Edutainment for Equity Builds on Decade of Success in the Bay Area to Foster an Equitable Future for California
Husband and wife team Candice Wicks-Davis and Hodari Davis radically transform organizations and institutions with unique approach combining education and the arts
Candice Wicks-Davis and Hodari Davis
Oakland, CA - March 17, 2022 - After 10 successful years of radically transforming organizations and institutions in the Bay Area, Edutainment for Equity (E4E) is focusing their efforts to other California cities. E4E — the brainchild of Oakland-based educators and artists Candice Wicks-Davis and Hodari Davis — provides field tested, arts integrated professional development and consulting that helps organizations imbed equity into their policies and practices. E4E’s temporary pivot to virtual workshops and trainings, due to the COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandates over the past two years, is now a permanent adaptation that allows them to more quickly and effectively provide other agencies across the state and country access to their services.
The pandemic, along with the murder of George Floyd and rise in anti-Asian violence in the U.S., brought to light the critical work of E4E and their role in transforming society. In 2021 alone, E4E served 25 different organizations and more than 1,000 individuals through training, workshops, retreats and 1-on-1 coaching, all of which happened online. Their focus on California is strategic:
“As an organization we have spent more than 10 years working to dismantle systems of oppression. Over the last four years, E4E has been engaged in a process of investigating what helps to establish equitable organizations. We have worked with several organizations providing training, consulting and tools to help them to become more equitable and anti-racist. We know by focusing on California and establishing a model for equitable education and organizational practices here, we have the ability to shift practices elsewhere.” — Candice Wicks-Davis, founder and CEO of Edutainment for Equity
A Decade of Radical and Social Transformation in the Bay Area:
Hodari Davis
Over the last 10 years, Edutainment For Equity has worked closely with Bay Area organizations to radically transform their practices and policies, including the Department of Children, Youth and their Families’ (DCYF), Landpaths, and the Performing Arts Workshop. E4E’s programming weaves arts, social justice and equity into trainings, events, consulting, and arts production focused on six key areas:
Organizational development
Youth development
Equity and inclusion
Anti racism
Teaching and instruction
Strategic thinking, forecasting, and planning
Cultural Mindfulness, The City Wide Model with DCYF Equity Committee:
Edutainment for Equity has worked with the Department of Children, Youth and their Families’ Equity Committee for the past ten years to establish a model for critically examining their practices with regard to equity & inclusion. After participating in E4E’s program “The Cultural Mindfulness Institute”, the DCYF began using the tools to investigate their grantmaking practices and structure the process in a way that is more available to marginalized communities and organizations. Providing technical assistance to grantees. Through this relationship they have worked with more than 50 organizations and over 1,000 youth development and non-profit professionals.
“For the past 10 years Edutainment for Equity (E4E) continues to be an integral Technical Assistance and Capacity Building partner and thought leader for our department and grantees. Throughout the years E4E has developed and facilitated transformative workshops that range from program design, cultural mindfulness and strategic planning. Grantees leave feeling invigorated, excited and well equipped to lead their staff and community. One of their signature (and popular) events is Educating the Black Child (EBC). EBC brings in content experts from all over the education field who are skilled in challenging the current and historical conditions that are keeping our Black and Brown children from thriving. EBC sets the stage for thought provoking conversations that leave folks reflecting on their own practice. E4E is quality!” — Sherrice Dorsey-Smith - Deputy Director of Programs, Planning & Grants SF DCYF
Anti-Racist Initiative with Landpaths:
LandPaths is a nonprofit community conservation organization with the mission of fostering a love of the land in Sonoma County. Edutainment for Equity is currently leading LandPaths through their Anti-Racist Initiative, a 7-step process to designing a more equitable organization. Through this initiative the team works with organizations to establish a culture that is conducive to having important and honest conversations about oppression and privilege, assess the organization for discriminatory practices and complete a strategic plan to operationalize equitable practices. Through this work, Landpaths has:
A diversified board with people that reflect the community served
An equity committee dedicated to supporting equity work specifically
New staff that are committed to equity and inclusion
Improved interpersonal dynamics
An increase in opportunities for marginalized communities to access services
Anti-Racist Curriculum & Instruction with Performing Arts Workshop:
E4E has worked with Bay Area-based Performing Arts Workshop to design an Anti-Racist Pre & Post assessment for its instructors. This assessment is a set of reflection questions that ensures that instructors enter and leave the learning environment mindful of their biases and how they impact practices.
“Partnering with [E4E] has been instrumental in expanding our understanding on how we can deepen our anti-racism practices in the classroom. From discussing discretionary spaces to implicit bias, she has gracefully helped our team of teaching artists, mentors, and program staff to reflect, examine and put into action our program's anti-racist framework in support of our Black, Indigenous and POC students. [E4E]'s work has influenced our anti-racism committee's commitment to hold the full organization of staff and board accountable to racial justice work and values." — Van Nguyen-Stone, Performing Arts Workshop Program and Artist Mentor Team
A Formula of Love: The People Behind Edutainment For Equity
Candice Wicks-Davis and Hodari Davis
Beside over 30 years of experience as educators, and parents, husband-and-wife duo Candice Wicks-Davis and Hodari Davis share a deep love of humanity, respect for Oakland’s radical history rooted in community, and a belief in the transformative power of art.
A journey of self-love and a deep conviction in the resource and power of diversity inspired Candice to found Edutainment for Equity a decade ago. Her journey has empowered her to pursue several opportunities including touring Africa and the Caribbean as solo artist Candice Antique, as well as being a lead singer in a cappella quartet Antique Naked Soul. She is also the volunteer Operations Manager of Oakland’s award-winning performance ensemble Young, Gifted & Black and was named a 2017 Woman to Watch by KQED. She holds a Masters in Education from San Francisco State University and a Bachelors in Sociology from UC Berkeley.
Hodari left Youth Speaks in 2017 after 15 years with the organization, and joined Candice as an administrator for Edutainment For Equity. His experience as an event planner, professional development leader and organizer made it possible for E4E to expand into event production. Additionally, Hodari’s national and international reputation as a leader in youth development, and spoken word poetry created avenues for international engagements and comprehensive trainings for youth development professionals. In 2017, Hodari became a fellow at the Institute for the Future, a Silicon Valley based foresight organization. This experience extended his training in strategic planning, opened E4E to new relationships beyond the United States, and influenced him to enroll in a doctoral program in education at UC Davis.
“I’ve spent my entire career really curating the future, focused on the power of young people and the power of voice to create transformative experiences that lead people to become agents of change. I’ve always tried to aim my work at combating injustice and inequity, challenging the forces of racism, as well as the hegemony in our schools systems and communities. Growing e4e with Candice has provided opportunities to expand our reach and impact, we’re excited to keep doing this transformative work and move the needle forward.” — Hodari Davis, Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) and Partner at Edutainment for Equity.
Upcoming Events and Workshops
AUGUST
8/11 - Freedom Dreaming Launch (virtual)
SEPTEMBER
Educating the Black Child (virtual)
OCTOBER
Life is Living Festival, Oakland CA
NOVEMBER
11/17 - Educating the Black Child - featuring Jawanza Kunjufu (virtual)
For event and workshop updates, and to learn more about Edutainment For Equity, sign up for their newsletter at www.edutainmentforequity.com
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About Edutainment For Equity — The use of art, multiple learning modalities and self-reflection coupled with field tested and research validated strategies, to improve performance and cultivate professional and personal growth. Through edutainment and our seasoned facilitators, we cultivate a nurturing, soothing and brave learning environment that expands beyond professional development. We will not only develop your team’s skills, we will also deepen their investment in the work and ground them in purpose.
We believe that professional development cannot be separated from personal development. Your well being as an individual is critical to your work performance. At Edutainment for Equity, we put humanity back into the work and workplace through a holistic and psychosocial approach that centers the transformation and growth of the whole being. If we are all engaged in self improvement and development on a continuous basis, it is inevitable that the world will improve and develop over time into the better world we seek. We are the change we seek in the world.
We believe that creativity is the gateway to social change. Art and play makes way for dreams. It gives us the space to imagine what our best can be. We take an approach that is deeply artistic because it gives us permission to think freely, tap into imagination and expand the possible.
We believe that true transformation is on the other side of discomfort. We create brave and compassionate spaces to discuss difficult and sensitive issues that hinder the best work from taking place. Through thoughtful guidance we help our clients decontsruct deeply challenging issues like discrimination and racism, microaggressions in the workplace, conflict resolution and communication. In the process we restore relationships, provide frameworks for personal reflection and offer strategies and language that help to ensure that every day, every staff member can show up as their best.
About Candice Wicks-Davis — Candice Wicks-Davis is the founder and CEO of Edutainment for Equity. She holds a Master’s in Education from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor's in Sociology from UC Berkeley. She has 22 years of experience in the field of technical assistance. Candice is also an artist who travels extensively. She is the volunteer Operations Manager of the award-winning performance ensemble Young, Gifted & Black of Oakland.
About Hodari Davis — Hodari is the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) and a Partner at Edutainment for Equity. He holds a Masters in Education from San Francisco State University another in Educational Administration from Sacramento State University and a Bachelors in Political Science from UC Berkeley. He is currently a Doctoral student at UC Davis in the School of Education. He has spoken and presented at conferences all over the world. He is the former National Program Director of Youth Speaks and Executive Producer of the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival. He is a Futurist, working as a Foresight Essentials Faculty Member at The Institute for the Future.