Kwame Sarfo-Mensah exemplifies what it means to be a revolutionary leader in the education field. Throughout his 15-year career as a public school educator, author, and entrepreneur, he has been on a personal mission to uplift and empower educators who are committed to reversing the ills of the public education system in America and globally. He is the founder of Identity Talk Consulting, LLC., an independent educational consulting firm that provides professional development and consulting services to K-12 school districts, teacher education programs, and educational non-profit organizations. He is also the author of the book, Shaping the Teacher Identity: 8 Lessons That Will Help Define the Teacher in You, which was his response to the many challenges and frustrations that come with being an educator within the public school system. The book guides the reader through a self-exploration of their life and provides them with tools & strategies that will extract the inherent qualities that uniquely define who they are (or will be) as change agents within the classroom. Covering such issues as culturally responsive teaching, self-advocacy, professional development, and building a network of mentors, the book features interviews from educators with 110+ years of combined classroom experience.

 

As a staunch ambassador and advocate for teacher empowerment, Kwame has spoken at numerous national education conferences and worked diligently to support the recruitment and retention of teachers of color in the education system. In January 2019, he was one of 35 Massachusetts teachers of color selected by Commissioner Jeff Riley to be in the inaugural cohort of the InSPIRED (In-Service Professionals Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity) Fellowship, an initiative organized by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education for veteran teachers of color to recruit students of color at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels to teach in targeted districts within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As an InSPIRED Teaching Fellow, Kwame facilitated professional development workshops for aspiring teachers at universities such as Boston College, UMass Boston, and Worcester State University and has served as a guest speaker for non-profit teacher pipeline programs such as Generation Teach and Worcester Public Schools’ Future Teachers Academy.

 

Recognizing the increasing demand for alternative career pathway opportunities within the Black and Latinx teaching community in the Greater Boston area, Kwame founded and organized the inaugural Boston Edupreneurs of Color Symposium, a one-day community event for educators and community members looking to leverage their skill sets as educators to give back to the community, learn valuable lessons about the importance of entrepreneurship and the necessary steps they need to build a successful small business and/or a non-profit organization. A proud graduate of Temple University, Kwame holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and a Master's Degree in Education. He was honored as the 2019 Member of the Year by Black Educators Rock, Inc. and the 2019 Massachusetts Celebrity Educator of the Year for his unwavering commitment to the advancement of the teacher profession.  As he has ascended the ranks of the teaching profession, Kwame has always stayed true to his identity as an educator and is motivated to help others do the same as they navigate their educator journeys.

 

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