Episode 009: Removing Our Masks with Ashanti Branch
Subscribe to Facilitator Forum on Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Stitcher
Summary
In his stunning work to help underserved youth “take off their masks” and deal with challenging experiences in healthy ways, nonprofit leader and award-winning teacher Ashanti Branch must consistently examine his own masks and the truths that lie beneath. In this episode, we navigate ways to respond vs react, manage difficult group dynamics, and explore what it means to be our “true selves” as we guide others to do the same.
Today’s Guest
Mr. Branch, born and raised by a single mother on welfare in Oakland, California, took the road less traveled to get out of the ghetto and attended one of California’s premier engineering colleges, California Polytechnic - San Luis Obispo. Ashanti studied Civil Engineering and worked as a construction project manager in his first career. After tutoring struggling students and realizing his true passion was teaching, Mr. Branch changed careers. He had suddenly found the “fire” that was missing in his life and he hoped to ignite a similar enthusiasm in his young students.
In 2004 as a first year teacher, Ashanti started The Ever Forward Club to provide a support group for African American and Latino males, who were not achieving to the level of their potential. Since then, The Ever Forward Club has grown to serve both young men and women and become a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Ever Forward Club has helped 100% of its members graduate high school and 93% of them have gone on to attend college.
With over 19 years mentoring youth and 10 of those years as a math teacher educating inner city youth, Ashanti was awarded with a Fulbright Exchange Fellowship to India, a Rotary Club Cultural Ambassadorial Fellowship to Mexico and a 2010 Teacher of the Year Award from the Alameda-Contra Costa County Math Educators.
Mr. Branch is on a mission to change the way that students interact with their education and the way schools interact with students.
Resources
Ever Forward Club, Ashanti’s organization
Million Mask Movement, global movement started by Ever Forward
The Courage to Teach, influential book by Parker Palmer referenced in our conversation about paying attention to engaged vs disengaged participants
The Mask You Live in Documentary, featuring Ashanti and Ever Forward
TEDx Talk by Ashanti: The Masks We All Wear
Follow Ashanti Branch and his work:
Twitter @branchspeaks
Instagram: @branchspeaks
Thank you for joining us!