Birmingham schools use Colin Kaepernick's AI platform to teach civil rights history
Colin Kaepernick brought his classroom AI tool to Birmingham City Schools, where hundreds of middle-grade students used it to research and create graphic novels about the 1963 Children's Crusade. The partnership, formed in 2025, introduced students to Lumi Story AI, a generative AI platform designed specifically for classroom use.
On June 2, students from four schools presented their projects at John Herbert Phillips Academy in downtown Birmingham. The presentations showcased how the tool helped them develop writing and critical thinking skills while learning about a pivotal moment in the city's civil rights history.
How the platform works in classrooms
Lumi Story AI guides student thinking rather than doing the thinking for them. The platform includes safeguards designed to support learning without replacing student effort.
Students said the tool strengthened their writing by requiring independent research and verification. "It helped me grow," said Jamaya Rembert, a student at Phillips Academy. "I'm very passionate about the topic. I love being able to speak up for what's right, freedom and equality."
Kaepernick, known for kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality, now works in educational philanthropy. He emphasized the importance of intentional AI use in schools.
"We want them to walk out of our schools and be able to take on the world," Kaepernick said. "When we think about AI usage we want to be very intentional with how we're using it and why we're using it - to help advance our students and help support our teachers."
District results and teacher support
Birmingham City Schools serves more than 20,000 students. The district's report card grade improved from 71 in 2019 to 77 in 2025, the highest in its history.
Superintendent Mark Sullivan said the platform gets the balance right. "Everybody is talking about AI and how it can be used in classrooms," Sullivan said. "I think Lumi really does it right because it has safeguards and guardrails for students that help guide their thinking, not think for them."
For educators looking to implement AI for Education, understanding how to support both student learning and teacher instruction is essential. The AI Learning Path for Teachers covers practical classroom applications and tool selection.
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