RE•CENTER STAFF
Jodi Friedman
(She/Her/Hers)
Racial Justice Strategist & Coach (Consultant)
Jodi Friedman has close to 20 years of experience as an educator and advocate for social justice. As a teacher, elementary school leader, and adjunct professor and CRSE facilitator, she has been engaging in conversations and leading professional development around identity, race, privilege, culturally responsive education and anti-racism in her public school, district, and private organizations in New York City and beyond. Check out her op-ed "What Happened When One NYC City School Really Started to Talk about Race." Jodi was honored by the NYE DoE with the "Equity in Leadership" award in 2018 and was recognized in 2019 as the "Culturally Responsive Educator of the Year" award by The Coalition for Educational Justice. She helped write the definition of Culturally Responsive Education that was adopted by the NYC Department of Education and engages in policy advocacy around these initiatives. She has presented at EdXEdNYC, NYU's Decolonizing Education conference, Liberation Schools, and ASCD’s 2020 virtual conference, as well as was a panelist at The Wing's "How do you talk to kids about race" event and “Advancing Racial Justice : A Town Hall Discussion” with NYU Steinhardt- Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools. From 2018-2020, she served as a School Leader Ambassador Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education where she focused on unpacking the root causes for racial disproportionality in schools. Together with the CRSE working group and Educolor, she helped create a CRSE Facilitator’s Guide to support others who want to engage in transforming themselves and their organizations.
Jodi believes in being rooted community and that accountability is an act of love. This guides how she interacts with others and hopes folks engage with her. She understands that anti-racism is a daily commitment that requires intention, reflection, vulnerability and change.
In her free time, she loves playing with her 1 year old, dancing, and any all low-stress reality television shows like the “Great British Bake Off’ or “Glow up.”
Featured in:
What Happened When One NYC School Decided to Really Talk about Race
Shaping an Anti-Racist School Culture
