"No One is Free Until We All are Free:"
Activism, Advocacy, and Academic Freedom During Late-Stage Capitalism

“Pro-Black Pedagogy in K-12 Education: A Narrative of Black Motherhood”

Prilly Bicknell-Hersco, is a Black Mother-Scholar and PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education at York University, Canada. Her research explores the intersections of Black motherwork, critical disability studies, and Black student experiences in higher education, grounded in Black feminist thought, critical race theory, and Black dis/ability politics. Prilly teaches a Black studies course at York University titled Cultures of Resistance, where students engage with historical and contemporary issues of Black life in the Americas. She serves as an advisory board member for the federally funded project “Black Maternal Pedagogies” and is the Justice, Equity, and Redress of Anti-Black Racism committee representative at her university. She currently serves as the membership chair of the Black Women’s Studies Association. Prilly is deeply committed to advancing the work of Black womxn scholars, activists, artists, and community members across borders and within Black diasporic communities.

“The Burden of Strength: Black Women Leaders’ Right to Rest”

Dr. Chenelle Boatswain is the founder and principal consultant of CSB Consulting Services, which exists to disrupt the isolation, exhaustion, and attrition experienced by Black women in higher education. Through her consulting services, Dr. Boatswain supports Black women to leverage the traditions of community gathering to form protective communities that support sustaining success while pursuing their highest academic and professional aspirations. With over 20 years of experience in K-12 and higher education, Dr. Boatswain has demonstrated an enduring commitment to systems-level solutions to drive equity in education including leading the expansion of a K-8 charter school in Minneapolis, MN, designing and leading identity-based learning experiences for social workers and teachers, and designing innovative professional learning programs at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research, which leverages Black Feminist Thought and Critical Race Feminism Frameworks to uplift the challenges and resilience practices of Black women college & university administrators, has been presented to the American Education Research Association, National Women's Studies Association, and Faculty Women of Color Association. She is faculty at Delaware State University and the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Boatswain holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Education from Harvard University.

“Unveiling the Burdens: Black Women Teachers and the American K-12 Parasitic Syndrome”

Jamela Joseph is a doctoral student in the Education Leadership and Policy Studies program at Howard University School of Education. She is the originator of the term American K-12 Parasitic Syndrome (APS), a theoretical framework that provides a critical analysis of the foundational inequities in the American education system. Her research explores the systemic factors contributing to teacher burnout as a mental health crisis, teacher retention challenges, and the disproportionate impact of these issues on Black women educators. Her work has been featured in the Howard University Magazine, underscoring her contributions to education scholarship.

“Risky Disclosures: Studying sex work through the lens of the Erotic"

Dr. Nia Baker is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina. As a scholar of race, sexuality, and Black feminist thought, she uses qualitative methods to explore cultural shifts in sex and intimacy, queer politics, and the Black experience. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Virginia where she also earned a graduate certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her current book project explores transformations in sexual commerce and romance, investigating the impact of commodified intimacy on meanings of race, identity, political resistance, and pleasure for Black women.

“Beyond Respectability: How Black Women Rappers Shape Sexual Pleasure Narratives”

Andrea Lewis, PhD, PA-C, is an Assistant Professor in the Public Health Education Department at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a practicing Physician Assistant specializing in sexual and reproductive health, focusing on STI prevention and care. A trailblazer in her field, she was the first Black Valedictorian of her PA class at Rutgers University. Her research explores medical gendered racism, the sexual and reproductive health needs of Black college women, and the cultural influence of Black women rappers on Black women’s sexuality. Dr. Lewis integrates critical sexuality studies and intersectionality into her teaching, inspiring future health and healthcare professionals.

“Betty Davis and the Radical Black Feminist Ethos of The Queen of Funk”

Amy Abugo Ongiri is a Professor and Director of Ethnic Studies at the University of Portland. Their work focuses on visual culture at the intersection of race, gender, and identity, and their book Spectacular Blackness: The Cultural Politics of the Black Power Movement and the Search for a Black Aesthetic explores the cultural politics of the Black Power movement. Their academic work has been published in College Literature, Journal of African American History, Camera Obscura, Postmodern Culture, Black Filmmaker, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Nka: The Journal of Contemporary African Art. In addition to their academic publications, they have also published creative nonfiction in Black Girl Dangerous, Mutha Magazine, Glitterwolf, Black Lesbian Love Lab, and the Rad Families anthology.

Dr. Nana Brantuo (she/her) is a policy scholar and practitioner with over a decade of experience advancing equity-focused initiatives across nonprofit, academic, and government sectors. She specializes in interdisciplinary research, strategic planning, and advocacy, with a focus on systemic anti-Blackness and global migration governance. As the Founder of Strategic Praxis Advisory, she leads transformative research and policy projects. A committed leader, she also serves on several advisory boards and provides governance for initiatives supporting African immigrant communities.

Dr. Ocqua Gerlyn Murrell (she/they) is a sociologist, Black/Caribbean feminist, and assistant professor of gender, sexuality, and women's studies at the University of Florida. Inspired by her transnational girlhood across the U.S., La República Dominicana, and Sint Maarten, she co-creates knowledge with Afro-Caribbean girls in the Dutch West Indies, exploring their narratives of girlhood and transitions into adulthood. Her research and teaching interests include sex education curricula, reproductive justice, Black/Caribbean feminisms, gender relations, queer studies, and sex work.

Dr. Andrea N. Baldwin (she/her)  is Associate Professor of Gender and Ethnic Studies and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Utah’s School for Cultural and Social Transformation. A lawyer with a Ph.D. in gender and development studies, she founded the Black Feminist Eco Lab and co-hosts Standpoints, a Black feminist podcast. Her books include A Decolonial Black Feminist Theory of Reading and Shade and several co-edited volumes on Black feminisms.  Dr. Baldwin was born and raised on the small Caribbean island state of Barbados and considers herself an all-around Caribbean woman who loves everything coconut and soca.

“Nós por Nós: Black Women in the Frontlines of Politics of Care”
Ana Carolina Assumpção (she/her) is a Brazilian Journalist and doctorate student at the Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS), at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research project combines Race and Feminist Geopolitical studies. Specifically, she focuses on forms of anti-blackness resistance and new futurities. She works with social movement collectives and Black women's organizations in Rio de Janeiro's favelas (urban slums). She worked as a curator and producer of artistic events for public schools in Brazil, and at the University of Texas at Austin, she promoted conferences, and cultural events, as The Theater of The Oppressed Symposium.

Barbie Parker is a graduate student at the University of Louisville, specializing in Pan African Studies with a secondary focus in Criminal Justice. With over 10 years of service in the U.S. Army, Parker brings a unique perspective to her academic pursuits. Her research interests include Black Feminist Thought and Post-Colonial Theory, with a commitment to exploring the intersections of race, gender, and power in historical and contemporary contexts. Through her studies, she aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of social justice and the ongoing impact of colonial legacies on marginalized communities

“Cognitive Justice and Black Women’s Spiritualities: Afrocentric and Feminist Perspectives on Religion/Spirituality in Quebec”

Diahara Traoré is a professor at the Université de Montréal's School of Social Work. Her research interests focus on Black African feminine spiritualities and religiosities, non-Western epistemologies in social work, group work and wellness in Black communities, and the place of religion and spirituality in social work. Her work focuses on cosmologies, beliefs and practices within African communities in Quebec, gendered knowledge within these communities, and their implications for social work training and research. As a socio-anthropologist, she attaches great importance to narratives and orality. Her aim is to develop practices and knowledge that promote the emancipation and inclusion of marginalized groups, by valuing critical perspectives.

“Not Gon’ Cry’: Trauma and Depression in Black Women”
DeAnna Harris-McKoy is currently an Associate Professor and Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy Program Director at Northern Illinois University. She received two Bachelor of Science degrees from University of Maryland College Park in Family Studies and Psychology, a Master of Family Therapy from Drexel University, an MBA from University of Maryland Global Campus, and a doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy from The Florida State University.  Her research focuses on Black mental health, adolescents, and social justice within the field of MFT. She received multiple awards for her community service, social justice work, and leadership.

“Everyday Resistance in the Lives of Black Women”

Danielle Black is a 4th year Doctoral Student studying Clinical and Community Psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Her research explores Black women’s resistance, emotions, and intergenerational relationships. Danielle is also a teaching fellow, currently teaching Psychology and Culture to undergraduate students, and a clinical trainee at a community mental health clinic. Prior to attending UMBC, Danielle graduated from Clark University in Worcester, MA where she studied psychology, women’s and gender studies, comparative race and ethnic studies, and creative writing. Danielle centers her passion for art, storytelling, and accessible education across her different roles. 

“Soul to Soul Healing: Transforming Intergenerational Trauma into Intergenerational Joy”

Dr. Kimberly J. Davis is a spiritual scholar, author, activist, educator, life coach, and intuitive healer. She is the founder of Journey to Wholeness Center, a holistic healing and wellness center; the founder of Journey Healing Institute, a healing-centered education non-profit; and is an adjunct professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Kimberly holds a PhD in Philosophy and Religion with a concentration in Women’s Spirituality from the California Institute of Integral Studies and a Masters in Business Administration in Finance from DePaul University. Her scholarship centers the lived experiences of African American women as they navigate and heal psychic, intergenerational, and historical trauma through embodied spiritualities. Through both scholarship and praxis, Kimberly advocates for the healing and empowerment of women who embody generational wounds as a result of internalized oppression rooted in racist, patriarchal belief systems. She collaborates with women to help them remember and reactivate their innate power to holistically heal—mind, body, emotion, and spirit. Kimberly is committed to using her voice, ancestral wisdom, intuitive gifts, and educational platform to advance the healing and evolution of women in general and Black women in particular.

“Training Future Scholars Amid Attacks on Academic Freedom”

Dr. Garrison-Harrison is completing a monograph on Black women’s community activism in Georgia during the modern Civil Rights Movement era, a manuscript on Louisiana’s Black female Bounce artists, an essay on antebellum matriarchal culture, and producing a documentary short about southern Black women activists. At Southern University, she is co-coordinating the launching of new programming. Upcoming publications include an article on the geographies of Black southern women and an institutional biographical essay on the history of Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College for a project that centers the historical relevance of Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU.) Recent pubs include co-authoring “Remembering Jacqueline Anne Rouse, 1950–2020: Scholarship, Educational Advocacy, and Mentoring as Audacious Leadership.”

"(Re)Imagining Desirable Futures through Archival and Speculative Methodologies."
Maya Revell (she/her) is a 4th-year PhD Candidate in Environmental Studies, Science, and Policy at the University of Oregon.  She has a focal concentration in Critical and Sociocultural Studies in Education and a secondary concentration in Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies. Broadly, her research focuses on climate education, Black relationships to land and water, and co-creating livable futures.

“Gendering the Black Radical Tradition: Archiving the Genesis of Contemporary Black Canadian Feminist Projects”

Sarah George is a doctoral student in Sociology specializing in African Studies at Carleton University. Her research interests are African studies, Black studies, and the Sociology of race, gender, and knowledge in settler colonial. Sarah is a Joseph Armand Bombardier Scholar, whose work is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. She teaches a community-engaged sociology course and is the Graduate Student Rep for the Black Canadian Studies Association, founder of the Institute of African Studies Emerging Scholar Conference and the Umoja Black Community Engagement Program, and on board of directors for the Canadian Women of Color Leadership Network.

“Links to the Health and Well-being of Black Women Engaged in Activism”

Michelle Y. Martin Romero, PhD, is an assistant professor of Public Health Education at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She received her Ph.D. in Biobehavioral Health from The Pennsylvania State University and completed postdoctoral training in developmental science as an NIH T32 fellow. Dr. Martin Romero’s research program seeks to understand resilience and resistance processes in the context of racialized stressors among racially-ethnically minoritized individuals, families, and communities in the U.S. Ultimately, her goal is to support the health and wellbeing of communities as they navigate ever-present and complex systems of oppression that ultimately deteriorate health and quality of life. 

“Addressing the Urgent Need for Transformative Change in Sports and Education among Black Female Athletes”

Lexi Kier is a doctoral student in Public Health Education at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Tech and her M.S. in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport and Exercise Psychology. Lexi’s research will explore Christian faith-informed resilience and mental wellness among Black athletes, with a particular focus on how faith-informed interventions can serve as protective factors against race-and-sport-related stressors. Her goal is to destigmatize help-seeking while integrating a Christian faith foundation within psychotherapy, ensuring that culturally relevant, spiritually aligned mental health support is accessible and effective for Black athletes.

“Empowering Black Immigrant and Refugee Women: Advocacy and Well-being in Guilford County, NC”

“Giving You Your Flowers: ACommunity-Centered Approach to Supporting Black Women in Activism”

“Why Is Misogyny Everywhere?”

Wonda Powell, Professor Emerita of History with special interest in African American women. A graduate of the University of Michigan, and M.A. from UCLA, she has served the educational community for more than forty years in the Los Angeles Community College District. She shares her experiences and knowledge through motivational talks to young and old. She is a poet and author of Girl Find Me A Safety Pin!

“Black Feminist Leaders and Achievers: Providing Contemporary Solutions in the Proud Combahee River/Hamer Traditions”

Dr. Lisbeth Gant-Britton, Associate Professor Adjunct, Los Angeles Community College system (LACCD), also teaches at California State University, Northridge (CSUN): (African American Studies, African American history, and Ethnic Studies.) Former administrator/adjunct faculty, African American Studies Department, UCLA. Also former Marlene Crandall Francis Professor of the Humanities in the English Department, Kalamazoo College, Michigan. Two textbooks: Holt African American History, digitized by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2018. Her first book on African American history was recognized by the Los Angeles mayor’s office with a special award for its contribution to racial understanding through education.

"How Can Black Feminist Intersectionality Promote International Solidarity with Middle Eastern, Sudanese and Ukrainian Women"

Frieda Afary, Philosophy M.A., M.L.I.S., is an Iranian American public librarian, translator, writer, activist in Los Angeles.  She is the author of Socialist Feminism:  A New Approach (Pluto Press, 2022) (Audible, 2025).  She produces the blogs,  Iranian Progressives in Translation and socialistfeminism.org