“Ever Rising:
A Homecoming of HBCUs and K-12”
featuring charter leaders of color who attended HBCUs and are having a profound impact in communities through K-12 education.
Create a vision of what is possible with HBCUs and charter schools, both now and in the future
HBCU and charter school leaders from across the country have a profound impact in communities through K-12 education came together for engaging discussions around how HBCUs can set leaders of color up for success and equity, retaining leaders of color, shifting the needle on how we think about charter schools, and so much more.
There is power in connecting K-12 education with HBCUs. We all have a common mission in mind – building and sustaining quality schools that reflect the cultural fabric of our communities.
#HBCUEverRising
The series featured charter school founders and education leaders of color who attended HBCUs and are having a profound impact in communities through K-12 education

Dr. Marco Clark


Jami Dunham


Delano Ford


Dr. Nina Gilbert


Patrick Jones


Ma’at Lands


Alaina Chipman Leeks


Jamar McKneely


Dr. Arterius Miller


Ruben Morris


Kimberly Neal-Brannum


Shantelle Wright


Dr. Michael Lomax


Naomi Shelton


Sekou Biddle

Videos
Educational Excellence in Charter Schools
(February 2023)

Alaina Chipman Leeks, Founder & Executive Director, Atlanta Unbound Academy (Atlanta, GA); Spelman College Alum

Dr. Artesius Miller, Founder & CEO of the Utopian Academy for the Arts Charter School Network (Ellenwood, GA); Morehouse College Alum

Ma’at Lands, Founding School Leader of Rooted School Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN); Tennessee State University Alum

Meredith Anderson, Ph.D., director of K-12 Research Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute (FDPRI), UNCF (moderator)
Leaving Their Mark: HBCU Alumna Leading Charter Spaces
(March 2023)

Kimberly Neal-Brannum, Founder and Executive Director, BELIEVE Circle City High School (Indianapolis, IN); Alabama A&M University Alum

Jami Dunham, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, KIPP DC (Washington, DC); Howard University Alum
Breaking Barriers: The Power of HBCU Men in Charter School Leadership
(April 2023)

Jamar McKneely, Inspire NOLA Charter Schools (New Orleans); Southern University Alum

Dr. Marco Clark, Founder of Richard Wright Public Charter School (Washington, DC); Clark Atlanta University Alum
Shifting the Narrative: The Future of Charter Schools, HBCU Innovations and Opportunities
(May 2023)

Dr. Nina Gilbert, Director, Morehouse Center for Excellence in Education, and Founder and former leader of Ivy Preparatory Academy (Metro Atlanta, GA)

Delano Ford, Partner, Charter School Growth Fund; Morehouse College Alum

Dr. Karega Rausch, President and CEO, National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA)

Dr. Michael Lomax,
President and CEO, UNCF; Morehouse College Alum

Dr. Naressa Coefield (moderator)
Op-Eds

by Alaina Chipman-Leeks
March 9, 2023

by Mark R. Lowery
February 21, 2023