On July 26th, 2021 the Village invited three expert educators to help educate our community about what Critical Race Theory is (and isn't). We recorded the conversation for those who could not join us. We welcome you to view the video below!
Featuring:
Jackie Bridgeforth Williams (Founder of the Village)
Leah Kuragano (Moderator and Publicity/Marketing Committee Chair)
Amy Quark (Village Executive Team)
Jennifer Bickham Mendez (Village Executive Team)
Panelists:
Dr. Denelle Wallace-Alexander (Norfolk State University)
Dr. Wallace-Alexander received a Ph.D. in Urban Services with a concentration in Academic Leadership from Old Dominion University, a Masters of Education in School Counseling from Georgia State University, and a B.S. in Elementary Education from Old Dominion University. Her current research focus involves diversifying the educator populations, culturally competent school environments, academic equity and access, culturally relevant instructional delivery and classroom management methods, effective leadership in public school reform and program assessment for positive change. For the last 5 years, she has focused on diversifying the teacher and school counselor populations and providing the support needed for candidate success on teacher licensure examinations as the Future Teacher Academy Director. She has served as a member of a number of program and school accreditation teams over the last 17 years at the school district, university, and state level. Currently, she is the Interim Dean and CAEP Coordinator for the School of Education at Norfolk State University.
Dr. Jamel K. Donnor (William & Mary)
Dr. Donnor is an Associate Professor of Education with affiliations in American Studies, Africana Studies, and the Center for Racial and Social Justice at William & Mary. Dr. Donnor’s work on race and inequality in education covers an array of topics, including critical race theory, school desegregation, intercollegiate athletics, and affirmative action in higher education. He holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from The Ohio State University, and a B.A. in Social Studies from Washington State University. Dr. Donnor’s research has been published in Teachers College Record, Educational Policy, Race, Ethnicity, and Education, Peabody Journal of Education, the International Journal of Qualitative Studies, and the Journal of Urban Education. He has also served as a rebuttal expert in the court case Clark v. Nevada State Public Charter School Authority and has been quoted in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Philip Canady (Richmond Public School Teacher, Village Co-founder)
Philip Canady is an education advocate and U.S. Marine Veteran. In addition to having being educated by family and friends, Philip is a Lafayette High graduate. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Christopher Newport University, a Masters Degree in Instructional Design from Western Governors University, an Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership, and is a current Doctoral student at Liberty University. Outside of Philip’s education, he is a two-time Teacher of the Year recipient and currently teaches at Fairfield Court Elementary School in Richmond. Philip is a founding member of The Village Initiative, Inc. Philip’s passion for helping others come from over 20 years of education advocacy, 17 years of teaching, and a true love of sharing knowledge.