About
Educator. Author. Advocate. Leader.
Dr. Sonja Cherry‑Paul is the founder of Red Clay Educators. Her research and work stem from an unyielding commitment to anti-bias and antiracist pedagogy and practices. Sonja leads professional development, nationally and internationally, on culturally relevant and sustaining and antiracism spotlighting the relationship between teaching, literacy, and equity. She is a sought-after keynote speaker, moderator, and collaborator by schools, conferences, publishers, and organizations working to develop the capacity and will to continually examine themselves and to critically inquire into their own practices.
In the world of education, Sonja is unique. As a former middle school classroom teacher for twenty-years, she recognizes the common and local challenges that educators face. Sonja is an expert in adolescent literacy development who really understands kids, specifically, how to use asset-based pedagogies that honor their identities and support their individual needs. Further, Sonja knows what it takes to forge relationships with caregivers and communities in order to cultivate trusting learning environments where all students thrive. Sonja’s expertise in using her scholarship to develop curricula that advances the work of antiracism and culturally relevant practices transforms all aspects of schooling. She provides faculty, staff , and caregivers with the language and tools to facilitate powerful conversations and instruction with students about race.
A commitment to creating vibrant, justice-oriented communities is a core part of Sonja’s ethos and is demonstrated in her leadership. As executive producer and host of ©The Black Creators Series, Sonja leads educator-focused discussions and highlights the powerful ways the work of Black children’s book authors and illustrators can live in classrooms and curriculum. She is the co-director of the Institute For Racial Equity in Literacy (IREL), a professional development experience for all educators interested in examining the intersection of literacy and racial equity. She is also the co-director of the Teach Black History All Year Institute that provides educators with content, methods, and a transferable framework for disrupting oversimplified narratives and teaching about the powerful effects Black people have had and continue to have in the United States.
Sonja is the author of the best seller Antiracist Reading Revolution: A Framework for Teaching Beyond Representation Toward Liberation published by Corwin (2024), and she is the co-author of four books published by Heinemann: Teaching Interpretation: Using Text-Based Evidence to Construct Meaning (2014), Flip Your Writing Workshop: A Blended Learning Approach (2016), Breathing New Life into Book Clubs: A Practical Guide for Teachers (2019) and Critical Literacy: Unlocking Contemporary Fiction (2020).
Sonja has adapted the has adapted the #1 New York Times Best Seller Stamped (For Kids), published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, which has earned starred reviews by Kirkus and School Library Journal, and was selected as one of the best nonfiction/informational books of 2021 by Parents Magazine, School Library Journal, the New York Public Library, and the Chicago Public Library. Stamped (For Kids) was selected by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) as a 2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. She has also adapted the NYT Best Seller How The Word Is Passed: Remembering Slavery And How It Shaped America, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, which has earned starred reviews by Kirkus, Booklist, and The Bulletin Of The Center For Children’s Books (BCCB).
AREAS OF RESEARCH & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Adolescent Literacy Development
- Antiracism and Antiracist Teaching
- Culturally Relevant & Sustaining Teaching
- Student-Led Book Clubs
Media kit
Credits
Portrait of Sonja on About page by Joy Malone Photography
Site video on landing page by André Martins
Website by House9 Design
Website Redesign & Maintenance by Ryan Kerbs