Category: Wisdom
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My love of libraries was born between two cities and two generations. In Saginaw, Michigan, my grandmother was the librarian at Houghton Middle School. I spent endless days with her, nestled between the stacks, flipping through weathered books and searching for interesting books like buried treasure. Her library was my sanctuary, a place where the…
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Across the country, the closure of public schools in historically Black and Brown neighborhoods has been sold to the public as “reform.” Politicians and privatizers claim these closures are about performance and efficiency. But if you’ve spent any time in these communities, you know that the story they tell is not the story we’ve lived.…
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At a recent curriculum development meeting in Detroit, I was reminded that some of the most powerful leadership lessons are passed between colleagues, not through formal training manuals, but through lived wisdom. JoAnn Chavez, a dedicated leader in Detroit and our work at the Michigan Hispanic Collaborative where I serve as a senior advisor, shared…
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A keynote isn’t just a speech. It’s a spark. It’s a shared moment that can move people from comfort to conviction, from knowing to doing, from silence to strategy. That’s why I speak. Over the past decade, I’ve delivered more than 150 talks across eight countries. I’ve addressed audiences from hundreds to thousands, speaking on…
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You’ve met them. Maybe in a meeting. Maybe in your inbox. Maybe at a conference. Maybe at a community event where they float in with “a great idea,” something they’re convinced will change the game. The problem? That “new idea” is something your community has already been doing for a decade. You may have helped…
Cloaking Inequity 