Hi, I’m Cierra!

I’m a social justice educator, writer, researcher, movement + meditation instructor, consultant, and speaker based in Washington, DC.

Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here.

The bottom line: My life’s work and heart’s work is dedicated to storytelling for social justice — using narrative change to disrupt the status quo and dismantle oppressive structures and systems. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been enraptured by stories — whether they be from pages in a book or the unspoken stories of the rhythmic contractions of choreography. I believe that with stories, we have the power to create fuller, deeper, and richer connections, and in turn, a more radically empathetic and just world.

I was born and raised in South Jersey and yes, I love Wawa. I always have twenty ideas swirling in my brain. I’m most at home in the middle of a thought-provoking conversation, under the bright lights on stage, on my yoga mat, or curled up with a fiction novel and my journal. I’m here to both take up space and create it. I believe truth-telling is one of the highest forms of love. Every day I wake up jazzed to learn more about the world around me and lean a little more into the fullness of who I was created to be.

The official line:

I am the first-ever Executive Director of Rethinking Schools, the nation’s leading grassroots publisher for racial and social justice in education. I previously served as the Education Anew Fellow with Communities for Just Schools Fund and Teaching for Change and then as the first Director of Storytelling with Communities for Just Schools Fund. In this role I worked to help shift national narratives in education by centering youth, family, and educator organizers’ experiences and stories in education work.

I earned a Ph.D. in education from the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership at University of Maryland - College Park. My dissertation explored how Black girls use arts-based practices (e.g. movement, music, hair) as mechanisms for identity construction and resistance through the co-creation of a healing-centered out-of-school space. I am a qualitative researcher and employ critical methodologies such as performance ethnography, youth participatory action research, and critical discourse analysis. I’ve presented my research at national conferences, including American Educational Research Association (AERA), Critical Race Studies in Education (CRSEA), and American Studies Association annual conferences. I’ve given keynotes at conferences such as the Midwest Mental Health Association conference and the Council for Exceptional Children 100th Anniversary convening. I’ve also been invited to share work on culturally-affirming social-emotional learning with senior officials at the White House, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

I am a proud graduate of Rutgers University and Douglass Residential College and also have a master’s degree in curriculum & instruction from The George Washington University. I have a certificate in women’s leadership from The Institute for Women’s Leadership and a certificate in global perspectives in education.

Over the past ten years, I’ve learned alongside preschoolers, K-12 students, college students, and adults. With my roots in dance and arts education, I’ve also taught classes on U.S. history, public policy, and social change & leadership. I co-taught a graduate-level course on the foundations on education research at the University of Maryland – College Park and I will begin as a faculty member at Georgetown University in their Corporate Communications and PR Department to teach a course on Storytelling for Change. I’ve led professional development for educators and administrators in District of Columbia Public Schools, Alexandria Public Schools, Howard County Public Schools, East Orange Public Schools, teacher educators at Marymount University, staff at Louisiana State University and Rutgers University, and educators in the D.C. Metro Area as part of the Washington Teachers’ Union collaboration with Teaching for Change on Decolonizing the Curriculum. I am the co-host of the forthcoming Teaching for Black Lives podcast and one of the co-moderators for the Teach the Black Freedom Struggle online series.

My writing has been featured in Education Post, Nia Magazine, Midnight and Indigo, Medium, and EBONY, to name a few. I’ve written book chapters in Strong Black Girls: Reclaiming Schools in Their Own Image, Black Girl Civics: Expanding and Navigating the Boundaries of Civic Engagement, and Teaching Brilliant, Beautiful Black Girls. My academic work was most recently published in the Middle School Journal. In addition, I’ve been contracted to write research papers and briefs, commissioned by entities including the federal government, the National Geographic Society, and USAID.

As a former professional dancer in the NBA, a fitness instructor, 200-hour trained yoga & meditation instructor, and dance educator, I use movement and art as a way to encourage others to take care of their minds, bodies, and souls throughout the process of sharing stories. I’ve been able to choreograph for local companies and served as the Assistant Director of a youth dance company. I am currently a professional dancer and company member with Capitol Movement. I’ve also had the opportunity to lead a guided meditation for Athleta.

When I’m not conducting research, writing, dancing, or leading workshops, I love to read, deepen my yoga practice, try out new recipes, travel and take road trips, eat ice cream (Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, please!), and spend time in nature.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @_cierrajade_ for updates & adventures!

Official bio/headshots here.