Colorism

Black Gaze

Dr. Bertrand and Dr. Porcher, co-host with Rev. Dr. Akosua Lesesne to discuss colorism. They have a critical family conversation about the discrimination and violence that dark skin Black folx experience. Rev. Dr. Akousua Lesesne provides a call to action on how we can show up better for dark skin folx.

Rev. Dr. Akosua Lesesne is an educational design leader and creator of a teacher development framework for Black pedagogical genius she termed the Black Teaching Tradition (BTT)(™). In 2018, she founded The Lesesne Collective Corp (Lesesne Collective) DBA Sisters in Education Circle (SIEC) and Lesesne Legacy Learning Village (Lesesne Learning). Akosua began her educational career as a high school social studies teacher. Prior to founding Lesesne Collective/SIEC and Lesesne Learning, Akosua’s commitment to upholding historical legacies of Black pedagogical genius for social justice and liberation defined fifteen years of work as a teacher and then district leader in the sixth, fourth, and nineteenth-largest school districts in the nation respectively and design consultant serving a wide array of educational organizations and initiatives across the United States--from preschool through higher education, including theological education. Akosua was licensed and ordained by the late and legendary Rev. Dr. Mack King Carter at New Mount Olive Baptist Church, Fort Lauderdale, FL and served under Dr. Carter as Interim Minister of Education. She is also an ordained elder, at Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA). Akosua earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Tufts University, and a Doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.