William Shelton

William E. Shelton  II (He/Him/His)  is a Black Queer educator, writer, and community activist from West Philadelphia. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Education at The CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. Will’s research examines how the intersections of race and place impact the educational and socio-emotional experiences and outcomes of Black and Brown boys, including those who identify on the LGBTQ spectrum. By addressing literacy and carceral geography policies and practices, he hopes to dismantle Eurocentric narratives and practices in education to uplift, affirm, and protect queer and youth of color. His ethnographic and narrative writing research is grounded in Black Critical Theory, Black Geographies, and Black Spatial Imagery theories. He currently teaches at Brooklyn College in their secondary education department and at John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s gender studies department.