We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lorreen Pryor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Lorreen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
When the pandemic hit I was a full time Legislative Employee who moonlighted as an Education Advocate to help families navigate the k-12 system. In 2021, much to my husband’s shock I decided to leave my 16 year career to embark on a journey to live out my heart-work full time. I had no plan in place to what doing this full time looked like, but I just knew that I would be more effective when I wasn’t limited in my movements or my ability to speak freely. The issues I deal with are most times viewed as controversial (i.e. bullying, teaching targeting, racism etc.) so being able to speak truthfully and honestly without fear of retaliation has been a blessing.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Lorreen Pryor. I am a happily married mother of one who obtained a BA in Media Communications from Sacramento State University in 2004. I joined the California State Assembly in 2005 and left in 2021 after 16 years in various capacities. I got into educational advocacy after I saw students complaining about the racial climate of their school, and instead of receiving help, the staff and administration started to retaliate against them. At the town hall arranged by the school district, I ended up being the first speaker, and I told all those in attendance that the Black Youth Leadership Project (BYLP) would start to collect complaints and help families ourselves. To the student, I relayed that she could take a break because I had it from here, and I have had it ever since. Currently, BYLP is on its 153rd case. We tackle all things, ranging from the aforementioned issues to disproportionate discipline, 504s, and IEPs to professional development for staff. What sets us apart is that we are guided by the California Education Code. We have become the voice people seek to help them with K–12 education matters, and we let our work speak for itself. All BYLP staff are trained as Youth Peer Mentor Program Mindfulness Facilitators, Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid, and First Aid/AED. The other thing that sets us apart are our peer advocates, who attend meetings to voice their concerns and help develop a plan to fix the issue. When I started in 2018, I was the only one doing the work consistently; now we have about 10 of us that work to solve issues and restore children on various campuses. I am so proud of our growth and can’t wait to see what the future brings. BYLP is indeed a whole mood, and we invite all to connect with us and see why.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Our #1 source for new families is word of mouth. Someone knows someone who has had a positive experience resolving their issue, and they recommend us.
#2 Google. Usually, when families find themselves in crisis, they turn to Google. I am not sure what they type in, but we end up on the receiving end of a frantic parent who is in need of support navigating through a situation with their child’s school or school district.
Have you ever had to pivot?
2020 was the year of the pivot for BYLP. We were gearing up for our annual Legislative Open House program at the State Capitol, expecting our largest class ever at 150 students from throughout California. There were so many unknowns about COVID that we erred on the side of caution and canceled the event before we were forced to do so by others. Two days later, the state was shut down, and everyone was sent home. During the first few months, we watched as students across California struggled to learn a new way to exist. Additionally, there was a lot of racial unrest with the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. We wanted to support, so we started hosting virtual meetups to allow community members to vent and find commonalities among one another. I remember jumping on an Instagram Live with my good friend Charity Chandler Cole. From the conversation, which centered around how we insulate our black boys, the BBSN (Black Boys Support Network) was born. Shortly thereafter, BGSN (Black Girls Support Network) followed, and the rest is history. To date, we have established a total of 10 hybrid (virtual and in-person) support networks aimed specifically at demographics that aren’t usually focused on. We went from a program that usually held two events a year at the Capitol to one that now has an office space and provides programming weekly to those who need us most.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bylp.org
- Instagram: @bylp
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BYLPinSac
- Twitter: @BYLPinSac
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPHloULFMYaLwIWoq9lv3hA
Image Credits
Tevin Tyler