Leticia Haynes, JD, Ph.D

What does it take to be an inclusive leader? | Mar 9

What does it take to be an Inclusive Leader? - Dr Leticia Haynes, Vice President for Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Williams College, explored important topics like cultural and historical literacy, professional experience and resources needed to lead inclusion. Dr. Haynes used a peer led model, to explore barriers and identify solutions. During the session, she had the participating organizations ponder on what their organization has done to acknowledge and address racial or social injustices. Dr. Haynes promoted using historical literacy as a measure to determine where the growth needs to occur. She provided tools to assist in making multiple identities feel welcome at their organizations. Members of the Cohort delivered one aspect of diversity, equity, and inclusion that they work on each day or week and shared one high impact decision they can make. This session helped members of the Cohort move the needle forward in identifying what creates an inclusive leader.

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BIO: ​Leticia Smith-Evans Haynes is the Vice President for Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Williams College, a role she has held since 2015. 

Prior to her work at the college, Haynes directed the Education Practice at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) where she advocated for equal access to educational opportunities for students of all ages.  With more than two decades of experience as an administrator, educator, civil rights advocate, and lawyer, her past experience includes serving as a judicial law clerk to the late Honorable Dickinson R. Debevoise of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, an associate at a global law firm, a policy advisor to a former Wisconsin Governor, and an elementary school teacher. 

Haynes has contributed to and helped shape the national dialogue around promising practices to curb racial injustice and discrimination, and led coalitions working to advance the rights of individuals with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and immigrants.  She has successfully argued before state and federal trial and appellate courts and is co-author of Eliminating Excessive and Disparate School Discipline: A Review of Research and Policy Reform in Inequality in School Discipline (2016) and Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls: A Call to Action for Educational Equity (2014); and, author of Ensuring Equality in School Discipline Practices and Policies and Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline in A Call for Change: Providing Solutions for Black Male Achievement (2012). 

Haynes holds a B.A. from Williams College and a J.D., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.