Walden University Hosts Virtual Equity in Education Panel

Minneapolis—May 28, 2020—Walden University is bringing together a prestigious group of speakers for its first Talks for Good, addressing “A Historical Perspective on Equity in Education” on Thursday, May 28, 2020 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. ET. The virtual panel will focus on the broader socio-historical landscape of inequity and how the accumulation of wealth, power and oppression through structures and systemic racism set the stage for inequity in education.

“Although the COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting the severity of educational inequality in America, its problematic roots have been embedded throughout history,” says Dr. Ward Ulmer, president of Walden University. “The ideas and conversations shared during the Talks for Good will hopefully be an important step in influencing and affecting positive social change and creating a better educational system for all students.”

Mikel Brand Oliver, owner and principal consultant of Mpact Consultancy, will moderate the event. She began her career in public education 13 years ago as a fourth-grade teacher. Since then, she has worked as an instructional coach for K-5 mathematics and served as managing director of The Boys Institute, an initiative she founded in 2016 for black males in Southeast Washington, DC.

The esteemed group of panelists include:

Justice Alan C. Page – He became the first African American to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1993 to 2015, until he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. While earning his law degree, Justice Page had a successful career playing in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. He was voted to nine consecutive Pro Bowls, earned All-Pro honors six times and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). In 1988, Justice Page was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Also, in 1988, Justice Page and his wife, Diane, founded the Page Education Foundation, which assists students of color in their pursuit of postsecondary education. To date, the foundation has awarded over $15 million in grants to 7,000 students. In November 2018, Justice Page received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Dr. Joy DeGruy – She is a researcher, educator, social worker and expert on race relations and historical trauma. Her research focuses on the intersection of racism, trauma, violence and American chattel slavery. Dr. DeGruy has more than 30 years of practical experience in social work and conducts workshops and trainings on intergenerational/historical trauma, mental health, social justice, improvement strategies and evidence-based model development.

For more than two decades, she served as an assistant professor at Portland State University’s School of Social Work and is now president and CEO of Joy DeGruy Publications.

Dr. Daryl Williams – He is a former assistant superintendent for Prince George’s County Public Schools and currently serves as senior education equity specialist with the Center for Education Equity at MAEC. He provides technical assistance and professional development training to schools and school districts to ensure students are given access to an equitable education regardless of race, gender, national origin (English learners), sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or religious beliefs.

His extensive background in education includes positions as a classroom teacher, school administrator, director of Title I federal programs, state specialist with the Maryland State Department of Education and education coordinator with the Prince George's County Department of Social Services.

The Talks for Good is part of Walden’s Mobilize for Good initiative, which celebrates its 50-year history of empowering the greater good by recognizing its community’s passion and commitment to social change. In addition to Talks for Good, Walden is giving back to local schools across the country as part of its Acts for Good. The first set of acts took place in Tampa, Florida and Baltimore, Maryland.

To learn more about Walden University’s 50th anniversary and its Mobilize for Good initiative, please visit WaldenTurns50.com.

###

About Walden University
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2020, Walden University was founded to support working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and communities. Students from across the U.S. and more than 150 countries are pursuing a certificate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree online at Walden. The university offers more than 80 degree programs with over 350 specializations and concentrations. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, hlcommission.org. For more information, please visit WaldenU.edu.