Keynote: Dr. Tara J. Yosso

Dr. Tara J. Yosso is a first-generation college student who earned her B.A. at UCLA in an individual major she designed: “Social Psychology of Education with an Emphasis in Chicana/o Studies.” She earned her Ph.D. also at UCLA in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, in Urban Schooling.She has authored and co-authored numerous chapters
and articles in publications such as the Harvard Educational Review, Journal of Popular Film and Television, and History of Education Quarterly. Her research is extensively cited within and beyond education.

For example, her article, “Whose Culture has Capital? A Critical Race Theory Discussion of Community Cultural Wealth,” has become the top cited article in Race Ethnicity and Education since its publication in 2005—with almost 10,000 citations. The American Educational Studies Association recognized her book, Critical Race Counterstories along the Chicana/Chicano Educational Pipeline (Routledge) with a 2008 Critics’ Choice Book Award, and some of the ten thousand copies that have been sold are being used in colleges and universities nationally and internationally, as far as South Africa, New Zealand, Norway, and as close as University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

She has been awarded a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship for Diversity and Excellence in University Teaching, a 2017 Derrick Bell Legacy Award from the Critical Race Studies in Education Association, and served as the 2021-22 Inaugural Distinguished Scholar in Residence for the Institute of Emancipatory Education in the Connie L. Lurie College of Education at San José State University. She is also one of seven scholars/activists recognized by the Color of Change organization’s 2022 Inaugural Black History Now Awards with an award established in her honor, the “Tara J. Yosso Award for Excellence in Counterstorytelling in Education.”

Dr. Yosso is a Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Riverside.

Presenters

Lucinda Canty, PhD, CNM, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst at the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing and Director for Seedworks Equity in Nursing Program, Dr. Canty is a Certified Nurse Midwife and National Nurse Leader in Black Maternal Health. 

Olga M. Correa is a community-engaged scholar and Ph.D Candidate in Educational Leadership at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Olga’s research focuses on contemporary school segregation and working alongside youth to dismantle educational policies and practices that uphold racial discrimination.

Karin Cotterman focuses on the impacts of race on campus-community partnerships and how white-identified folks work to dismantle racism, professionally. As a mother-scholar-activist-poet with two white sons, she is engaged in research, writing, and action related to resisting race-based oppression through an intersectional lens. Karin directs Engage San Francisco.

Loan Thi Dao, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California. She specializes in Asian American studies, immigrant and refugee youth, social movements, and community-based participatory research. She teaches interdisciplinary ethnic studies, including community engagement courses, and has served on boards for community organizations.

Dresden June Frazier is a scholar-activist committed to humanizing education through love, justice, joy, and rest. Dresden is a Program Manager at the University of San Francisco, managing Engage San Francisco Literacy. Currently, she is pursuing her doctorate in Higher Education Administration and Policy at University of California, Riverside. 

Aldo Garcia-Guevara is professor of History at Worcester State University. He has spent his academic career developing and creating community-engaged courses and experiences for students, locally and internationally, applying anti-racist principles to these efforts. His publications include articles for The Journal of World History and World History Connected.

Teresa M. Giacoman is a nonprofit professional with experience in the fields of education and criminal legal reform. Teresa has worked extensively with volunteers and her community-centered work includes management of community-based programs at two local universities, training/facilitation, and both legal & reentry services for long-term incarcerated individuals.

Suchitra V. Gururaj, Ph.D., is assistant vice president for community engagement at The University of Texas-Austin, where she leads strategies to connect the resources of the university with the priorities of Austin’s communities. Her work as practitioner-scholar sits at the intersection of community engagement and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Jeremy Horne is a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Education Policy and Planning. His research examines the intersection of (anti-)blackness and the racial politics of education. Jeremy’s dissertation explores the racialized dimensions of gentrification and their effect on Black students’ educational experiences.

Raeann G. LeBlanc, PhD, DNP, APRN, is the Seedworks Endowed Associate Clinical Professor of Social Justice in Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst at the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing. Dr. LeBlanc is committed to advancing social justice in nursing and through collaborative and collective action. 

Nasreen Latif is the Founding Coordinator of the Roxbury Community College (RCC) Community Engagement Garden. She is currently a professor at RCC and is actively involved in designing several community and student outreach programs at the college. She has received multiple awards for her teaching, gardening, and community partnerships.

Frankie Manning, MSN, RN, has dedicated herself to public service through a national nurse leader transforming care.  Ms. Manning’s career includes several roles within the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, on professional boards, as a faculty member for several academic nursing programs and through her U.S. Army service.

Ana"Stasia" Morton graduated from Mount Holyoke College (2021) with a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Psychology. Passionate about creating and implementing curriculum that breaks the chains of generational poverty, her social justice math; financial literacy lessons; and diversity, equity, and inclusion dialogues have focused on becoming a 1st generation warrior.

Sharon Latimer-Mosley is the Story Center Project Coordinator for the Reckoning with Race in Nursing Documentary Project. Sharon is an award-winning Independent Community Television Producer and Talk Show Host. Producing over 30 community focused television programs for New York Communities. Sharon contends that every heart holds a story.

Gayle Robinson PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor of nursing at the Seattle University College of Nursing and has received numerous awards for academic teaching and is committed to community health with underserved communities.

Kelsey Ruiz is a first-generation graduate, earning a master’s degree at UMass Amherst in Higher Education. Her research examines systemic racial barriers and deconstructs college access models and frameworks that are associated with whiteness. Kelsey centers students’ voices in service learning and community engagement on college campuses and local communities.

Fahmil Shah is a professor of Engineering and Mathematics at Roxbury Community College. He received his doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching from Boston University specializing in mathematics education, where he pursued research centered on the pursuit of strategies for ensuring high-quality mathematics learning opportunities for students of all backgrounds.

Carla Berenice Trujillo is a first-generation student who is passionate about serving and supporting underrepresented students navigating higher education. Carla’s passion for higher education expertise motivated her to pursue a Master’s Degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs at the University of San Francisco. Carla coordinates Engage SF Literacy.

Francisco Vivoni is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Worcester State University. He teaches courses focused on urban dynamics and Latinx experiences. His research interests center on struggles over public space and the social practice of skateboarding as an embodiment of the right to the city.