EP 16: Racial Identity Development & Urban School Leadership w/Dr. Will Hayes

In this podcast episode, I have an inspiring conversation with Dr. William Hayes, a principal at Mastery High School in Camden, New Jersey. In this podcast, we have a very authentic and transparent conversation about how Dr. Hayes’ lived experiences as a Black man have sharpened and shapened his trajectory and his work as being an educator, school leaders, and social change activist. In this conversation, we take a deeper dive as we explore · The contradictions of charter schools: charter schools as safe/affirming spaces for children of color vs charter schools as political machines · Unpacking some false narratives about success and failure within urban schools · The importance of educators having a strong sense of self and who they are · The necessity of school leaders addressing racialized systemic challenges and barriers that affect children in urban schools · The importance of African-centered education for Black children A key quote from Dr. Hayes that I want to highlight from this discussion is: “Being a student at Morehouse was the only time in my life when I did not have to negotiate Whiteness. I was free to explore my Blackness without the simultaneous consideration of Whiteness. I didn’t have to suppress my identity exploration phase. I think that ability to test and try and explore your Blackness in a safe space in which you are constantly affirmed is a gift that many of our students and children and people of color don’t get to experience. And that safe space to develop my own muscle and to develop my own efficacy was necessary for the work that I’m doing today”. About Dr. William Hayes: Dr. Hayes is a founding principal of Mastery High School in Camden, New Jersey. He attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA for undergrad and received his doctorate in educational leadership from Vanderbilt University. He taught in Boston, Massachusetts and was an AP in Boston before becoming a principal of an elementary school in Ohio. He can be contacted through his social media IG handle @speakhayes. If your organization needs support with advancing its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, I invite you to schedule a discovery call with me here: https://calendly.com/karlamanning/discoverycall20mins