Unapologetic Leadership Thought: Freedom Dreaming

In the fall of 2023, at Compton College, we invited Dr. Gina Garcia, professor of policy, politics, and leadership at Berkeley School of Education, University of California, Berkeley, to serve as our fall professional development day opening speaker — to provide insight for our campus as we continue our journey, serving as an Hispanic Serving Institution. During the presentation, Garcia talked about Dr. Robin D. G. Kelley’s notion of the “Freedom Dream,” an invitation to imagine an educational space that is grounded in racial equity, social justice, and collective liberation.

Dr. Keith CurryAs I sat in the audience watching and listening to Garcia talk about Freedom Dreaming, I finally found the words for what I have felt inside for as long as I can remember, and I felt the excitement of figuring out that I am a “practitioner of change.” We must be unapologetic in allowing ourselves space to Freedom Dream and to act upon those aspirations.

Freedom Dreaming shows people that boundaries are imaginary and urges us to think and act in the language of our hearts. It acknowledges that, as we move forward, there will most certainly be intense push-back. As we dare to make these Freedom Dreams a reality, we must not listen to the naysayers (And I have many of those). It’s convening with people who share our vision and want to make it real. To me, innovation is the lifeblood of Freedom Dreaming. Freedom Dreaming isn’t about thinking outside the box. It is about taking a bold stance to break the old and create new systems and structures that support our students’ success.

I’m ready to share my unapologetic Freedom Dreaming thoughts, the full realization of unapologetic leadership, put into practice, in the name of student success. And while I am always trying to find ways to support community college students, I believe this work can be applied to all higher education institutions.

The demographics of our faculty, staff, and administrators reflect the student population we serve.

As I accept the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education’s 2024 Diverse Champions Award, I want to encourage us all to Freedom Dream.

My deepest Freedom Dream of all is to see our community colleges become the leading institutions for economic and social mobility, ensuring our students can access higher education at a price they can afford, earn a top-tier education, move forward into the careers of their dreams with livable wages, and give back to their communities. As practitioners, we should settle for nothing less.