Femi Higgins

About Femi Higgins

I believe education is either a tool for liberation or a mechanism for control, and I\'ve spent my career making the case for the former. As a scholar-practitioner working at the intersection of transformative justice, human rights education, and BlaQueer liberatory pedagogy, I am driven by a singular commitment: building school and community cultures where the most marginalized people experience dignity, belonging, and power. As a Restorative Justice Educator with Oakland Unified School District, I develop programs that challenge identity-based violence and create affirming spaces for students who have been most harmed by punitive systems. Through Tangible Culture, my popular education and consulting practice, I design curriculum and facilitate DEI and intercultural learning workshops for educators, organizers, and institutions committed to equity and systemic change. My practice is grounded in rigorous scholarship. I am completing an EdD in International and Multicultural Education at the University of San Francisco, where my research centers peace and human rights education for BlaQueer youth. My academic work includes peer-reviewed publication, competitive grant writing, and university-level teaching across ethnic studies and education. My pedagogy is also transnational. Service with the Peace Corps in Ecuador, development work with USAID in Ghana and Ethiopia, and cross-cultural engagement in Seville have shaped a global lens that informs everything from my classroom facilitation to my community organizing. I am currently open to faculty positions in education, ethnic studies, or peace and conflict studies, as well as senior program or equity leadership roles in mission-driven organizations. Let\'s connect.

Experience

1. Restorative Justice Facilitator

   Oakland Unified School District

   Mar 2023 — Present · Oakland, CA, US

   Facilitated monthly professional development for 13 staff members on Tier 1–3 restorative practices, contributing to a 30% reduction in disciplinary referrals.Directed Culture and Climate team initiatives in collaboration with school administration, coaching teachers in conflict resolution, de-escalation, and arts-integrated social-emotional learning.Founded Quilombo, an abolitionist restorative arts room funded by the A to Z Mini-Grant (2025), providing a healing-centered space for students, educators, and community members.Systematized intervention tracking across school data systems to ensure full compliance and identify trends for targeted student support.Launched the Fairness Committee peer mediation program, training a cohort of 6th–8th grade student mediators and developing supporting curricula, referral systems, and assessment rubrics.

Education

• Purchase College, SUNY

  Bridges to the Baccalaureate , Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

• University of San Francisco

  Doctor of Education - EdD, International and Multicultural Education, Concentration: Human Rights Education

• State University of New York at Oswego

  Bachelor's Degree, Public Relations

• Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

  Master's degree, International Education Management