Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheryl Poe.
Hi Cheryl, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story has grown out of a commitment to making sure children are seen, families are heard, and educational opportunities are accessible especially for Black children with disabilities.
My background is in urban education, and I earned my master’s degree from Norfolk State University. Over nearly 30 years of advocacy, I have seen how difficult it can be for families to secure the services and support their children need. For Black families, those struggles often include confronting racial bias, lowered expectations, and assumptions about their parenting. Parents can come to the table prepared to collaborate and still find themselves labeled “difficult” simply for asking questions or expecting accountability.
That work led me to establish Advocating 4 Kids, Inc., where I help families navigate special education, prepare for meetings, understand their rights, and document their concerns. My approach centers parents’ knowledge of their children. Families bring expertise that deserves to shape the decisions being made about their children’s education.
As my work developed, I wanted to do more than address these experiences one family at a time. I wanted to help document the patterns and create opportunities for families to shape the conversation. That led to Advocating While Black™, including a research collaboration with Dr. Kathryn E. Wiley of Howard University examining Black parents’ experiences in Virginia’s special education system. Hearing parents describe similar experiences reinforced the importance of connecting individual advocacy with research, training, and collective action.
Today, my work includes direct advocacy, speaking, parent education, research partnerships, and spaces where families can find community and support. Through Advocating While Black™, we are also making room for healing and joy, because families deserve opportunities to connect beyond the challenges they face.
The thread through it all is the same: I want parents to know their voices matter, and their children deserve meaningful opportunities to learn and thrive. My work continues to grow, but that commitment remains at its center.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has certainly not been a smooth road. One of the hardest parts has been seeing how much energy families must spend fighting for support their children should already be receiving. Parents are trying to care for their children, work, and manage everyday life while also learning how to navigate a complicated special education system. As an advocate, I carry the weight of knowing that delays and poor decisions have real consequences for a child.
As a Black woman advocating alongside Black families, I face another layer of challenges. I have had to navigate situations where directness is treated as aggression and persistence is viewed as a problem. When you raise concerns about race and disability together, the conversation can become uncomfortable very quickly. One struggle has been keeping the focus on the child and the evidence while refusing to ignore how families are being treated.
We have also faced the challenge of sustaining an organization while responding to significant community needs. Families need support, but funding does not always match that need. Limiting free services because of grant cuts has been particularly difficult. The need doesn’t disappear when the resources do.
I have also learned that caring deeply doesn’t mean I can carry everything. Setting boundaries, protecting my time, and balancing this work with caring for my mother remain ongoing lessons.
What keeps me moving is seeing parents grow more confident in their own voices and seeing children receive the support they need. Those moments matter. They remind me why I started and why I continue, even when the road is difficult.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am the founder and executive director of Advocating 4 Kids, Inc., a Virginia-based organization that helps families advocate for children with disabilities. We are especially committed to Black and Brown families whose concerns and experiences are too often overlooked in special education.
Our services include support with IEP and Section 504 meetings, reviewing educational records, documenting concerns, preparing complaints, and helping parents understand their options. We also provide parent education, workshops, and professional speaking engagements. We are an advocacy organization, not a law firm, and an important part of our work is helping families recognize when they may need legal representation.
What sets us apart is our willingness to address race and disability together. A family’s special education experience doesn’t happen in isolation from how they are perceived and treated. When a Black parent’s concerns are dismissed, their expectations are questioned, or their advocacy is characterized as threatening, that affects their ability to participate in decisions about their child. We make room for those realities while keeping our advocacy grounded in records, evidence, and the student’s needs.
I am known for being direct, asking difficult questions, and helping parents turn their concerns into clear requests for action. I want families to understand what they are asking for, why it matters, and how to document the response. Building that confidence is essential to our work.
One thing I am most proud of is Advocating While Black™. Through our research collaboration with Dr. Kathryn E. Wiley of Howard University, along with our convenings and educational work, we have created opportunities for Black parents’ experiences to inform broader conversations about special education. Their stories hold knowledge that should shape practice, training, and accountability.
I am also proud that our brand makes room for community, healing, and joy. Advocacy can be exhausting, and families deserve spaces where they feel understood and supported.
What I want readers to know is that Advocating 4 Kids takes parents seriously. We believe families deserve clear information, meaningful participation, and high expectations for their children. Whether we support one parent in a meeting or speak to a room full of professionals, that belief guides everything we do.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
At family gatherings, I loved when my cousins, auntie, and uncles came together. Many times it felt like Black Joy
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adv4kidsinc.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adv4kidsinc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advocating4kids
