The Purpose
Diversity is a reality, but acts of inclusion and advocacy for racial, educational, and social justice are choices we can make to create impactful institutional change through learning and critically analyzing our past and how it shapes who we are today. Thus, this works moves us toward steps of inclusion and equity.
The Vision of Transformation
The vision is to build nonhierarchical, authentic relationships across diverse culture groups to bring about an awareness of how historical and cultural identities shape who we our today so that we better advocate for racial, educational and social justice in a complex diverse world.
Overview
The conceptual framework (Jordan,2014) stems from Gloria Ladson-Billing’s theoretical underpinnings and research of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (1994), which is not just a matter of paying attention to race, gender, or social economic backgrounds, but includes the imperative of our ability to work with the unique strengths of individuals who come into our educational systems and workplaces with diverse ways of learning and being.
Tenets and principles in this conceptual framework are deeply-rooted in a non-western worldview value system which is represented by the West African Sankofa bird, symbolizing going back to the past to take what is positive as steps in moving forward.
Represented in the framework are impactful tenets, principles and culturally sustaining methods that work in tandem to guide us in operationalizing systemic cultural change in environments that might be plagued with racism and inequalities. The underpinnings, including but not limited to social cultural competence (conception of self and others), caring for others, positive cultural identity, equitable pedagogy, and cultural consciousness to interpret social inequities (Ladson-Billings, 1995).
Founder and CEO
Dr. Jordan
specializes in Educational Leadership and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from UC Davis, a master’s degree in English from CSUS with a focus on academic writing for multilingual learners, and a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Friends World College, where she studied cross-cultural issues internationally in Japan and England.
For over 11 years, Dr. Jordan served as Assistant Vice President of Equity and Belonging at Sacramento State. She also directed the Peer and Academic Resource Center (PARC), launching academic support services for more than 30,000 students and providing professional development to student leaders in Supplemental Instruction, tutoring, and peer advising through a culturally inclusive framework.
Dr. Jordan co-founded and directed the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, established in 2015 to provide culturally responsive leadership and foster belonging among students of the African diaspora. She expanded the Guardian Scholars Program for former foster youth, significantly increasing graduation rates. For six years, she co-directed the $5 million Developing Hispanic Serving Institution (DHSI) INSPIRE grant, developing peer-to-peer networks and delivering professional development in culturally responsive pedagogy for faculty and administrators.
An expert in Intercultural Competence and Intelligence, Dr. Jordan developed curriculum offering certifications for faculty and employers aiming to better serve culturally diverse students and staff.
Earlier in her career, she lectured in the English Department for over 12 years and consulted with Sacramento high school administrators to strengthen curriculum and instructional practices for college readiness. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to expanding access and degree attainment for all students.
In addition to creating Sankofa Intercultural Intelligence LLC, she continues to serve on the board for Former Foster Youth Education Funding, and the Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution (CAPCR). Dr. Jordan is passionate about creating opportunities for individuals to recognize cultural influences and unlock the transformative potential of cultural intelligence—celebrating our differences to foster deeper understanding and genuine belonging among us all.