Brave Voices in Education - The Podcast
Brave Voices in Education amplifies the voices of educators, leaders, and changemakers driving real impact in schools and communities. Hosted by award-winning educator Craig Aarons-Martin, this podcast dives into the stories, strategies, and lived experiences of those pushing for equity, belonging, and transformation in education. Expect candid conversations, deep insights, and actionable takeaways that challenge the status quo. #GetYourselfACupofCourage #BraveVoicesInEd #CCMEdGroup Want to share your story? Apply to be a guest here: https://ccmeducationgroup.co/brave-voices.
Episodes
In this heart-centered and high-impact episode of Brave Voices in Education, Dr. Sarah Thomas — founder of EduMatch, global educator connector, and edtech visionary — joins Craig Aarons-Martin for a candid conversation on what it means to lead with authenticity, healing, and radical joy in education.
From burning out to setting boundaries, from invisibility to global influence, Sarah drops truth after truth on how educators (especia...
In this deeply affirming episode of Brave Voices in Education, Craig Aarons-Martin sits down with Leroy A. Smith, M.Ed.—Black male educator, SPED advocate, and founder of @RealizedCurriculumSolutions. Leroy brings the fire and the facts, offering a liberatory vision for how schools can honor the brilliance of all learners, especially Black boys and neurodivergent students.
This is more than a conversation about curriculum—it’s a mas...
On this soul-stirring episode of Brave Voices in Education, host Craig Aarons-Martin sits down with Reverend Minnassa Gabon—a mindfulness expert, spiritual leader, and founder of Minnassa Wellness. Together, they explore what it means to lead with divine alignment, reclaim sacred stillness, and embody brave leadership rooted in love.
This conversation is for every leader who has ever felt like they had to shrink to belong. Rev. Minn...
What if healing isn’t just yours to do alone?
In this powerful episode of Brave Voices in Education, host Craig Aarons-Martin sits down with Coach Justice Roe Williams — Black trans father, abolitionist, author of Deconstructing the Fitness Industrial Complex, and founder of Fitness for All Bodies.
Together, they explore:
✨ How toxic masculinity harms everyone — and how we heal beyond it ✨ Why decolonizing fitness is essential ...
What does it take to truly find your voice—when every system tells you to stay silent?
Coach Justice Roe Williams shares how growing up Black, queer, and radical in activist spaces taught him the power of speaking up, even when it wasn’t safe. From working with political prisoners to creating trans-inclusive fitness spaces, his journey shows that your voice is not just your tool—it's your resistance.
This one’s for anyone who’s ever ...
How does a Black queer Southern boy become a truth-telling, justice-centered educator leading with radical love?
In this powerful episode, Victor Terry shares his journey from Utica, Mississippi to founding Necessary Means Consulting and serving as Director of DEIB at Neighborhood House Charter School. Together with host Craig Aarons-Martin, Victor explores:
Storytelling as liberation
Black Southern queerness and faith
Crea...
How do we reclaim our purpose when the system pushes us to the edge?
In this soul-stirring episode, Ayesis Clay—educator, playwright, and founder of Sculpted Clay Productions—joins Craig Aarons-Martin to explore what it means to live, lead, and liberate through story and self-awareness.
🎙️ Topics include:
The real cost of burnout in education
Storytelling as a path to liberation
How leaders can model vulnerability
Reimagining school...
How do Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) continue to build bridges between legacy and liberation in today’s educational landscape?
In this dynamic episode of Brave Voices in Education, Craig Aarons-Martin brings you a special recording from the 2025 HBCU Summit held at Harvard University, hosted by Dr. Keith Lezama, founder of the Building Bridges Foundation. Featured guests include Dr. Moala Bannavti and Dr. Robe...
What happens when educators examine their power instead of protecting it?
In this eye-opening episode of Brave Voices in Education, host Craig Aarons-Martin sits down with Dr. Tanji Marshall-Reed, a veteran educator, leadership coach, and unapologetic advocate for equity. Together, they unpack how instructional power, curriculum design, and leadership decisions impact student agency, family engagement, and educational justice.
🎯 Key...
In this powerful episode of Brave Voices in Education, host Craig Aarons-Martin (he/him) moderates a dynamic and deeply personal roundtable with four youth leaders from the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth:
🎤 Avery Barry (she/her) – Student & Commissioner, Bridgewater State University
🎤 Kamryn “KC” Chandler Fontaine (they/them) – Fieldwork Administrator, HGSE & Commissioner
🎤 Adrian Romero (he/him) – Music Bu...
In this powerful episode of Brave Voices in Education, host Craig Aarons-Martin (he/him) moderates a dynamic and deeply personal roundtable with four youth leaders from the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth:
🎤 Avery Barry (she/her) – Student & Commissioner, Bridgewater State University
🎤 Kamryn “KC” Chandler Fontaine (they/them) – Fieldwork Administrator, HGSE & Commissioner
🎤 Adrian Romero (he/him) – Music Bu...
How do we stay brave when the world asks us to be bulletproof?
In this soul-stirring episode of Brave Voices in Education, host Craig Aarons-Martin sits down with Dr. Keisha Chandler, Managing Director of Partner Success at ASCD and fierce advocate for Black brilliance in schools. Together, they explore the long shadow of racism, childhood experiences in segregated spaces, Montessori education, faith, and what it takes to truly cent...
What does it look like to hold peace while the world spins in chaos?
In this bold excerpt from Brave Voices in Education, Dr. Keisha Chandler reminds us that even in the face of political turmoil, personal loss, and systems built to overwhelm us — joy is not just possible, it's necessary.
✨ Listen as she shares her radical approach to choosing joy, stillness, and Black womanhood rooted in legacy, faith, and fierce hope.
🎙️ Full e...
In this Brave Voices in Education short, Hedreich Nichols reminds today’s educators: protect your peace. Her advice? Limit your news intake. In an age of nonstop headlines and rising tensions, tuning out can be a radical act of self-care and sustainability.
🎧 Listen to the full episode:
https://open.spotify.com/show/17hB2hI7DFfxghHRPeCe2B
🎙️ Guest: @Hedreich | hedreich.com
#BraveVoicesPodcast #HedreichNichols #EducatorWellnes...
Craig Aarons-Martin shares how he bypassed politics and put students first — investing $20K in diverse texts from Lee & Low Books to ensure Black and Brown youth saw their brilliance in every classroom. This is what unconventional, courageous leadership looks like.
📚 Learn more about Lee & Low Books: https://www.leeandlow.com
🎧 Full episode → https://bravevoicespod.com
#BraveVoicesPod #CraigAaronsMartin #LeeAndLowBooks #...
In this clip, Corey Yarbrough opens up about leading with heart — not ego — as he fights to amplify student voices in a time where DEI work is being silenced. Bravery looks like showing up anyway.
📺 Watch the full episode: https://bravevoicespod.com
#CoreyYarbrough #BraveVoicesPod #DEILeadership #StudentVoiceMatters #YouTubeShorts #BlackEducators #BraveLeadership #826Boston
@Hedreich Nichols keeps it all the way real in this powerful clip from Brave Voices in Education 🎙️
She breaks down why history — the full, unfiltered truth — must remain in the American canon, no matter how uncomfortable it makes folks who want to erase or rewrite it.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify →
🎧 https://open.spotify.com/show/17hB2hI7DFfxghHRPeCe2B
#BraveVoicesPodcast #HedreichNichols #DEI #HistoryMatters #AntiRacis...
In this episode, host Craig Aarons-Martin sits down with award-winning author, curriculum designer, and global educator Hedreich Nichols for a timely and truth-filled conversation on teaching with courage, heart, and historical honesty.
Together, they unpack what it means to be an educator in an era of book bans, anti-DEI rhetoric, and legislative pushback on inclusive teaching. Hedreich shares how childhood experiences shaped her w...
Presented by Massachusetts ASCD | Women’s History Month Special
This powerful episode honors Women’s History Month by centering the voices of women who are boldly disrupting inequitable systems, resisting harmful policies, and reshaping education through justice, truth, and healing. Hosted by @wearemascd and @iamcraigaaronsmartin of @ccmedgroup, this panel unites leaders on the frontlines of advocacy, activism, and equity in action.
...
In this powerful episode of Brave Voices in Education, Craig sits down with author, educator, and unapologetic truth-teller Kwame Sarfo-Mensah—founder of Identity Talk 4 Educators—to explore what it means to teach, lead, and liberate as a Black man in education.
Kwame unpacks the urgency of disrupting dominant narratives that silence Black male educators and learners, shares his journey from classroom teacher to nationally recognize...
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