Jamal Easley is a Program Associate for Facing History and Ourselves in the Cleveland office. Prior to joining Facing History he has worked in education as a teacher and other roles in Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia. Originally from Chicago, Jamal has used his lived experiences to address trauma and the social emotional needs of students in the classroom. During his time as an educator, Jamal was also involved in policy work with Teach Plus. At Teach Plus, Jamal supported teachers in advocating for policy issues such as equitable school funding, recruiting teachers, and retaining teachers of color with state and federal partners. This involved mentoring teachers, professional learning on legislation (reading and writing bills), writing op-eds and storytelling, managing social media awareness campaigns, and meeting with lawmakers at the local and federal levels.

Currently at Facing History Jamal supports schools in Cleveland, Ohio and districts across the nation. This work includes supporting teachers and school leaders to understand how Facing History’s work is rooted in equity and how to integrate their framework into classrooms. During his time at Facing History, he has planned and facilitated over 60 workshops on topics covering curriculum and instruction, SEL, staff culture, building community, belonging, and Teaching for Equity and Justice. As a renaissance man, Jamal is also equally passionate about urban planning, journalism, art, fashion, and food. He loves traveling, attending festivals, and exploring the outdoors! Jamal earned his Masters in Strategic Communications and Organizational Leadership from Seton Hall University, and his Bachelors in Cinematography and History from Southern Illinois University; in fact Jamal won two Emmy awards for film projects he directed and helped produce.