CREED's Mission

CREED centers students of color, inspires institutional change, & facilitates better educational practice, so we can transform the education system in North Carolina.

Our work primarily operates in three spheres: Research, Engagement and Implementation. Our theory of change prioritizes expert race-conscious research on North Carolina-specific education issues, raising the collective awareness of the general public while inspiring and shifting the work of educators as they alter practices and protocols to become more equitable.

Ensuring equitable education opportunity requires shifting the policy atmosphere and advocating for changes that are generational in their impact. CREED will continue to execute a rigorous research agenda that informs the call for transformation at the structural level for students in Pre-K, K-12, and post-secondary.

Our Team

Dr. James E. Ford | Executive Director

James is an award-winning educator and consultant on issues of equity in education. He is the Principal at Filling the Gap Educational Consultants, LLC. and was recently appointed by Gov. Cooper to serve as a member of the North Carolina State Board of Education, representing the Southwest Region. He is the former Program Director at the Public School Forum of North Carolina, an education think-tank and policy advocacy organization. 

Kamille Bostick | Director of Programming

A former museum educator, high school English teacher, and newspaper reporter who served as Director of the Writing Center at Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC, Kamille understands the liberatory essence of education. A champion for literacy and equity, she specializes in curriculum and program design, audience and community engagement, and is trained in dialogue facilitation.

Dr. Jerry Wilson | Director of Policy and Advocacy

Jerry J. Wilson is an educator, researcher, and advocate committed to making learning environments productive and welcoming to all students. After teaching social studies in Chicago Public Schools for three years, Jerry enrolled in graduate school to study education policy. His work centers on teacher diversity and representation, the politics of education, civic learning and the educational experience of marginalized students.

Valeria Salgado | Summer Intern

Valeria is an incoming junior at Davidson College double majoring in Education Policy and Africana Studies. Originally from Houston, TX, Valeria is an aspiring educator and leader in the field. She is particularly interested in the recruitment and retention of educators of color, culturally responsive pedagogy and its effects in the classroom, and access to early childhood education for all students. Passionate about uplifting communities of color through equity and inclusion efforts, of which she believes education is a fundamental step, Valeria is the first generation student coordinator for the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion and serves as a consultant for the Student Initiative for Academic Diversity. In the summer of 2023, she joined the CREED team as programming intern and helped to redesign the CREED Academy 101 modules for asynchronous learning.