Martha C. Brackeen-Harris is a retired educator with over 40 years of extensive experience in working with students in a variety of public schools, independent schools, and college settings. As classroom teacher, administrator, and Director of Community Outreach, her sphere of influence included children and families in city, town, suburb, and rural communities. In addition to working directly with students of all ages, Martha has worked for school change as a member of several Trustee Boards and as a Corporator in both school and community organizations.

As a former Director of the Beginning Teachers Institute, Martha’s passion for mentoring new and experienced teachers was born. She has conducted numerous workshops for educators and parents at national conferences and public and independent schools. She is a founding member and served for 34 years as a trustee of the SPHERE Consortium of Independent Schools, an organization that seeks to make Hartford area independent schools welcoming and safe communities for all employees and students. Her work through this organization and as a Director of Multicultural Students, Diversity Director, and Diversity Consultant for various schools and organizations fed her love of Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice work.

Over the past two years, she has conducted school and community conversations about diversity, equity, and justice by using current books about those topics. Martha is the Sunday School Director of Union Baptist Church in Hartford, CT and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is married to Donald F. Harris Jr. and they are the parents of four daughters and seven grandchildren. Martha holds a bachelor’s degree from the Pennsylvania State University and both a master’s and doctoral degree from the University of Hartford.