Ebonyse Mead, Ed.D.
Dr. Ebonyse Mead is a clinical instructor in the birth-to-kindergarten teacher education program at Georgia Southern University and is president of the Educational Equity Institute. For 20 years, Dr. Mead has worked in communities to improve the health and educational outcomes for racially and ethnically diverse children and their families. She was born and raised in the North Lawndale community on the west side of Chicago. Seeing many inequities in her neighborhood, she felt a sense of social responsibility to be a voice for those children and families often marginalized and excluded based on their ZIP codes.
Dr. Mead started her career as a parent educator working with teen parents in Chicago Public high schools. She has held numerous positions where she has advocated for the healthy development and well-being of families and children of color. Participating on a workgroup to help write North Carolina’s preschool suspension and expulsion plan and raising a Black male child, Dr. Mead felt compelled to address the racial disparities in school disciplinary practices with Black children. Since 2016, Dr. Mead has provided training on racial equity with a particular focus on examining structural barriers to educational equity, implicit racial bias, positive racial identity development in young children, and culturally responsive instruction to the early childhood workforce.
Dr. Mead is a Certified Family Life Educator and holds a doctor of education degree in early childhood and a master’s in human services from Concordia University Chicago. In 2015, Dr. Mead earned a master’s degree in family studies from Texas Woman’s University and completed a masters in inner city studies from Northeastern Illinois University in 2004. Recently, she completed a graduate certificate in Anti-racist Urban Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Mead has presented nationally and has published articles on racial equity in early childhood. She is deeply committed to creating brave spaces to talk about structural racism and promote equitable and just programs in early childhood.