![Dr. Ron Whitaker](/media/p0kmujga/whitaker_ron_011821.jpg?rxy=0.39666666666666667,0.24380165289256198&height=775&quality=70&v=1daf955672e39b0))
Dr. Ron Whitaker
Freedom Fighter, Critical Scholar & Equity Strategist
Dr. Ron Whitaker
Freedom Fighter, Critical Scholar & Equity Strategist
Biography
Known as an Equity and Anti-Racist Freedom Fighter, Dr. Ronald W. Whitaker, II is the appointed Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Assistant Professor of Education and the Director of the Center for Urban Education, Equity, and Improvement (CUEEI) at Cabrini University. Further, Dr. Whitaker also holds the distinction of being a Schouver Fellow at Duquesne University. As a Schouver Fellow, Dr. Ron engages in improvement projects that seeks to build system capacity within organizations. Additionally, Dr. Whitaker is the current Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Equity Expert, a Board of Trustees member for Tacony Academy Charter School, and a Board of Directors Member for the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR).
Dr. Whitaker completed his Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership at Duquesne University. He also earned a Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in Business Administration at Eastern University, and two undergraduate degrees from Geneva College where he graduated magna cum laude. Additionally, Dr. Whitaker earned a Certificate in Culturally Sustaining Teaching from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC), and a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.
As a researcher and scholar, Dr. Whitaker publishes articles that focus on the psychology of race and racism, issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogy, and the societal and educational disenfranchisement of African American males. His scholarship has been included in books and handbooks such as:
- The Ultimate Guide for Teachers to Multicultural Literature (Rowman & Littlefield Publishing)
- The Beauty and the Burden of Being a Black Professor (Emerald Publishing)
- The Handbook on Promoting Social Justice in Education (Springer Publishing)
- Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (IGI Global Publishing)
- Social Justice and Education and Putting Theory into Practice in Schools and Communities (IGI Global Publishing)
- The Handbook of Research on Black Males: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Multidisciplinary (Michigan State University Press Publishing)
- Handbook of Urban School Leadership. New York (Roman & Littlefield Publishing)
Dr. Whitaker presents his research at both national and international scholarly conferences, and within K-12 educational milieus. He is revered amongst colleagues for engaging in “tough conversations” in a respectful manner. Dr. Whitaker was a 2018 Delta Eplison Sigma Faculty inductee, a 2017 Black Theology Fellow at Princeton Theological Seminary, a 2016 America Educational Research Association (AERA) Asa Hilliard/Barbara Sizemore fellow, a 2014 Phi Kappa Phi inductee, and a 2012-2014 University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) Barbara L. Jackson Scholar Fellow. Dr. Whitaker is the author of the forthcoming book titled: HELP(ing) Us to Understand: It’s Still Either Going to Be Chaos or Community!
Speaker Videos
Cabrini University 6th Annual Virtual Visionaries Gala
Speech Topics
HELP(ing) Us to Understand: It’s Still Either Going to Be Chaos or Community!
It’s About Prophetic Notions of Social Justice within Schools!
All Eyes on Me, Ways to Support African American Male Students
Are You Really Committed to Supporting Black Faces in White Spaces?
The Ingredients for Becoming a Strategic Diversity Leader!
The Fierce Urgency of Now: Leadership Principles from the life of Dr. King
What would Dr. King Say about our Societal Affairs: Understanding the “True” Message, Life, and Legacy of MLK
What are you a Drum Major For?
Testimonials
In The News
Articles
It Makes Me Wanna Holler: The Need for Self-Care for Black Soldiers on the Frontlines
Supporting Foster Care Youth in College
What the Life and Music of Tupac Shakur Still Signifies to Black Males, 22 years After His Murder
Is the Black Man the Bogeyman in the Ivory Tower?
Memo to Black Academics: Fight Rather Than Seek Fame
Let’s Also Be Mad, and Not Solely Mesmerized by March Madness