Jessica Hawkins (she/her) is an Urban Education doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Prior to her full-time pursuit of doctoral studies, Jessica was an educator for 13 years in St. Louis, MO. There she served as an elementary teacher, instructional leader and most recently an elementary school principal. Her experiences as an educator and mother have impacted her drive for equity and innovation in public education. She is committed to advocating for alternative methods of instruction in predominantly Black communities and also centering the community’s voice/cultural assets in school-based decision making.
“It is not enough to simply challenge systems of oppression. We have to actively work to disrupt policies, practices and negative narratives about people of color. I am honored to serve on the Racial Equity Council as we work to fund the ideas of BIPOC disruptors. Each innovative idea gets our communities one step closer to liberation.”