In 2018, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) launched the Leaders of Color program with the goal to accelerate Black and Latinx people into positions of civic and political power to fight for education equity. After six years of hard work and progress, we are proud that more than 300 Leaders of Color graduates are working to advance education equity in their communities in Louisiana, Memphis, Tennessee, New York, and Washington, D.C. They have been elected to public office, lead community organizations, and serve our students every day as teachers, school administrators, and education equity advocates. 

As we approach the new year, Leaders of Color is evolving and moving into a new phase of work. The Leaders of Color program will now work within DFER’s newest initiative—DFER South—in an effort to build a broader bench of education champions in areas facing tremendous challenges in education equity. 

In this new iteration of the program, Leaders of Color will work with current elected officials and education reform champions - both those who have graduated from the Leaders of Color program, and those who are serving in elected positions in DFER South states. That’s an important new part of our work: We want to bring our work to as many elected officials as possible to help increase the chances that equitable policies are passed in our sites. Our work will incorporate the vision, community, and lessons learned from the past six years. 

We are grateful for the support and community that made Leaders of Color an example of what can be done when we work together towards a common goal. This shift of the Leaders of Color program represents an aspirational evolution that we hope moves us dramatically closer to achieving our vision for a public education system that empowers all of its students—particularly students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and other historically underserved students—to reach their limitless potential.