Addressing Societal Racial Injustice in Schools through Anti-Racist Practices
Personal and Professional Reflections from Black, Latinx, and Asian Leaders
Societal racism has permeated our national discourse in light of the deaths of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, and Adam Toledo, coupled with the torrent of Anti-Asian violence. The implications for social justice and anti-racist education present an opportunity to address these challenges in schools and classrooms. In this webinar, you will hear from Black, Latinx and Asian leaders experienced in addressing societal racial injustice in schools. Drawing from their personal and professional experiences, panelists will discuss ways to address societal racism with teachers, students, and community members. Watch the webinar to hear:
- How to implement anti-racist practices in the classroom
- Personal experiences and how to navigate challenges
- Opportunities to engage students and schools in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
View a recording of the Addressing Societal Racial Injustice in Schools webinar
NCE faculty members Harrington Gibson and Cheryl Watkins facilitated the panel discussion.
Panelists and Facilitators
Fernando Kim began his career in education teaching 4th graders in New York City, inspiring him to serve diverse communities long-term. He received his doctorate from National Louis University and has been involved in many roles as an educator, including being a bilingual education administrator, mentoring and induction coach, adjunct professor, principal at two Chicago elementary schools, and mentor to aspiring principals. Since 2012, Fernando has been the Co-Principal at Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy in the Brighton Park neighborhood of Chicago, a school striving to ensure equitable access to high-quality learning and growing opportunities.
Michael Edwards has an educational background in social work with a special education focus. For the past three years, he has served as an Assistant Principal at Dawes Elementary in Evanston/Skokie District 65. During the upcoming academic year, he will assume the role of Associate Principal at Maine South High School.
Harrington Gibson is an Associate Professor and director of NLU’s doctoral program in Educational Leadership. Dr. Gibson is a former Golden Apple scholar and classroom teacher. While pursuing his doctoral degree, he worked as a teaching fellow for the urban education and school reform courses and advisor/field supervisor for teacher education candidates. Dr. Gibson also served as a member of the Harvard Leadership Development Initiative, which required onsite support for principals and teachers. In addition, he served as a report writer and consultant for various organizations around issues of teacher advocacy and school diagnostic reviews and prioritization planning. Currently, Dr. Gibson also serves as the program coordinator for NLU’s Chicago Leadership Collaborative, which seeks to recruit, train high-quality principal candidates for Chicago Public Schools (CPS). In addition, he oversees grants designed to support principal coaching and preparation in CPS.
Martiae Jenkins-Alexander, Ed.S. believes in the power of mission aligned with community. With over 11 years of educational experience, she has led instructional teams, developed leader-professional seminars, and achieved significant academic gains in her previous role as an Academic Director. She currently serves as an Associate Director for the Chicago Teacher Residency. She looks forward to completing Harvard GSE's inaugural Certificate in School Management and Leadership program this year. Martiae is passionate about empowering educators to make data-informed decisions, build transformational resilience in teams, and promote reflective practice through relationships.
Dr. Efraín Martínez is the principal at Orozco Academy and host of the podcast Wisdom & Productivity. He wrote Dispositions of Emotional Intelligence for his doctoral dissertation at National Louis University. He strives to emulate his school's motto, "when you do good things, good things happen."
Dr. Cheryl D. Watkins spent 33 years serving families and communities for Chicago Public Schools. She is now the founder and lead consultant of Monarch Education Consultants where she focuses her attention, research, and services on three specific areas: Race and Equity, Emotional Intelligence, and School Leadership. She authored a chapter in the Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully's publication and has written about issues impacting instruction, achievement, and reflection on personal and professional improvement.
