The Collective for Equity-Minded Practice advances equitable education systems through critically race-conscious inquiry and action. Co-founders and co-directors, Dr. Esmeralda Hernandez-Hamed and Debbie Hanson, bring a combined 25 years of experience facilitating and practicing equity-minded professional development in higher education. 

Our equity-mindedness work began at the Center for Urban Education (CUE), founded in 1999 by USC Professor Estela Mara Bensimon. CUE pioneered the framework of equity-minded practice—helping colleges nationwide question assumptions, confront racial stereotypes, and redesign policies to advance student success. Its tools and institutes empowered hundreds of practitioners to become race-conscious agents of change across the country.

In 2020, CUE merged with the USC Race and Equity Center, where we (Esmeralda and Debbie) expanded this legacy. We created new tools for hiring, syllabus review, and everyday racial equity conversations, deepening and updating the practice of equity-mindedness for today’s institutions.

Today’s political climate has led us to continue our work outside of institutional boundaries. By creating The Collective for Equity-Minded Practice, we can remain fully committed to our campus partners and to the success of Black, Latiné, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Indigenous students.