April Francis-Taylor

April Francis-Taylor is an award-winning educator, advocate, and leader whose career has been dedicated to advancing equity, justice, and healing within and beyond the classroom. Currently serving as Acting President of ERASE Racism, she brings decades of experience as a teacher, administrator, and policy strategist to her work challenging systemic barriers in education. With deep roots in New York’s school systems and community networks, April’s leadership is shaped by both lived experience and scholarly insight, grounded in the belief that every student deserves access to opportunity, dignity, and voice.

Her journey has included everything from classroom teaching to civic advocacy, from curriculum development to statewide policy influence. April’s expertise spans educational leadership, conflict resolution, and culturally responsive pedagogy. She has received numerous honors—including “Educator of the Year” and “Most Dedicated Teacher”—and currently serves on several boards, including the NAACP’s Islip-Smithtown branch, Equity 4 Long Island Youth, and the Long Island Latino Teachers Association. In her work as an adjunct professor at Hofstra and Stony Brook Universities, she continues to shape the next generation of justice-minded educators.

As a Fellow, April is eager to explore how healing-centered practices can sustain and strengthen the work of equity leadership. She brings to the Fellowship a powerful combination of policy acumen, grassroots connection, and a deep commitment to transformation—within systems and within self. Through this journey, she hopes to nurture her own growth while supporting others in building educational environments rooted in care, truth, and liberation.