As the catalyst for and creator of the K-12 Ethnic Studies 4 All Initiative at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, Ron Espiritu embodies advocacy and community building around curriculum and materials that highlight educational and academic equity.

He has spoken repeatedly and forcefully about why ethnic studies matters. “Ethnic studies is empowering, liberating and transformative for our young people,” he said in a TEDx Talk, pointing to studies proving its positive academic and social results for students of all races and ethnic backgrounds.

Espiritu’s leadership includes raising awareness of and celebrating cultural heritage, providing consistent training and leadership programs, and exemplifying the nonviolent philosophy of César Chávez. In his decade-long lobbying of the State Legislature to incorporate Ethnic Studies into curricula, he has diligently promoted educational equity for Hispanic students. He has also been dedicated to promoting, designing and implementing training programs for teachers of Hispanic students.

On an interdisciplinary level, Espiritu facilitates workshops in which teachers share experiences and best practices for breathing life into ethnic studies pedagogies, such as ethnic studies in the STEM classroom.

“The whole goal of ethnic studies is for students to come back into the communities where they are from, to contribute positively to social justice movements, to organizations that promote health and wellness, racial justice and immigrant rights, to become educators and artists.”

Espiritu’s work also encompasses staff, creating space to confront the ways racism serves as a continuous barrier against diversifying the teaching force and offering tools to support educators who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color on both a systemic and interpersonal level.

Watch Ron Espiritu’s short video here. Read about the other Human Rights Award winners here.