What Community Really Means: Lessons from the Bronx with Dr. Meisha Porter

The most unexpected thing happened the other day. My car was on the fritz, and to my surprise, the mechanic offered to swing by my house. That alone was generous. He popped the hood, diagnosed the issue, and had it fixed in no time.

Now, just when I thought the day couldn’t get any more unusual, he spotted a ukulele sitting on my table. Without missing a beat, he grabbed a guitar from his truck. Minutes later, we were strumming in my driveway - two strangers improvising a melody with no script, no pressure… just music. 

Of course, my schedule had other plans. But in that moment, I heard myself say: lean in. Lean in to the unexpected. Embrace the shift. Accept the new rhythm.

🎧 And that’s exactly what my guest did, but on a massive scale.

 

Today on An Imperfect Leader, I’m joined by Dr. Meisha Porter. She was called to lead during one of the most demanding chapters in public education. In my story, we were just noodling around. In Meisha’s story, as the former Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, she was conducting a full symphony - publicly, urgently, and with grace. 

 

In this encore episode, Meisha shares a powerful, never-before-told story about her time as Chancellor.

 

Welcome to An Imperfect Leader: The Superintendents and Leadership Podcast. Thanks for tuning in!

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👩🏾‍🏫 BIO – DR. MEISHA PORTER:

Dr. Meisha Porter is the inaugural President and CEO of The Bronx Community Foundation. Many know her as the former Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, the first Black woman to ever hold the position. That means she led the largest school system in the country responsible for educating 1.1 million students across more than 1,800 schools. 

Dr. Porter’s career reflects a deep commitmen