Dr. Wheatfall-Lum reviewed the history of systemic racism in California education, and its impact on students and families today. She also presented Education Trust West’s systemic vision for racial equity in education for California and beyond.
Speaker: Dr. Natalie Wheatfall-Lum, Director of P-16 Policy, The Education Trust-West
Since 2014, Dr. Natalie Wheatfall-Lum has supported the organization’s policy research, analysis, and position development, primarily in the areas of K-12 equitable funding and accountability. Natalie’s work is grounded in understanding the experiences of those stakeholders directly impacted by education policy decisions: parent, student, and community advocates. Prior to her current position, Natalie was an Education Pioneers Graduate Fellow with Ed Trust-West.
Before her work in education policy, Dr. Wheatfall-Lum practiced law, gaining experience in various civil rights issue areas, including LGBTQ equal rights, fair housing, and immigration. While in law school, she worked as a student attorney in Howard University’s Civil Rights Clinic, representing clients in employment, housing, and education discrimination cases. A proud product of two of California’s higher education systems, Dr. Wheatfall-Lum earned an A.A. in Transfer Studies from San Diego Mesa College and a B.A. with honors in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, San Diego. She earned her J.D. from Howard University, School of Law
Dr. Natalie Wheatfall-Lum’s slides for this presentation are available to download here