodations for her vision issues on the ice, such as by memorizing markings on the ice to situate herself when skating and trusting her partner to stay safe and avoid collisions with other skaters.

A profile from the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity quotes Davis on her professional path: “With skating I could feel it more than see it.” Moreover, “I fell in love with it because it made sense to me, partly because I see things differently. I learned to enjoy it, worry free, in terms of moving with the music. It’s been a really beautiful part of my life.”

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Davis and her partner Charlie White became the first American team to win the gold medal in ice dancing. Davis and White had won medals in other competitions since 2006, and their Olympic victory capped their great run as skating partners. In 2020, they were named to the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Learn more here about Davis’s accomplishments on the ice. 

Since winning Olympic gold, Davis has been dedicated to supporting young people and advocating for access to figure skating, education, and social–emotional wellness—particularly in underserved communities. Among her post-Olympics accomplishments are: 

• In 2015, she wrote for Team USA about the importance of sports and community advocacy. “[S]port is about the kind of success that brings you one step closer to being the best version of yourself,” she wrote in helping define “success” more broadly than international competitions, medals, or other accolades.
• She’s worked with Classroom Champions, an organization that partners with elite athletes to help children’s academic and social–emotional wellness.
• A Michigan native, Davis is a founding co-chair of the organization Figure Skating in Detroit as well as an ambassador for the Women's Sport Foundation. Figure Skating in Detroit combines figure skating, tutoring, STEM coursework, and leadership training to give Detroit-area girls access to a supportive, mentoring community. “Figure skating is an expensive sport,” notes Davis, who’s part of the program’s leadership committee and a member of its champions committee. “It hasn't been a particularly diverse sport historically, so we focus on giving access to girls of color in the city of Detroit.” (Learn more here about Figure Skating in Detroit.)
• In April 2021, Davis added children’s book author to her professional accomplishments, publishing the picture book Moon Walk: Forever by Your Side, about a parent and a child bonding. 

“Patience with oneself is the key to learning how to be your best self in any case. Just because things come differently to you doesn’t make you any less. You have to rely on the people who are there for you.” —Olympian Meryl Davis on using available supports

See Siena’s blog for related material on successful women, including a spotlight on astrophysicist Maggie Aderin-Pocock from Women’s History Month 2021 and one on poet and activist Amanda Gorman from Black History Month 2022. 

Photo by Patrick Semansky, Getty Images

We seek harm to none and harmony for all.
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true,
that even as we grieved, we grew,
that even as we hurt, we hoped,
that even as we tired, we tried,
that we'll forever be tied together, victorious.

—"The Hill We Climb" (2021)

So writes poet and activist Amanda Gorman in her Inaugural Poem, “The Hill We Climb.” When she recited this powerful poem at President Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021, Gorman became the youngest poet (age 22) to read at a Presidential Inauguration in American history. 

As part of Black History Month this year, Siena is honoring writer, activist, speaker, and the nation's first-ever youth poet laureate, Amanda Gorman. Now at age 23, Gorman has had a prolific year since the Inauguration, publishing an illustrated book for children (Change Sings) in September 2021 and a collection of poems (Call Us What We Carry) in December 2021, in addition to other work. 

“ Now more than ever, the United States needs an inaugural poem,” Gorman said after Inauguration Day. “Poetry is typically the touchstone that we go back to when we have to remind ourselves of the history that we stand on, and the future that we stand for.”

Since being diagnosed with speech and auditory learning differences when she was young, Gorman has used poetry (particularly reciting it) as means of both self-expression and adapting to her speech difference. She graduated from Harvard with a B.A. in Sociology and has made many media appearances as a writer and speaker, as well as winning a Genius Award from OZY Media in 2017 when she was still in college and being honored as the first-ever youth poet laureate from Urban Word.

Gorman has always written poetry with a strong sense of social justice and an equally strong awareness of diversity and identity. Her work resonates with Siena students and faculty: in 2021, 8th grade English students discussed her work in class after Inauguration Day, and an elementary student is currently researching Gorman for a project and presentation for Black History Month.

Read more on her website, and watch Gorman read “The Hill We Climb” on Inauguration Day here. 

Learn about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. And, see Siena’s blog for related material, including a spotlight on astrophysicist Maggie Aderin-Pocock and an overview of Siena’s Black History Month activities from last year. 

We the people are brave enough to love this country’s creed

We the people love this country enough to question its misdeeds

We the people question enough to build upon this foundation

We the people erect an improved hilltop of a nation

Indivisible by where we come from, or who we are born

We the people are those who let freedom ring

So that no matter how we love, talk, pray, or mourn

This America too is ours to build and ours to sing.

—“We the People” (2017)

“I was lucky because I got inspired by science, and I had an aptitude for it,” Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock shared in a 2014 interview for The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. As part of Women's History Month this year, Siena is featuring a woman who is currently making history. 

Since being diagnosed with dyslexia at age 8 and attending 13 different schools in England before going to college, Dr. Aderin-Pocock has made many contributions to space science and science education more broadly in the past 25 years. 

Dr. Aderin-Pocock, who was born to Nigerian parents in London and lives in England with her family, is currently an honorary research associate of University College London's Department of Physics and Astronomy. She has a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering. In 2009, she was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her many achievements in science education. 

For her entire career, Dr. Aderin-Pocock has worked to engage children and adults around the world about space, the stars, planets, and more. For a glimpse into Dr. Aderin-Pocock’s science-educational work (and her infectious enthusiasm), have a look at these: 

• “How come you’re so interested in space?” See her answer (and more) in this interview with British Royal Society from 2014.
• “Science saved me from the doldrums and actually gave me an opportunity.” Listen to her share her science journey with The Female Lead in 2017, including being the only girl in an evening class on making telescopes.
• “From that, we were able to work out what chemical reactions are happening in the heart of a star.” Hear more about the spectrograph she built for the Gemini telescope in Chile to help analyze the light from stars.

Due to her expertise, Dr. Aderin-Pocock has been an integral part of the BBC shows “Do We Really Need the Moon?” and “The Sky At Night.” She’s also written Dr. Maggie's Grand Tour of the Solar System (2019), Book of the Moon: A Guide to Our Closest Neighbor (2018), and The Knowledge: Stargazing (2015), among other publications.

“Imagine a dyslexic from London meeting the Queen of England,” she said after receiving the MBE. “It’s mind-boggling stuff, but that shows how much potential you have.” 

For more STEM-related content from Siena’s blog, see these posts from Math & Science Department Chair Jennifer Chambers on the virtual science classroom and creating an authentic learning experience.

A key element of The Siena School’s mission is teaching students about the world inside and outside their classrooms. This year for Black History Month, Siena continued the work of integrating social and racial justice issues into students’ learning. This work is year-round, but in honor of Black History Month, the students and faculty worked together to celebrate with a number of activities.

Black History Month Activities at Siena

Students and faculty worked together to mark Black History Month at Siena:

• The Cultural and Activities Committees organized resources and discussion topics and then focused on a different theme each week, such as allyship, addressing past injustices, and influential black athletes, intellectuals, and more.
• The Daily Slide for students featured a successful individual, discussion topic, or resource, such as Wilma Rudolph, Stacey Abrams, or ways to address racism and injustice.

• A school-wide activity encouraged students to build a Black History timeline by moving the historical event to its appropriate year.
• The Student Council Speaker Series arranged for Professor Adrienne Cain from Baylor University’s Institute for Oral History to talk to the students about oral history, black women and intersectionality, and the continued fight for progress and rights.
• This year, Siena implemented an Anti-Racism Curriculum, which meets every two weeks. Using the Teaching Tolerance Standards to guide our classes, the Anti-Racism Curriculum consists of group discussions, community projects, and personal reflections on what it means to be a part of an anti-racist community. 

Siena Reading List for Black History Month

Siena faculty and students worked together to create a suggested books reading list (broken down by grade level), including: 

High School

• The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Malcolm X and Alex Haley
• The Mis-Education of the Negro, Carter G. Woodson
• Black Boy, Richard Wright
• Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi
• Hidden Figures, Margot Lee Shetterly
• “How It Feels To Be Colored Me,” Zora Neale Hurston (essay)
• Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs
• The Color Purple, Alice Walker
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
• The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead

Middle School

• The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas
• March, John Lewis and Nate Powell (trilogy)
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass
• The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963, Christopher Paul Curtis
• The Kidnapped Prince, Ann Cameron
• A Good Kind of Trouble, Lisa Moore Ramée
• Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson
• Genesis Begins Again, Alicia D. Williams
• Black Women in Science, Kimberly Brown Pellum, PhD

Elementary 

• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
• Talkin' About Bessie, Nikki Grimes
• The Sweet Smell of Roses, Angela Johnson
• The Patchwork Path, Bettye Stroud
• Henry’s Freedom Box, Ellen Levine & Kadir Nelson
• The Undefeated, Kwame Alexander & Kadir Nelson
• Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, Andrea Davis Pinkney
• Lift as You Climb: The Story of Ella Baker, Patricia Hruby Powell & R. Gregory Christie

Consider checking for local BIPOC-owned bookstores near you for these and other titles. Local to Siena, for instance, is Loyalty Bookstores, which has a number of great virtual events, suggested reading lists, themed bundles, and more for readers of all ages. 

Of course, no single month or set of books or curricular activities can encompass the complexity of black history, so Siena students will continue to enhance their awareness of racial justice issues. For more, read about Siena’s anti-racism resources and statement on equity and inclusion.