Our guest, Kwame Sarfo-Mensah, is the founder of Identity Talk Consulting, LLC, a global educational consulting firm that specializes in developing K-12 teachers into identity-affirming educators. Rooted in the core values of equity, empowerment, and authenticity, Identity Talk Consulting, LLC provides a range of professional learning experiences, including keynote speaking, virtual and in-person trainings, leadership consulting, and e-courses, to help educators sharpen their cultural responsiveness and anti-bias, anti-racist (ABAR) practices. The firm is licensed as a DESE-approved professional development provider and officially recognized as a Minority Owned Enterprise within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Prior to launching Identity Talk Consulting, Mr. Sarfo-Mensah served for nine years as a middle school math teacher in Philadelphia, PA and Boston, MA, where he was known not only for his instructional effectiveness but also for his student-centered, culturally affirming approach to teaching. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Temple University,where his experiences as both a student and student-leader laid the foundation for his professional and pedagogical journey.

His latest book, Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Culturally Affirming Classroom, recently received the 2025 IPPY Gold Medal for Best Education Commentary Book and the2024 Foreword INDIES Gold Award for Best Education Book, further cementing his status as a thought leader in culturally responsive education.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences.Register for the 2026 2.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF.

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0, Education 2.0, Health 2.0, Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.

Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Resources:

Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Culturally Affirming Classroom (Book)

EDUP The Experience

⁠

Greeting: Jake Small

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY

Our guest, Dr. Jamal Watson, is anaward-winning journalist. He has held numerous roles at Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. He has been a senior staff writer, managing editor, executiveeditor and editor-at-large. He has written and edited for the publication since 2005.

He is currently on the graduate school faculty at Trinity Washington University and has served as associate dean of the School of Business and Graduate Studies since 2022. He is a contributor to The Washington Monthly and a regular commentator on television networks. In 2025, Education Week listed him as one of the nation's top 200 university-based educators who influenced education policy in 2024.

A native of Philadelphia, Watson earned his bachelor’s degree in English and Theology from Georgetown University, a master's degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, a master's degree in Higher Education from the University of Delaware and a master's and a Ph.D. in Afro-American Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

His writings have appeared in numerous publications including The Baltimore Sun, and USA Today. He is the author of a forthcoming biography on the Reverend Al Sharpton and a book about the student debt crisis.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 2026 2.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF.

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0, Education 2.0, Health 2.0, Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.

Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Resources:

Jamal Watson

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education

The Student Debt Crisis: America’s Moral Urgency (Book)

EDUP The Experience

⁠

Greeting: Jake Small

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY

Our guest, Dr. Jamal Watson, is an award-winning journalist. He has held numerous roles at Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. He has been a senior staff writer, managing editor, executiveeditor and editor-at-large.

He has written and edited for the publication since 2005. He is currently on the graduate school faculty at Trinity Washington University and has served as associate dean of the School of Business and Graduate Studies since 2022.

He is a contributor to The Washington Monthly and a regular commentator on television networks. In 2025, Education Week listed him as one of the nation's top 200 university-based educators who influenced education policy in 2024.

A native of Philadelphia, Watson earned his bachelor’s degree in English and Theology from Georgetown University, a master's degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, a master's degree in Higher Education from the University of Delaware and a master's and a Ph.D. in Afro-American Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His writings have appeared in numerous publicationsincluding The Baltimore Sun, and USA Today.

He is the author of a forthcoming biography on the Reverend Al Sharpton and a book about the student debt crisis.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 20262.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF.

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0, Education 2.0, Health 2.0, Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.

Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

⁠

Resources:

Jamal Watson

Diverse: Issues In Higher Education

The Student Debt Crisis: America’s Moral Urgency (Book)

EDUP The Experience

⁠

Greeting: Jake Small

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY