From the author of The Battle for the Black Mind, a powerful address on reclaiming education as liberation.

Dr. Karida L. Brown is a sociologist, professor, oral historian, and public intellectual focused on the fullness of Black life. Combining data-driven social science, organizational experience, and engagement with the arts, she produces actionable, reparative knowledge that advances equity and justice.

A Long Island native, she earned a B.B.A. from Temple University, an M.S. in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Brown University. A Fulbright Scholar with funding from the Mellon Foundation and Hellman Fellows Fund, she is Professor of Sociology at Emory University and serves on the board of The Obama Presidency Oral History Project.

From the author of Rooted in Joy, an interactive, action-focused session to move from inspiration to systems change.

Dr. Deonna Smith is an educator, abolitionist, and advocate for educational justice. Raised in Spokane, Washington, often as the only student of color and as a first-generation college graduate, she witnessed how systems marginalize Black and Brown children. Determined to become the Black teacher she lacked, Deonna taught in classrooms and later served as a school administrator, where she observed how racism shaped students’, schools’, and communities’ experiences. Believing schools should offer joy, liberation, and community, she supports educators and leaders in reimagining equitable schooling. She founded the Educational Justice Working Group (EdJG), a professional learning community and resource hub. Outside of work, she enjoys baking and hiking.

AAREA® is pleased to announce educational leader Brian Rashad Fuller as this year’s PDS Keynote!  You don’t want to miss this inspiring keynote address, packed with insight on building institutions that champion Black student success and equity. 

Brian is the author of Being Black in America’s Schools, a stark look at the action required to make tangible changes to a racialized educational system.  All attendees will take home a free copy of Brian’s new book!

Lawrence Ross, the author of The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities and Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses, is a renowned lecturer on race, diversity, and inclusion topics.

Tanya Kateri Hernández is an internationally recognized comparative race law expert and Archibald R. Murray Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law. She is the author of Multiracials and Civil Rights: Mixed-Race Stories of Discrimination and Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality.

Dr. Lanette Jimerson is a writer, scholar and educator with 20+ years of experience helping equity-minded leaders bring forth their ideas through teaching and writing. Currently a professor at the University of Houston, Lanette has served as the director of U.C. Berkeley’s English Credential and Master’s program, a K-12 educator, and a literacy specialist.

California Mathematics Project/UCLA – co-author of “Choosing To See: A Framework For Equity In The Mathematics Classroom”.
Kyndall Brown has over 35 years of experience in mathematics education. He was a secondary mathematics teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District for 13 years, teaching at both the middle and high school levels. He has been a professional development provider for over 25 years, serving as a mathematics resource teacher for the Los Angeles Systemic Initiative in LAUSD, and as mathematics teacher consultant for and director of the UCLA Mathematics Project (UCLAMP). He is currently the Executive Director of the California Mathematics Project, a statewide network of professional development organizations.

California Mathematics Project/UCLA
Dr. Pamela Seda is an educational consultant with over 30 years of educational experience. She currently lives in metro Atlanta with her husband and four adult children. She is the owner of Seda Educational Consulting, creator of The VANG Game math card game, and co-author of the book, Choosing to See: A Framework for Equity in the Math Classroom.

Genealogist / Communal Wellness Artivist
Regina “Califa” Calloway, founder and creator of nzoCALIFAncestry, specializes in curatorial research of African-Ancestored cultural histories. She is a member of the inaugural class of the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute. Her Communal works utilizes Genealogy as a guided tool to cultivate vital roles of identity, personal transformation, and to advance cultural competence.

Producer/Director/Writer/Performer
Brandon Hughes is an Oakland native, and a multi-hyphenate Producer/Director/Writer/Performer. He has degrees in Theater, Film, and Television and Media from UCLA. He created and performs in the acclaimed one-man show, “The Absent Father, The Wayward Son,” and wrote the novel “The Man Behind The Curtain.” Currently, Brandon not only has productions in the works in the entertainment industry, he also partners with schools and organizations in creating entertaining educational videos, and leads a literacy and filmmaking program with our youth.

University of California, Berkeley, Professor of Education
William and Mary Jane Brinton Family Chair in Urban Teaching; Faculty Director of the School’s educational doctorate (Leaders for Equity and Democracy) and for the School’s Principal Leadership Institute’s Masters degree program. He is Leadership Board Chair of the 21st Century California School Leadership Academies funded by the California Department of Education, a board Member and Governance Committee Chair of the National Writing Project, and the Faculty Director of the Bay Area Writing Project. He also is an Adjunct Professor for Columbia University’s Summer Leadership Academy. The most recent of his seven academic books is “Deconstructing Race: Multicultural Education Beyond the Color-Bind” (2017).

Concerned Parents Alliance and The College Bound Academy Programs; Author of “REVEALED:True Testimonials and Life Lessons on Covert and Blatant Racial Expressions”

Dr. Darlene V. Griffin-Willis serves as the Co-Founder/Executive Director of the family-empowered non-profit Concerned Parents Alliance and The College Bound Academy Programs. She served as an administrator at nationally recognized public and private institutions for more than twenty years and understands the importance of education, equity and cultural competence.

Dr. Willis is the author of a two books titled, “REVEALED: True Testimonials and Lessons Learned on Covert and Blatant Racial Experiences,” and Empowering Parents: A Guide to Taking Back Control of Your Child’s Educational Journey as well as the creator of “The Million Parent WAKE-UP Challenge.”℠ She is working on her third book challenging parents and caregivers to strategically manage their households while utilizing the Willis Family Model that has changed countless family situations at home and in the schools.