Math is Power: "Counted Out" Documentary Sparks Movement for Math Literacy

Math shapes every part of our lives—from the news we see to the elections we vote in and the jobs we get. Yet, few of us fully understand how math influences society.

The Cambridge STEAM Initiative partners with the Cambridge Public Schools’ Math Department on initiatives that focus on math as a civil right. As part of this collaboration, the STEAM Initiative has hosted screenings of Counted Out, a documentary exploring how inequitable access to math literacy impacts issues such as political division, social and economic inequalities, and climate change. 

The film argues that understanding math is key to gaining power and driving change in society. It also honors civil rights leader and late Cambridge resident, Bob Moses, who saw math education as a crucial civil rights issue.

In January, the STEAM Initiative and CPS co-hosted a screening of this film for 5-12th grade math teachers, interventionists, and coaches. In February, over 75 Cambridge Out-of-School Time educators attended an event to watch the film and left inspired to join a movement for greater math literacy. 

The Cambridge community will have an opportunity to watch Counted Out at an event in early May. Details will be posted on the STEAM Initiative’s website this spring. In the meantime, we encourage you to learn more about Bob Moses’ legacy and join the movement for math literacy!

Photo Caption: Civil rights leader Bob Moses, right, talks with students in a scene from the documentary Counted Out, directed by Vicki Abeles