S4E3: Kamar O'Guinn speaks on the state of black education in Oakland

Kamar O’Guinn has dedicated his educational career to uplifting and empowering students and their families. He is the founding manager of Berkeley Unified School District’s (BUSD) African American Success Project and the architect of Umoja - an affinity-based cultural enrichment program designed to ensure the success of Black students. Additionally, he helped develop BUSD’s African American Success Framework. The AASF is a multi-year intervention created to disrupt longstanding inequities facing Black students.

Before joining BUSD, Mr. O'Guinn was an Assistant Principal of an Education For Change public charter school in Oakland, California. There, O’Guinn played a vital role in establishing an organizational culture and outcome-centered educational orientation that challenged staff to deliver a high-quality school option for students from across the city.

O’Guinn believes shared knowledge and collaboration are critical levers for course corrective educational initiatives. Private and public organizations have commissioned his expertise for professional development and research projects.

As an Oakland, California, native Kamar credits his community for helping him to understand the relationship between education and social mobility. He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from California

State University East Bay, where he graduated summa cum laude.