A Detroit native and resident, Dr. Raven L. Jones is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University (MSU) and is committed to teaching and empowering children and youth to speak truth to power. Her teaching and work examine culture, equity, and the lived experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in schools and communities. Deeply inspired by her daughter, Zuri Hudson, the Civil Rights Movement, the Harlem Renaissance, social justice activism, and generational storytelling practices – Dr. Jones’s artistic and literary hankerings are inclusive of highlighting teaching with joy. Dr. Jones’s publications and service have been recognized by the American Educational Research Association, The Journal of Higher Education, National Public Radio, Alternatives for Girls, The Detroit Public Library, the English Education Journal, The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, and other organizations. Additionally, Raven has been the recipient of the Grace Lee Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership fellowship, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Democratizing Knowledge Institute fellowship, the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing fellowship, the Ford Foundation, and the Fulbright-Hays Program, where she examined students’ experiences and identities with language and literacy in urban and rural Tanzania. Raven has received the Excellence in Diversity Award from MSU, the Early Career Educator of Color Leadership award from the National Council of Teachers of English, and the Rock Star award from the Cranbrook Institute of Science. Dr. Jones is deeply enamored with her family and friends, The Zuri Reads Initiative, gardening, Scrabble, tacos, and her former K-12 Detroit teachers.
We’re so excited to have her join us in our efforts to help kids find their greatness!