My mission is to provide and create spaces in relationships, conversations, communities for all people to feel seenand appreciatedfor their authentic selves. I believe that educating and working toward equity, as well as creating spaces of justice and communication all grow out of that desire.
Working towards a socially just society can be accomplished through research, effective teaching, direct service, involvement in the community, and a myriad of other routes, but if those ventures are not accomplished in a way that is also socially just – equity driven, community focused, and dialogue centered – the work will be less effective.
I come to my work from a belief that humans are capable of greatness, that our world is beautiful, and that it can be better for everyone. The work of social justice became part of my DNA through my exposure to faith early in my life – it gave me a clarity about the beauty and possibility of creation.The principles that guide my work include integrity to my values of compassion, a belief that all people have worth, patience, a belief that justice, equity, and love are essential to our survival/success as humans.I see the work that I do as part of a larger plan and I am yet but a contribution, doing what I’ve authentically been given to do, and believing that if we all can live in authenticity, oppression won’t stand a chance.
Who am I in the world?
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, I have found a second home on the East coast currently residing in New York City and previously in Western Massachusetts. I have over 25 years of diversity, inclusion, and social justice teaching, programming and facilitation experience in higher education including professional roles at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mount Holyoke College, and most recently, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York as the Deputy Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Community Engagement. I’ve taught courses such as Social Diversity in Education, Exploring Differences and Common Ground through Intergroup Dialogue, and the Psychology of Racism and facilitated workshops and presentations at the National Conference of Race and Ethnicity (NCORE), the White Privilege Conference (WPC) as well as National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and American College Personnel Administrators (ACPA) conferences. In my five, full-time years as an equity coach and consultant, I have continued my work with colleges and universities, non-profits, and K-12 schools including NYU Stern School of Business, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), American College of Greece, The Moth, Brooklyn Community Foundation, Spence School, Harvard University Law School and others.
Additionally, I am a Co-lead facilitator for the LeaderShape Institute, a national organization committed to creating leaders with integrity, and as a Senior Trainer and Board Member with Class Action, a national organization committed to ending classism. I've served as a mentor for the Posse Foundation for Mt. Holyoke College Posse 1 and am currently a Retreat Facilitator for the Posse Plus Retreats (PPR) held at their partner schools. I hold a doctorate (Ed.D) in Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and my dissertation, entitled A Process of Becoming: U.S. Born African American and Black Women in a Process of Liberation from Internalized Racism, focused on internalized oppression and liberation. I also hold an MS in Educational Administration and BA in Journalism and English from Texas A&M University.
I am a Social Justice Educator, Life Lover, Possibility Creator, Hope Giver and Liberation Seeker.