Juneteenth Jubilee
Thursday, June 19, 2025
Location: TBD
Thursday, June 19, 2025
Location: TBD
Theme: Remembering Our History, Releasing The Past, Reshaping Our Future
2024 Guest Speakers
|
Breanne WardBreanne Ward is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a nationally recognized certified rehabilitation counselor with the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). Her graduate alma mater is Drake University where she earned a Master’s in Counseling at Drake University. Her undergraduate degree was obtained at Iowa State University, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Child, Adult, and Family Services with a specialization in Youth.
|
She’s had extensive experience in the behavioral health field serving as a crisis interventionist, child and youth therapist, and community speaker. In 2014, she founded ForWard Consulting, LLC to provide culturally relevant speaking engagements and more motivation-led conversations for community change. March 2019, she has granted approval to provide mental health therapeutic services to persons 14 years old and up through this entity. Breanne has expertise in race-related, childhood, sexual, and intimate partner trauma. She also utilizes CBT, EMDR, and trauma informed care practices to assist with changing the mindsets of those she works with. In 2020, Breanne also became a state trainer for IHHS, formerly known as DHS, where she provides courses on Trauma Fundamentals and Inclusion Through a Different Lens. In January 2021 she and her husband, Moses A Ward, Sr opened a group practice to fulfill their purpose and passion to support and guide people obtain their overall wellness. In most recent events, Breanne has become a contributing author for Amazon’s Best Seller, We Are Women of Substance: Volume 2. She also successfully completed and graduated from the Goldmans Sachs 10K Small Business Program May 5, 2023. Thereafter, she became a certified targeted small business through the State of Iowa.
Mrs. Ward has great faith that she will continue to be a vessel to carry out the work of her community and welcomes new opportunities to strengthen and empower others.
Mrs. Ward has great faith that she will continue to be a vessel to carry out the work of her community and welcomes new opportunities to strengthen and empower others.
|
Dr. Ian RobertsDr. Ian A. Roberts serves as Superintendent of the Des Moines Public Schools, the largest and most culturally, economically, and linguistically diverse school system in the great state of Iowa. Prior to this role, he served three years as the Superintendent of the Millcreek Township School District, a high performing suburban school district in Erie, Pennsylvania; the Chief of Schools of Aspire Public Schools, a college preparatory district where he led the team of superintendents serving schools in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, the Central Valley, and
|
Memphis. Ian also served as the High School’s Network Superintendent with Saint Louis Public Schools, where he coached, supported, and evaluated high school and alternative schools’ principals.
He is a pivotal intellectual voice in the K-12 arena offering expertise on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion; Culturally Responsive Instructional Leadership, and School/District improvement through shared accountability, empathy, and Compassion. These tenets he used during his tenure as a school principal and principal-supervisor in Baltimore City, Washington, D.C., and the South Bronx, New York.
Prior to becoming a principal, district leader, and leadership trainer. Ian was a world class and Olympic Athlete, competing in track and field at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, and world Championships in Maebashi, Japan and Seville, Spain, was a finalist at the Pan American Games, and gold medalist at the Central American Championships.
Ian matriculated in academic programs at Harvard University (Post-Doctoral Studies), Coppin State University (BS) Saint John’s University (MS), Morgan State University (EdD), Georgetown University (MS), Trident University International (EdD).
He is a pivotal intellectual voice in the K-12 arena offering expertise on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion; Culturally Responsive Instructional Leadership, and School/District improvement through shared accountability, empathy, and Compassion. These tenets he used during his tenure as a school principal and principal-supervisor in Baltimore City, Washington, D.C., and the South Bronx, New York.
Prior to becoming a principal, district leader, and leadership trainer. Ian was a world class and Olympic Athlete, competing in track and field at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, and world Championships in Maebashi, Japan and Seville, Spain, was a finalist at the Pan American Games, and gold medalist at the Central American Championships.
Ian matriculated in academic programs at Harvard University (Post-Doctoral Studies), Coppin State University (BS) Saint John’s University (MS), Morgan State University (EdD), Georgetown University (MS), Trident University International (EdD).
|
Daron RichardsonDaron Richardson is an artist, poet, parent, and terrible academic. However, he does love to learn, interrogate, and investigate.
He was born in Iowa City, the home of the Hawkeyes but graduated from Iowa State, the home of the Cyclones, with a degree in Integrated Studio Art. He was raised 99 percent of his life in Des Moines, IA. Blackness, identity, masculinity, consecration, parenting, intimacy, and |
vulnerability are themes that take up lots of space in his mental landscape.
His creed is: the Black experience is sacred and the Black body is holy.
His creed is: the Black experience is sacred and the Black body is holy.
|
|