May 4-8, 2026
May 4-8, 2026
Black culture and the Black community have strengths and gifts for success. Every Black child has cultural capital and arrives with social assets that increase success. Knowing more about Black cultural capital can assist teachers in developing real and collaborative relationships with Black parents and families as they work together to ensure academic success and excellence for Black children. This keynote, which draws on the work of Tara Yosso (2005) and Lindsay Perez, Huber (2009). will address effective ways to draw on, build on the talents, strengths, and experiences of Black people and their culture.
Dr. Debra Ren-Etta Sullivan is Past President of the Seattle Black Child Development Institute where the primary focus of her work has been implementing appropriate learning environments for Black children and working with families and communities to increase their advocacy for their children. Her third book, Cultivating the Genius of Black Children, guides teachers in creating classrooms that support the learning needs of Black children and many other children with similar learning needs. She is Founder and Executive Director of Ashé Preparatory Academy, a P-12 inclusion school model based on cultivating genius for community action and co-founder of the Praxis Institute for Early Childhood Education – a diverse organization providing education and professional development. She has worked in higher education for forty years as a teacher, researcher, curriculum developer, and administrator and is a Past Governing Board Member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
