Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendrick Jones.
Ken, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Ever since I was a kid, I knew that I wanted to work in education and ultimately in policy. Other kids wanted Hot Wheels and Pokémon Cards, I wanted dry erase board markers and a government book. I was not your typical five years old.
I was raised in a single parent household in South Central Los Angeles and always had a passion for learning. I was taught and instilled tools at an early age which set me aside as a student and ultimately paid off in the long run.
For me, my love for education began as a student. I had the pleasure of being taught in a space where I was not only represented and valued, but furthermore, had the chance to learn from individuals who did not see my ethnic background as a means to declare me or anyone who looked like me, unteachable. I had found myself so comfortable, however, with being in a space where my education was accessible and sustained quality that I had not prepared myself for classrooms outside the confines of that space, which was very challenging in itself.
In high school alone, I had dealt with white teachers (many of whom had ties to the Teach for America program) that vocalized wanting to teach in the inner city and bring change to the community but lacked the moral and ethical foundations relative to cultural connectedness that could have contributed greatly to their teaching approach. I knew then that there was a need for a change in the way education in urban schools was viewed and I wanted to be a part of that conversation.
After graduating high school, I attended California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) where I majored in Africana Studies and graduated with my Bachelor of Arts degree in 2017 and my Master of Arts in Education in 2018. I was very interested in studying urban education and government policies in the educational sphere. This allowed me the opportunity to collaborate with key organizations in the non-profit sector and even lobby at the California State Capitol with some of our local legislators to advocate for educational policy reform. In essence, I feel that every child deserves an equal opportunity in learning and want to be a part of that change.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For people like me, there is no such thing as a smooth road. I have definitely had some challenges along the way. I think that it’s the challenges that make the reward all the better. Being young and Black I have been, unfortunately, subject to racist and microagressive behavior and actions in the workspace that forced me to develop another layer of thick skin to be able to do my job and to do it effectively. Professionally, I feel like being in spaces where you are placed as a figure rather than a functional member of the team was a challenge that was reoccurring for me. I often found myself serving in organizations that prided itself publicly, on being diverse, student-focused and community-driven, yet, furthered internal practices of institutionalized oppression that made it all the more challenging to feel comfortable doing the work.
Even as a professional, I have had moments where my education was questioned and even more where my opinions, viewpoints and ideas were given double thought simply because of my race and age. I could literally be in a meeting and can say something and have a white colleague repeat the same thing, and they would receive the acknowledgment whereas individuals like me are overlooked. It is an unfortunate pattern that is experienced by many people of color. It is the feeling of being acknowledged and highlighted, only for someone else to reap the benefits of your existence.
I am a young, 23 years old Black male in America working in a profession that is traditionally dominated by white women and on the policy realm, older white men. It could not be any more challenging.
However, even though this is a challenge, I like to use this as a driving point to show others simply, the possibilities that exist when you put your mind towards something. Things are only challenging when you allow fear to take over. Thankfully, I am not afraid of bettering the lives of those from communities similar to my own upbringing. If there is passion behind what you do, it becomes all the easier.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am currently working on developing a retention pipeline program for young men of color to assist them in entering schools within both the CSU and UC Systems. It is challenging work, but, I am pulling from resources in both literature and research to help me develop the foundational framework. Aside from that, I am continuing my advocacy work in educational policy and legislation to help bring more resources to my community. It is rewarding work and I have been enjoying every moment of it.
I am also teaching at Pacific Oaks College and have been using the current conversations surrounding racism, sexism, diversity and inclusion to help develop my students to become social change agents in the field of education and psychology. I have designed my curriculum and advocacy approach based on both social change model of leadership theory and social learning theory and feel like it is very imperative for my students to learn ways to acknowledge and dismantle oppressive behavior.
I am also in the process of developing a cultural think tank to help aspiring educators develop curriculum that is reflective of the diverse experiences that are in the classes that they teach. I know how it feels to not be represented in the space and want to make sure that that is not the same experience of future students.
I hope to one day be able to be in a position where I can aid in placing student voice at the forefront of policy planning and in our current climate, this is something that is very much so needed now than ever before. People want change and who is better to ignite that change than our students of today. I know it is a cliché statement, however, it is very true.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Being innovative. I feel that creativity is louder when you are younger. When working in education and policy alone, it is definitely a trait that will take you very far.
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