Advocating 4 Kids | Education, Advocacy & Community Events
What We Do
Advocating 4 Kids designs events that turn confusion into clarity and equity into action.
Through keynotes, workshops, community teach-ins, and professional development, we equip families, educators, advocates, and organizations with the language, tools, and strategy to protect Black neurodivergent students in real time.
At our events, we:
Break down special education law, IEPs, evaluations, discipline, and placement in plain language
Expose how racism and ableism shape school decisions — and what to do about it
Teach practical tools like documentation systems, meeting scripts, and strategic follow-up
Model what real, respectful partnership with Black families looks like
Train emerging advocates to turn lived experience into skilled, sustainable leadership
Families leave grounded and prepared.
Educators leave challenged and equipped.
Organizations leave with concrete shifts they can implement immediately.
Everything we do is rooted in one belief:
Black neurodivergent brilliance is non-negotiable.
This Month With Us
APRIL
Wednesday, April 08 | 7:00–8:00 PM ET
Virtual — Streamyard
No Restraint. No Silence. Protecting Our Children from Harm in Schools
Across the U.S., over 100,000 students—mostly children with disabilities—are subjected to restraint and seclusion in schools.
Called “safety.”
Experienced as harm.
Dr. Bell exposes what’s happening behind closed doors:
children locked in isolation
physical restraint causing trauma
lasting emotional and psychological harm
And families?
They’re fighting systems that retaliate when they speak up.
This isn’t isolated.
It’s systemic.
At Advocating 4 Kids, we say it plainly:
Your child is not the problem. The system is.
APRIL
Saturday, April 11 | 06:00 9M–10:00 PM ET
Assembly
400 Granby Street Norfolk, VA 23510
VIRGINIA, ARE YOU READY?
An electrifying, music-driven interactive experience where the crowd becomes the show. Quacey’s LIVE: The LIVEST Adult Game Show blends game night, concert vibes, and a high-energy party into one unforgettable social experience for adults.
Get ready to sing, dance, and compete in original, music-themed games with full audience participation, exciting prizes, and nonstop entertainment in a vibrant, fun-filled atmosphere. Perfect for anyone who loves music, connection, and good vibes—all while supporting autism advocacy in the community in partnership with Advocating 4 Kids, Inc..
APRIL
Tuesday, April 14-15 | 9:00 AM–05:00 PM ET
Newport University, Newport News, VA
Advocating 4 Kids, Inc. will be participating in the 5th Annual Hampton Roads Social Justice Conference, a convening dedicated to advancing dialogue and collaboration across racial justice, equity, climate, and other critical social issues shaping our communities.
This conference brings together researchers, policymakers, elected officials, nonprofit organizations, community advocates, business leaders, and faith-based groups to foster meaningful cross-sector conversations and actionable solutions for a more just and equitable future. Hosted through Christopher Newport University’s Center for Crime, Equity, and Justice Research and Policy in partnership with the Hampton Roads CCD Local Network, the event creates space for interdisciplinary exchange and collective impact across Virginia.
APRIL
Friday, April 17-20 | 06:00 AM–10:00 PM ET
Palm Beach Convention Center and online
Cheryl Poe of Advocating 4 Kids, Inc. will be joining as a presenter at a powerful three-day gathering centered on the theme “Rooted in Healing: Cultivating Understanding, Strength, and Joy.”
This culturally grounded experience is designed for autistic individuals, families, professionals, and advocates, with a focus on Black autistic communities. The event features expert-led sessions, opportunities for professional growth with CEU hours, and accessible participation both in-person and virtually, along with replay access for continued learning.
Attendees can also engage in meaningful networking, connect within a vibrant vendor marketplace, and experience a community-centered environment built on culture, care, and collective empowerment. The gathering includes a keynote address by Maria Davis-Pierre, LMHC, founder of Autism in Black®, further enriching the experience with leadership rooted in advocacy and lived understanding.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Advocating 4 Kids is always building spaces where truth is named, strategy is shared, and Black neurodivergent families are centered.
Our upcoming events include research releases, community teach-ins, parent workshops, and professional development sessions designed to move from awareness to action.
Stay tuned for opportunities to:
Learn how to navigate special education with clarity
Hear real stories from families and advocates
Engage in honest conversations about race, disability, and power
Gain tools you can use immediately in your schools and communities
If you care about protecting Black neurodivergent brilliance, you’ll want to be in these rooms.
Where Advocacy Moved the Room
These are the rooms where Advocating 4 Kids was invited to teach, train, challenge, and transform. Each event represents strategy shared, rights clarified, and families empowered to walk differently when they left than when they entered.
February
Wednesday, February 25 | 7:00–8:30 PM ET
Black & Neurodivergent: Research Release & Intergenerational Conversation
Join Advocating 4 Kids Inc., Howard University, and the Dignity in Schools Campaign for a powerful webinar centered on Black parents’ lived experiences advocating for their neurodivergent children in public schools.
This event marks the release of “Advocating While Black: Black Parents’ Experiences with Special Education in Virginia,” followed by an intergenerational panel featuring Cheryl Poe, Tribuana Jones, and parent leaders sharing real stories, strategy, and vision for school systems that honor the dignity of Black neurodivergent students.
Families, educators, advocates, and organizers are warmly invited.