UNR education dean to speak at Monday's Democratic luncheon

Monday's Democratic luncheon will feature a presentation by Donald Easton-Brooks Ph.D., Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Nevada-Reno. The theme of his remarks will be the need for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to be a major part of engaging with today's communities. With people of color already representing 50% of the U.S. population 18 years and younger, and set to grow into majority minority status in the near future, the DEI mindset is destined be of vital importance in the field of education as well as in communities, businesses and economic and political infrastructures. Dr. Easton-Brooks has authored a DEI Playbook to assist in thinking about developing a DEI environment.

In the field of legal education, a related academic movement, dubbed Critical Race Theory (CRT), has sought to critically examine the intersection of race and law to challenge mainstream approaches to racial justice. The basic tenets of CRT are that racism and disparate racial outcomes are the result of complex, changing, and often subtle social and institutional dynamics, rather than explicit and intentional prejudices in individuals. Since the death of George Floyd, opposition to CRT has become a cause celebre among pundits on the political right, with emotionally charged invective that includes dubious characterizations and at times overtly personal attacks on its proponents. Having been the target of such attacks himself, Dr. Easton-Brooks is uniquely qualified to present a rebuttal while explaining how CRT might impact the field of education in years to come.

The following biographical sketch is from the October 7, 2020 issue of Nevada Today. The quotes are from a podcast interview with David Stipech:

As the dean of the University’s College of Education and Human Development, Donald Easton-Brooks brings his vast educational expertise, shaped by his own life’s journey, to help equip, inspire and support educators in today’s environment, so they will remain current and relevant to this generation of students.

Dr. Easton-Brooks grew up in Houston in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. His father was hard on him, and he lost his mother when he was in the 5th grade. He focused on football but struggled academically for many years – yet eventually course-corrected and persevered with the help of key people along his journey. He went on to earn his master’s degree and Ph.D. to position himself for his current role, which he began as of fall 2019.

Broadening the college’s name is an outward reflection of a renewed focus on elevating its profile. “We want the reputation to go out that we are a preferred university, a preferred College of Education and the work that we do,” he said. “And the way we do that is by developing quality in everything that we do. So those things are critical to us. We want to be a college that people come to first and people look to first. And so that’s what we’re really kind of focusing on building that reputation and building that sound part of who we are.”

Easton-Brooks appeared in University videos that have been widely viewed, the latest one aimed at encouraging people to vote in [the 2020] election. It’s an issue that is meaningful from his upbringing. “Growing up, I’ve always seen voting like that: about changing the tide for people of color and helping people of color to get in a better position in life,” Easton-Brooks said.

“I’ve always seen voting like that: about changing the tide for people of color and helping people of color to get in a better position in life.”

“So when you look at someone like [president Lyndon] Johnson and the Civil Rights Act, that was very impactful to the community,” he said. “At the same time, there were challenges with what was happening with the segregation. But when desegregation happened, it really kind of changed the community and what it looked like … the voting for [president Richard] Nixon and the busing changed a lot of things in the Black community, because now kids were taken out of their communities and shipped to white communities and really not getting that historical upbringing of education in their communities.”

He said he is “always looking at voting as something that would give us an opportunity to decrease poverty and give an opportunity for better education. All those things have always been a central part of my life.”

The value of education and voting were instilled early in him by his late mother, Gloria. He recalls her watching Martin Luther King, Jr.’s funeral on television in 1968, when he was just four years old.

“You know, I can vividly see that in black and white going across the screen and her in tears and her talking about, ‘We have to make a change,’” he said. “[She felt that] we have to make sure that we are a part of change. We’re a part of making things right for people. And it was about that, about making sure that the right people were in place to do the right things for people.”

“I feel like I look at leadership as a service role more than a leader role.”

Easton-Brooks recognizes the challenges and opportunities of this present moment. “COVID is showing us that the traditional way in which we teach, we have to adjust,” he said. “And if we don’t have that strong framework for what learning is about, it’s going to be more challenging to adjust. So, we can’t just sit in front of a computer and talk to kids. We have to engage them. We have to find ways to bring them into this.”

While confident as a leader in facing today’s challenges, Easton-Brooks’ sees accountability and support as key to his leadership style. “I feel like I look at leadership as a service role more than a leader role,” he said. “I’m here to figure out how to serve by providing resources needed to move the things we need to move. So, I’m my biggest critic. There’s nothing anyone can say to me that’s more painful than I do to myself.”

He knows that now is certainly not the time for inaction. “I’ve felt like there’s always room for improvement,” he said. “There’s always room to move things. And so for me, it’s a matter of, of not just keeping people accountable and check, but keeping myself accountable and in check to make sure that I’m constantly doing what I need to do to help us be at a place we need to be.”

Donald Easton-Brooks is the author of several books, including “Ethnic Matching: Academic Success of Students of Color,” for which he received the National Association for Multicultural Education’s 2019 Phillip C. Chin Multicultural Book Award.

Sponsored by the Democratic Men's Committee, this event is scheduled for noon on Monday, September 13th. Dr. Easton-Brooks will be presenting via Zoom. Participants are invited to join the conversation through Zoom or in person at Democratic HQ. Those wishing to be on distribution for the luncheon Zoom links should email Rich Dunn, Men's Committee Events Coordinator, at richdunn@aol.com.