The Impact of Antiracist Leadership | S2 Ep 4 | Changing the Course

This photo is a graphic that has a photo of the set on Episode 4, Season 2 of Changing the Course: Building An Antiracist Education podcast. In this image, it shows 4 people sitting at a round table with a blue tablecloth. There are three mugs sitting in front of the adults on the table. On the left, there is Nick Jones, the host of the podcast, a Black man with a beard and wearing a black short-sleeved button up. Next to him is Trinity, a 6th grade student at Gary Comer Middle School. She is a young Black girl with straightened medium-length dark brown hair with two little ponytails at the top. She is wearing a black sweatshirt that has the words "Guitars Over Guns" with a graphic of a guitar next to it in white. To the right of Trinity is Principal JuDonne Hemingway, a Black woman with short dark brown and blonde locs. She is wearing a long-sleeved green blouse and a silver necklace. To the right of JuDonne, there is Assistant Principal Ashley Norris Leverentz. She is a white woman with medium length straight blonde hair. She is wearing a dark red jacket. Behind all of them is a whiteboard in a classroom that has multiple equity and justice flags and colored paper on it. On top of the image, there is a blue transparent layer. On top of that, in the bottom right corner, there is blue text on a yellow background that reads "Episode 4: The Impact of Antiracist Leadership. In the bottom left corner, there is the Changing the Course podcast logo with the words Season 2 beneath it.
Published On: April 14th, 2023Categories: 2023, Changing the Course, Staff, Students

WATCH THE FOURTH EPISODE OF SEASON TWO NOW:

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

What does antiracist leadership look like in schools?

This is the main question episode 4 of Changing the Course: Building An Antiracist Education Season 2 seeks to answer as our host, Nick, is joined by guests from Gary Comer Middle School, Noble’s only middle school.

From school programming to what the hallways of the school look like, Principal JuDonne Hemingway and Assistant Principal Ashley Norris of Gary Comer Middle School (GCMS) talk about the steps they have taken to create a more welcoming, inclusive, and antiracist environment for their students. They also discuss what it looks like for White school leaders and educators to show up and lead antiracist work.

They’re joined by Trinity, Malea, and Dawson, students at GCMS, who weigh in on how Hemingway and Norris’ leadership has impacted their school experiences and offer their thoughts on how educators can do better for Black kids.

Learn more about the students, Hemingway, and Norris below.

Where to Find “Changing the Course”

Available in both audio and video format.
You can find it on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE’S GUESTS

JuDonne Hemingway | Principal | Gary Comer Middle School

JuDonne Hemingway is an experienced, innovative, and adaptive systems leader who helps others persist unapologetically in pursuit of their visions. She explores how strategic analysis, responsive practices, and values-based leadership development work together to help leaders ignite their superpowers and re-imagine what’s possible.

Hemingway currently serves as the Principal of Gary Comer Middle School where the mission is to cultivate scholars to become knowledgeable, confident, and responsible leaders on a path to achieve their highest aspirations- in high school, college, and beyond. Hemingway leads her team towards this mission by providing an antiracist school environment that focuses on joy, rigor, and relevancy – where scholars are affirmed, challenged, and celebrated for both who they are and what they hope to become.

Ashley Norris Leverentz | Assistant Principal | Gary Comer Middle School

This photo shows a headshot of Ashley Norris Leverentz, the assistant principal at Gary Comer Middle School in Chicago, IL. Norris Leverentz is a white woman with medium length blonde hair and she is wearing a red, black, and white flannel.

Trinity | 6th Grade | Gary Comer Middle School

This photo shows a headshot of Trinity Bridge, a 6th grader at Gary Comer Middle School in Chicago, IL. Trinity is a young Black girl with dark brown braids and she is wearing a dark green polo with the Gary Comer Middle School logo on it.

Trinity is a 6th grader at Gary Comer Middle School who loves to sing. She participates in Guitars over Guns at the middle school and believes that this is the best school to attend if you want support.

Malea | 7th Grade | Gary Comer Middle School

This photo shows a headshot of Malea Campbell, a 7th grader at Gary Comer Middle School. She is a young Black girl with long dark brown locs and is wearing a pink hoodie with a dark green polo over it with the Gary Comer Middle School logo.

Malea is a 7th grader at Gary Comer Middle School who loves the color red. She enjoys playing the role of junior AP at the middle school and is a strong advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

Dawson | 8th Grade | Gary Comer Middle School

This photo shows a headshot of Dawson Harris, an 8th grader at Gary Comer Middle School in Chicago, IL. Dawson is a young Black boy with short dark brown hair, cut in a hi-top fade hairstyle. He is wearing a dark green shirt with the Gary Comer Middle School logo on it.

Dawson is an 8th grader at Gary Comer Middle School. His favorite extracurricular activities are High School Seminar, Social-Emotional Learning class, and the dance team. Dawson wants to become the CEO of his own network and star on a reality show.

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In the back of this graphic, there is a photo that shows Makya Stuckey, a young Black woman with long black hair and a senior at Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy. She is wearing a black sweatshirt with the Rowe-Clark Masai Lions mascot logo on it over a collared shirt. She is standing against a wall. On top of that photo, there is a dark blue transparent layer. In the bottom left corner, there is blue text with a yellow background that reads "Exploring Rowe-Clark's Student Internship Program". The Noble Schools logo is in the bottom right corner.Exploring the Student Internship Program at Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy
Collage of photos of staff and students sharing women important in their lives. The collage has a blue overlay and the title stating Noble Academy Students & Staff Shout Out the Women in Their Lives with yellow bordering. The Noble Schools logo is present on the bottom right side of the image.Noble Academy Students & Staff Shout Out the Women in Their Lives

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