Welcome to The Equity Hour, a Dragonfly Rising podcast where we delve into powerful conversations on social justice, equity, education, and personal growth. Join your host, Dr. Tami Dean—an experienced leader, coach, speaker and facilitator with over 25 years of expertise—as she offers practical tips, resources, and actionable strategies to help you integrate equity into learning and working environments. Whether it’s a solo episode filled with insights or an engaging discussion with passionate educators, thought leaders, and change-makers, each episode is designed to inspire and empower you to create more inclusive and equitablespaces. Tune in each week to explore the challenges and successes of fostering diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence in schools and beyond.
Dewayne is an experienced educator, district leader, and digital equity advocate. From leading school-based technology initiatives to overseeing national education programs, he brings practical strategies and insights for ensuring all students have access to quality learning experiences.
Julye M. Williams is the founder of The Project 2043 Institute, a U.S.-based organization dedicated to preparing organizations for an inclusive, equitable, and diverse multiracial society. Her motto, “Don’t ever be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where all the fruit is,” reflects her commitment to making a difference across industries.
As the leader of Project 2043, Julye provides strategic consulting on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and designs and facilitates engaging, interactive learning experiences. Her expertise spans a range of critical topics, including DEI 101, Unconscious Bias, Psychological Safety, Microaggressions, Multigenerational Workplaces, and How to Create Inclusive Workplaces, ensuring she can effectively address many challenges. Julye’s work empowers organizations to foster inclusive environments where all can thrive. She is also the author of Empowering Educators: A Guidebook on Race and Racism.
Kass Minor is an inclusive educator and author who is deeply involved in local, inquiry-based teacher research and school community development. She is the author of Teaching Fiercely: Spreading Joy and Justice in Our Schools and the co-founder and Chief Strategist of The Minor Collective, a community-based organization designed to foster sustainable equity and literacy in schools. While she has worked in numerous capacities in partnerships with universities and school districts, classroom teacher has been her most coveted role. Her pedagogy is centered in joy from the communities that surround her and motivated by the idea that every adult can teach, and every student can learn. Teacherhood, paired with motherhood, has driven her love of information sharing, redefining who gets to be a knower in the fiery world we live in today.
From being the little girl who played HR, even firing her own mother, to the traveling HR and Neurodiversity consultant she is today, Katherine has had quite a journey! She is an international speaker, HRTech inventor, and perpetual innovator and everything comes back to her three missions: integrity, inclusion, and innovation.