Roshunda Harris-Allen, Ed.D, Committee Chair - Social Justice
Dr. Roshunda Harris-Allen is a native of Detroit, Michigan and currently resides in Byram, Mississippi with her husband Dorian Allen and three of four children, Dorian, Donovan, and Dalis. Her oldest son, De’Andre Allen, currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She earned a Doctorate of Education in Early Childhood Education with emphasis in Education Leadership at Jackson State University. Currently, Dr. Allen serves as the first African American and Female Alderman-At-Large in Byram, Mississippi, and is an Associate Professor of Education, Coordinator of Child Development Programs, the Director for the Institute for the Study of Modern-Day Slavery, and the Student Advisor for the Harriet Tubman Project at Tougaloo College located in Tougaloo Mississippi.
Her first book, Social Justice: Disrupting the Pipeline explores the efforts of child development and teacher education students’ attempt to reduce the “Cradle-School-to-Slavery Pipeline” (wrongfully pushing students out of school into prison) in PreK-16 learning environments. This book shares teachers’ and students’ perspectives on social justice in education, personal success stories of resilience and overcoming barriers in the education system, and strategies for succeeding despite systemic oppression.
One of Dr. Allen’s latest accomplishment is the development of a Teaching in an Inequitable Society: Call to Action Fellowship for students and faculty members from Historical Black Colleges and Universities to come together and gain knowledge and a deeper understanding of the skills needed to educate and support young children's development and learning process focusing on child, family, school, and community. As Alderwoman-Ag-Large, Dr. Allen was instrumental in passing a 2% restaurant tax to improve the City of Byram’s Parks and Recreation Department.