Defining US producers collaborated with educators from the New York City Department of Education, Los Angeles Unified School District, and multiple other school districts and child-centered organizations. Experts from UCLA, NYU, Yale University, and Columbia University participated as key interviews in the documentary and/or served as advisors for the initiative.
Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz
Professor English Education Teachers College, Columbia University (TC); Founder & Faculty Sponsor TC’s Racial Literacy Series and Racial Literacy Project
Defining US
Dr. Tyrone Howard
Pritzker Family Endowed Chair and Professor School of Education & Information Studies, UCLA;
Director/Founder Black Male Institute, UCLA
Defining USDirector/Founder Black Male Institute, UCLA
Tammie Workman
Educator in Chief & DU Producer, CWK Network;
Former Leader Urban School and District
Defining USFormer Leader Urban School and District
Richard Haynes
Director of School Support, NYCPS
Defining US
Paul Forbes
Founder, Leading with Hearts and Minds;
Former ED of Educational Equity, NYCPS
Defining USFormer ED of Educational Equity, NYCPS
Dr. Patrick Jean-Pierre
Principal Paige Elementary, Schenectady City School District
Defining US
Dr. Kim Adams
Program and Evaluation Specialist, NYCPS;
Consulting Producer, DU
Defining USConsulting Producer, DU
Alison Yoshimoto-Towery
Executive Director UC-CSU California Collaborative for Neurodiversity and Learning;
Former Chief Academic Officer, LAUSD
Defining USFormer Chief Academic Officer, LAUSD
Dr. David Kirkland
Founder and CEO forwardED; Former Professor & ED Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools, NYU
Defining US