“‘You’ve done nothing to help you find a career,’ a professor looked at my resume and espoused, about a first-generation college senior who’d been a waitress, restaurant manager, and sales associate. I faced the harsh reality that people who work to survive don’t get as far as those privileged to work to thrive.
I found myself at an impasse several years ago. I was a tenure-track professor in Arkansas — afraid to lose my job for teaching about antiracism or protecting my trans students — watching the COVID-19 pandemic widen the gap between those with power and those fighting to survive. So I left academia to do work to actualize, not just theorize about, equity.
Powerful solutions emerge in communities that have been forced to become resilient, and I believe in a world where they are at the head of the table. I do this work to build a strong foundation for that future.”