Faith James

IDEAL Center Specialist

Faith James has been interested in, volunteering with, and working within the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion for over ten years. She is a certified cultural competency trainer through the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board of Minnesota, and her work experience includes time with Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact (IAMNCC) and the Minnesota State Office of Equity and Inclusion.

During her tenure with Minnesota State, Faith’s work focused on developing professional development for all staff and supervisors (both e-learning and in-person); using data analytics for equity; developing a framework to increase strategic partnerships; and overseeing the development of a cross-functional, cross-campus workgroup to assess professional development needs across the college and university system.

While working with IAMNCC, Faith was responsible for developing and piloting Antiracist Network Conversations for member campuses across the two states; facilitating an internal, bi-weekly book club on How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi; facilitating the National Issues Forums’ “Policing” dialogue; and providing support for AmeriCorps VISTA members through professional development, one-on-one meetings, and communities of practice.

Faith’s commitment to equity can also be seen through her work with Generation Teach and the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ). Faith attended NCCJ’s flagship program, Anytown, and continued to work with them to receive training on small and large group facilitation. She led several peer-group conversations and was a lead facilitator at NCCJ’s Youth Leadership Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Faith’s work with Generation Teach included spending two summers teaching at a summer academy in Providence, Rhode Island with a focus on supporting students who are typically underrepresented in school settings (students of color and students from low-income families). Using reading and comprehension studies as a tool for mutual communication and learning, she led sixth- (2017) and eighth-grade (2018) students in discussions on race, identity, ethnicity, orientation, gender, and socioeconomic status. Faith also created and taught an elective course on social issues in the United States, including Black Lives Matter, women’s rights, and the school-to-prison pipeline.