Shanelle Henry, M.Ed.
Senior Consultant
Always concerned with questions of race, gender and the intersectionality of identity and oppression, Shanelle Henry has spent much of the last twenty years working on issues of diversity, inclusion and social justice, both in formal and informal educational environments.
Shanelle currently serves as the Director of Equity and Inclusion at Greens Farms Academy, a Pre-K through grade 12 independent school located in Westport, Connecticut. In her role, Shanelle works with students, faculty, administrators, parents and Trustees to provide strategic vision and leadership in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout the school community. In addition, Shanelle serves as the Co-Chair of the Commission on Diversity for the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), and is also an active member of TEAM Westport, the official diversity committee of the Town of Westport.
A native of Brooklyn, NY, both her personal and professional experiences have primed Shanelle for the tough yet rewarding work of engaging youth and adults in challenging DEI conversations about concepts of race, privilege, sexuality, gender identity and expression, anti-bias education, culturally-responsive teaching, microaggressions, implicit and unconscious bias, and more.
Popular for her congenial and engaging presentation style, Shanelle has designed and facilitated numerous classes, workshops and training on leadership, diversity, and social justice for corporations, non-profits, community and government agencies, schools, colleges, and universities. Shanelle summarizes her approach to life, work and passion for diversity and community by quoting Maya Angelou: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
An alumna of Smith College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst Social Justice Education (SJE) graduate program, Shanelle is uniquely poised to engage difficult dialogues surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion in our society today. Together with her long-time friend and SJE colleague, Dr. Khyati Joshi, Shanelle founded the Institute for Teaching Diversity and Social Justice – a summer professional development conference for educators interested in building more inclusive and affirming classrooms by increasing their capacity to implement anti-bias curriculum and develop strategies and skills to effectively navigate diversity issues in independent schools.
Additionally, Shanelle is published in the revised edition of the book Reel Diversity, by Brian C. Johnson (Peter Lang publishing, 2015), an instructional resource guide for educators seeking to integrate film into their curriculum content about diversity and social justice, and the examination of how film enforces and reinforces stereotypes and cultural values. Shanelle was also a contributing author of, "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, A Century of Segregation" (PBS) – a discussion guide for educators with lesson plans and activities about the Jim Crow era.
A sought-after panelist and moderator on issues of race in independent schools, Shanelle regularly presents at local and national conferences on education and social justice, and was recently featured in the Fall 2019 ‘Member Voices” podcast by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). You can follow Shanelle and join her network on LinkedIn at: linkedin.com/in/shanellehenryrobinson.