Schools as Sacred Spaces: A Conversation with Antiracist Leader Dr. Patrick Duffy

In this episode of Equity Unlocked, Dr. Patrick Duffy, author of Becoming an Antiracist School Leader: Dare to Be Real, reflects on the personal experiences and professional journey that shaped his approach to antiracist and culturally responsive leadership. He discusses key tenets from his leadership framework, including the need for adult collaboration focused on racial equity, authentic family and community partnership, and the belief that schools can and should be safe and sacred spaces where students and educators can bring their full identities. Dr. Duffy also shares how the tragic loss of his daughter and her grandfather informed his forthcoming book, Schools at the Center, and deepened his thinking about schools as civic and spiritual centers that can strengthen democracy through substantive integration across race, class, culture, and faith. Throughout the conversation, he offers guidance for leaders navigating political backlash and "pendulum shifts," emphasizing self-knowledge, reflection, truth-telling, and building systems capable of outlasting a single leader. He closes by describing his upcoming work through the Becoming Leadership Group and a new Teachers College Press summit series designed to connect students and educators, reclaim the meaning of equity work, and turn this moment into a movement. Find out more at crsli.org/blog.