Overcoming Distance & Division: Centering on Equity & Justice
Virtual Professional Development Symposium – January 18-26, 2021
Worldwide Virtual Hiring Event – January 27-29, 2021
Thank you for a wonderful first-ever virtual conference! Access to the professional development content closed on February 28 July 1, 2021.
2021 Keynote Speakers
Monique W. Morris, Ed.D. is an award-winning author and social justice scholar with three decades of experience in the areas of education, civil rights, juvenile and social justice. In April 2020, Dr. Morris became the inaugural Executive Director of Grantmakers for Girls of Color, a philanthropic collaborative that supports a world in which all girls and young women of color are healthy, safe, thriving, and fully empowered.
Dr. Morris is an Executive Producer and co-writer of the documentary film currently airing on PBS, “PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools,” which is based upon two of her books, “Sing A Rhythm, Dance A Blues: Education for the Liberation of Black and Brown Girls” (The New Press, 2019) and “Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools” (The New Press, 2016). Dr. Morris has written dozens of articles, book chapters, and other publications on social justice issues and lectured widely on research, policies, and practices associated with improving juvenile justice, educational, and socioeconomic conditions for girls and women of color.
Dr. Morris is the Founder of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute (NBWJI), an organization that works to interrupt school-to-confinement pathways for girls, reduce the barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated women, and increase the capacity of organizations working to reduce sexual assault and domestic violence in African American communities. Dr. Morris’ work has been profiled by MSNBC, CSPAN2, The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, and PBS, among other national and local print, radio, and television media. Her research intersects race, gender, education and justice to explore the ways in which Black communities, and other communities of color, are uniquely affected by social policies.
Dr. Christopher Emdin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he also serves as Director of the Science Education program and Associate Director of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education. He is an alumni fellow at the Hutchins Center at Harvard University and served as STEAM Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State and Minorities in Energy Ambassador for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Dr. Emdin is a social critic, public intellectual, and science advocate whose commentary on issues of race, culture, inequality, and education have appeared in dozens of influential periodicals including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. He holds a Ph.D in Urban Education with a concentration in Mathematics, Science, and Technology; master's degrees in both Natural Sciences and Education Administration; and bachelor's degrees in Physical Anthropology, Biology, and Chemistry.
He is the creator of the #HipHopEd social media movement, and a much sought-after public speaker on a number of topics that include hip-hop education, STEM education, politics, race, class, diversity, and youth empowerment. He is also an advisor to numerous international organizations, school districts, and schools. He is the author of the award winning book “Urban Science Education for the Hip-hop Generation” and the New York Times bestseller “For White Folks Who Teach In the Hood and the Rest of Ya’ll Too.”