Tyson Amir

Author, Educator, Freedom Fighter

About Tyson

Tyson Amir is an author, musician, educator, community organizer, and freedom fighter born and raised in the Bay Area. Tyson’s first book, Black Boy Poems, was nominated by the Librarians of America for the “In the Margins Social Justice Award”, making it a librarian recommended text for high school students. It has become a well loved text and part of the modern Black literary canon. His second book, Black Boy Poems Curriculum, is used as a guide for liberatory and revolutionary curriculum and instruction in K-12 schools across the country.

Tyson is the founder and director of the Black Literary Collective and Freedom Soul Media Education Initiatives (FSMEI), a consulting firm for revolutionary education. FSMEI has worked with over 150 schools; delivered more than 400 programs; and served more than 35,000 students through its groundbreaking, revolutionary programming; PDs and workshops; curriculum; and culture, community, and climate building.

Tyson’s innovative revolutionary education work has been featured at the A.B.E.N., Stanford Institute, Hip Hop Ed Conference at Columbia University, Teachers 4 Social Justice in San Francisco and Chicago, California Association of Teachers of English, California Association of African American School Administrators, and the Association of California School Administrators.

Education

Community, Cultural & Political Education:

Black Revolutionary History & Movements

Black History

African Diaspora History

International Revolutionary History

Black Political Organizing

Self Defense & Weapons Training

Colonial Education:

Single Subject Clear Credential (Social Science)

Argosy University - Masters in Education, 2008

San Jose State University - Bachelors in Comparative Religious Studies, 2003

San Jose State University - Bachelors in African American Studies, 2003

San Jose State University - Minors in Political Science, Middle Eastern Studies and Sociology, 2003

Recognition, Awards & Presentations

Black Boy Poems - Independant Best Seller 2017

In the Margins Book Award 2018

Teachers 4 Social Justice Conference 2018

W.E.B. Dubois Award 2018

California Association for Teachers of English 2019

Hip Hop Ed Conference 2019

Aben Stanford Institute 2018-2020

Cilker Conference 2020

ABC7 For the Better Speakers Series 2020

Association of California School Administrators 2021

Association of California School Administrators Equity Conference Keynote 2022

Association of California School Administrators Bay Area Equity Symposium 2023

ABEN Stanford Summer Institute 2023

Work Experience

2018 - Present

2016 - Present

2010 - Present

Director: Freedom Soul Media Education Initiatives

FSMEI is a revolutionary education consultancy firm that specializes in innovative culturally relevant programming, trainings, curriculum and curriculum development, and school redesign. FSMEI has school partners all throughout the continental United States.

Director: Black Literary Collective

The BLC primarily works with San Francisco Bay Area school districts to implement culturally relevant curricula and programming. The BLC facilitates programming for elementary, middle and high schools.

Director: Freedom Soul Media

Freedom Soul Media has produced several musical compilations and is now the publishing home for the BLC’s flagship program, Articulation is Power, an anthology of written work created by young writers. Freedom Soul Media is also the publishing home for the books Black Boy Poems and the Black Boy Poems Curriculum.

Educator: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College,

San Francisco Bay Area

Developed, designed and implemented culturally relevant and standards based curriculum for students in public, charter, private, juvenile facilities, adult incarcerated learnings spaces, colleges, and universities.