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Person

Kelisa Wing

Nationality:

American
Occupation:

Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of the Department of Defense Education Activity
Residence:

Manassas, Virginia
Political Party:

Democratic Party

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Kelisa Wing is the chief of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for the U.S. Department of Defense’s school district, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). 1 A self-described “woke administrator,”2 Wing supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement 3 and has said she will integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into “every aspect of DoDEA, from curriculum and assessment to hiring and professional development.” 4

Early Career

Kelisa Wing began her professional career serving in the United States Army for a period of six years, at the end of which she held the rank of staff sergeant. Afterwards, Wing worked as an elementary school assistant principal at West Point, New York and as an 8th-grade Language Arts and Reading teacher at Faith Middle School in Fort Benning, Georgia. In 2017, Wing was selected by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), a federal school system responsible for supporting childhood education programs for children of Department of Defense personnel, as its “Teacher of the Year.”56

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work

In October 2021, the the U.S. Department of Defense’s school district, Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), employed Wing as a professional development specialist at its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Later, on December 8, 2021, DoDEA director Tom Brady announced that Wing had been selected as the department’s new chief of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Notably, during this time Wing was concurrently a 2021 nexus fellow at The Equity Lab (formerly the Fellowship for Race and Equity in Education), a left-leaning critical race theory-aligned advisory nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that claims that “white supremacy and racism” structurally underly the culture of the United States.78

Wing is a self-described “woke” administrator. She was hired after President Joe Biden issued an executive order requiring federal agencies to create teams focused on the critical race theory-influenced concept of equity.9

Wing said she would integrate the DEI in “every aspect of DoDEA, from curriculum and assessment to hiring and professional development.” 10

Kelisa Wing supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement, has expressed the view that the critical race theory-influenced concept of equity is “important and valuable for everyone,” 11 and supports the Dignity in Schools Campaign’s Counselors Not Cops program that calls to end the regular presence of law enforcement in schools. 12 13 In 2020, she called Trump administration Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s plans to re-open schools a “white privilege plan.” 14

Wing is on the Education Civil Rights Alliance (ECRA) Steering Committee, a member of ECRA’s group, Leading Educator Ambassadors for Equity. Wing is also a member of the left-of-center National Network of State Teachers of the Year and the left-leaning Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 15

While working as DoDEA’s diversity, equity, and inclusion coordinator, Wing also reportedly worked on private consulting contracts with the Cresskill Board of Education in Cresskill, New Jersey. 16 She will be a keynote speaker at the 2023 National Network of State Teachers of the Year National Teacher Leadership Conference. 17

Critical Race Theory

Kelisa Wing has argued that the U.S. education system must be recreated to “bring awareness to disparate systems” that include what she claims is a school-to-prison pipeline. She believes it is every teacher’s responsibility to teach the critical race theory-influenced concepts of social justice, racial justice, equity, and equality to children 18 and has said that diversity, equity, and inclusion is a “shared responsibility.” 19

Wing has said that people need to be thinking more about their race, gender, age, gender identity, and sexual orientation as a part of their identity and “not pushing the dominant culture” on their students as a teacher. 20

She encourages teachers to make others feel like they can “embody radical inclusion,” 21 supports the critical race theory-influenced concept of emotional justice, 22 and teaches the critical race theory-influenced concept of culturally responsive pedagogy. 23 She also works to “dismantle disparate systems” and destroy what she calls “inequitable spaces” to rebuild “new justice spaces.” 24

Wing is the author of the critical race theory-influenced “Racial Justice in America” series of children’s books with Hedreich Nichols. Book in this series include What is Anti-Racism?, 25 What Is the Black Lives Matter Movement?, 26 What is White Privilege?, 27 and What Does it Mean to Defund the Police? 28 She has also written a book in favor of dismantling what she identifies as the school-to-prison pipeline. 29

Controversies

On social media, Kelisa Wing shared posts on Twitter that said she was “exhausted with these white folx” (folks) in professional development settings. She also attacked a woman for saying she had the “CAUdacity” (Caucasian audacity) to claim that African Americans can be racist. Wing has also attacked former President Donald Trump as the “whole boy version of a Karen.” 30 Wing has attempted to justify her comments by saying she was the “only person of color” in the room as she attempted to reconcile what was happening following the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020. 31

Following news coverage of these and other tweets, Wing removed them as well as videos on her personal webpage, and also set her Twitter account to private. That same month, a group of Republican lawmakers, including members of the House Armed Services Committee, signed a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin inquiring as to whether the Department of Defense (DoD) was of aware of Wing’s tweets prior to her selection as chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for DoDEA and whether the latter office endorses “the ideology” represented in those tweets, particularly to the extent that it influences the office’s curriculum proposals.32 33

Wing has promoted the Ta-Nehisi Coates book Between the World and Me, which called 9/11 first responders “menaces” 34 and referred to schools severing ties with police departments following the death of George Floyd as “positive change.” 35

In March 2023, a press release from U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) claimed that the prevalence of Wing’s books in DoDEA schools has increased by over 1,200 percent since her hiring. 36 Prior to her appointment as director of diversity, equity, and inclusion with DoDEA, 45 copies of books she co-authored were available in 11 DoD school libraries. As of March 2023, more than 600 books were available in 49 different DoD schools, according to a database search conducted by OpenTheBooks. 37

Political Contributions

Kelisa Wing has made Federal Election Commission-reportable campaign contributions to left-of-center fundraising platform ActBlue, the 2020 presidential campaign of Joe Biden (D), and U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT). 38

References

  1. “Wing Selected as DODEA Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” Department of Defense Education Activity. December 8, 2021. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.dodea.edu/newsroom/pressreleases/wing-selected-as-dodea-chief-of-diversity-equity-and-inclusion.cfm?cssearch=648771_3.
  2. Grossman, Hannah. “Department of Defense launches review of equity chief after disparaging posts about White people exposed.” Fox News. September 16, 2022. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/media/department-defense-reviewing-equity-chief-disparaging-posts-white-people-exposed.
  3. “DoDEA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Chief, Kelisa Wing, discusses the newly created DEI division, and how pandemic has impacted the…” Department of Defense Education Activity Facebook Video. Uploaded February 20, 2022. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/DoDEA.edu/videos/dodea-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dei-chief-kelisa-wing-discusses-the-newly-c/3017707195209436/.
  4. “Wing Selected as DODEA Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” Department of Defense Education Activity. December 8, 2021. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.dodea.edu/newsroom/pressreleases/wing-selected-as-dodea-chief-of-diversity-equity-and-inclusion.cfm?cssearch=648771_3.
  5. “WING SELECTED AS DODEA CHIEF OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.” DoDEA. December 8, 2021. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.dodea.edu/newsroom/pressreleases/wing-selected-as-dodea-chief-of-diversity-equity-and-inclusion.cfm
  6. “About Me.” Kelisa Wing. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://kelisawing.com/about-me
  7. Molitor, Michelle; Young, Nicole. “Beyond Integration: Moving Toward Multi-Racial Coalition Building.” The Equity Lab. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.theequitylab.org/blog/beyond-integration
  8. “WING SELECTED AS DODEA CHIEF OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.” DoDEA. December 8, 2021. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.dodea.edu/newsroom/pressreleases/wing-selected-as-dodea-chief-of-diversity-equity-and-inclusion.cfm
  9. Doornbos, Caitlin. “Department of Defense school sees 1,250% increase in use of left-leaning books after wok equity chief’s scandal.” New York Post. March 10, 2023. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://nypost.com/2023/03/10/dod-school-sees-1250-increase-in-left-leaning-books/.
  10.  “Wing Selected as DODEA Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” Department of Defense Education Activity. December 8, 2021. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.dodea.edu/newsroom/pressreleases/wing-selected-as-dodea-chief-of-diversity-equity-and-inclusion.cfm?cssearch=648771_3.
  11. “DoDEA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Chief, Kelisa Wing, discusses the newly created DEI division, and how pandemic has impacted the…” Department of Defense Education Activity Facebook Video. Uploaded February 20, 2022. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/DoDEA.edu/videos/dodea-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dei-chief-kelisa-wing-discusses-the-newly-c/3017707195209436/.
  12. Hedreich Nichols and Kelisa Wing. “What Is the Black Lives Matter Movement? (Racial Justice in America).” Cherry Lake Publishing. January 2021. https://www.amazon.com/Matter-Movement-Racial-Justice-America/dp/1534180222.
  13. Wing, Kelisa. “When Cops Outweigh Counselors, Schools Set Students Up to Fail.” EdPost. February 10, 2020. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.edpost.com/stories/when-cops-outweigh-counselors-schools-set-students-up-to-fail.
  14. Wing, Kelisa. “We Deserve Better Than Betsy DeVos and Her White Privilege Plan to Reopen Schools.” Ed Post. July 16, 2020. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.edpost.com/stories/we-deserve-better-than-betsy-devos-and-her-white-privilege-plan-to-reopen-schools.
  15. “About Me.” Kelisa Wing Website. Accessed February 14, 2023. https://kelisawing.com/about-me.
  16. “Invoice to Promises and Responsibilities LLC.” Cresskill Board of Education. September 21, 2022. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.openthebooks.com/assets/1/6/KW_2022-2023_Redacted.pdf.
  17. “Tweet.” Twitter Image via National Network of State Teachers of the year.” Twitter. Posted Mach 13, 2023. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://twitter.com/NNSTOY/status/1635269155552198656
  18. “Kelisa Wing.” #WeBuildEdu. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://webuildedu.org/kelisawing.html.
  19. “Wing Selected as DODEA Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” Department of Defense Education Activity. December 8, 2021. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.dodea.edu/newsroom/pressreleases/wing-selected-as-dodea-chief-of-diversity-equity-and-inclusion.cfm?cssearch=648771_3.
  20.  “Kelisa Wing AIELOC Talk.” OpenTheBooks YouTube. Time Stamp 12:20. Uploaded March 2023. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvHA_rqSTX0.
  21. “Kelisa Wing AIELOC Talk.” OpenTheBooks YouTube. Time Stamp 14:09. Uploaded March 2023. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvHA_rqSTX0.
  22. “Kelisa Wing AIELOC Talk.” OpenTheBooks YouTube. Time Stamp 15:43. Uploaded March 2023. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvHA_rqSTX0.
  23. “Kelisa Wing AIELOC Talk.” OpenTheBooks YouTube. Time Stamp 17:39 Uploaded March 2023. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvHA_rqSTX0.
  24. “Kelisa Wing AIELOC Talk.” OpenTheBooks YouTube. Uploaded March 2023. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvHA_rqSTX0.
  25. Hedreich Nichols and Kelisa Wing. “What is Anti-Racism? (Racial Justice in America). Cherry Lake Publishing. January 2021. Accessed March 14, 2021. https://www.amazon.com/What-Anti-Racism-Racial-Justice-America/dp/1534180214?ref_=ast_author_dp.
  26. Hedreich Nichols and Kelisa Wing. “What Is the Black Lives Matter Movement? (Racial Justice in America). Cherry Lake Publishing. January 2021. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.amazon.com/Matter-Movement-Racial-Justice-America/dp/1534181938/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=o2dXy&content-id=amzn1.sym.22f5776b-4878-4918-9222-7bb79ff649f4&pf_rd_p=22f5776b-4878-4918-9222-7bb79ff649f4&pf_rd_r=139-9656285-7819954&pd_rd_wg=W9pq4&pd_rd_r=50e8a04e-a27d-4343-b66c-c52d7567a482&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk.
  27. Hedreich Nichols and Kelisa Wing. “What is White Privilege? (Racial Justice in America).” Cherry Lake Publishing. January 2021. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.amazon.com/White-Privilege-Racial-Justice-America/dp/1534181946/ref=d_pd_vtp_vft_none_sccl_2_1/139-9656285-7819954?pd_rd_w=rXBCY&content-id=amzn1.sym.8e065679-52e9-4d16-ae63-fa3d08b93cef&pf_rd_p=8e065679-52e9-4d16-ae63-fa3d08b93cef&pf_rd_r=KTHFR9GDQAXBG4FB7D0W&pd_rd_wg=0IuvT&pd_rd_r=a732ec6a-c34a-45cf-a6c5-db708d8f1105&pd_rd_i=1534181946&psc=1.
  28. Jessica S. Henry and Kelisa Wing. “What Does It Mean to Defund the Police? (Racial Justice in America). Cherry Lake Publishing. January 2021. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.amazon.com/Defund-Police-Racial-Justice-America/dp/1534181970/ref=d_pd_vtp_vft_none_sccl_2_3/139-9656285-7819954?pd_rd_w=rXBCY&content-id=amzn1.sym.8e065679-52e9-4d16-ae63-fa3d08b93cef&pf_rd_p=8e065679-52e9-4d16-ae63-fa3d08b93cef&pf_rd_r=KTHFR9GDQAXBG4FB7D0W&pd_rd_wg=0IuvT&pd_rd_r=a732ec6a-c34a-45cf-a6c5-db708d8f1105&pd_rd_i=1534181970&psc=1.
  29. Wing, Kristen. “Promises and Possibilities: Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline.” CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. May 3, 2018. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.amazon.com/Promises-Possibilities-Dismantling-School-Prison/dp/1986423999/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MUXKLOKS6MTI&keywords=dismantling+the+school+to+prison+pipeline&qid=1678843808&s=books&sprefix=dismantling+the+school+to+prison+pipeline+%2Cstripbooks%2C84&sr=1-1.
  30. Jowers, Karen. “DoD schools diversity chief responds to ‘racism’ claims.” Military Times. February 10, 2023. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/02/10/dod-schools-diversity-chief-responds-to-racism-claims/
  31. Jowers, Karen. “DoD schools diversity chief responds to ‘racism’ claims.” AirForceTimes. February 10, 2023. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-military/2023/02/10/dod-schools-diversity-chief-responds-to-racism-claims/.
  32. Jowers, Karen. “DoD schools diversity chief responds to ‘racism’ claims.” Military Times. February 10, 2023. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/02/10/dod-schools-diversity-chief-responds-to-racism-claims/
  33.  “Letter to the Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III.” Letter from Members of Congress. September 16, 2022. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://stefanik.house.gov/_cache/files/f/4/f4b99a6c-6592-4505-902a-77c5f51ecd78/61605C94E7788DD3BB41872ED3D3E228.09.16.22—ltr—dodea-letter-final-.pdf.
  34. Grossman, Hannah. “Pentagon equity chief praises book calling 9/11 first responders ‘menaces’ as she pushes for revolution’.” Fox News. October 17, 2022. Accessed March 17, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/media/pentagon-equity-chief-praises-book-calling-911-first-responders-menaces-pushes-revolution.
  35. Wing, Kelisa. “Gianna Was Right, Her Daddy Changed the World.” Ed Post. June 23, 2020. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://www.edpost.com/stories/gianna-was-right-her-daddy-changed-the-world.
  36. “Stefanik Blasts Biden’s DoD for Allowing Woke Radical Teachings to Increase in DoDEA Schools During Investigation.” Rep. Elise Stefanik Press Release. March 2, 2023. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://stefanik.house.gov/press-releases?ID=1278A505-C02B-45D6-B48F-EACB632CA595.
  37. Doornbos, Caitlin. “Department of Defense school sees 1,250% increase in use of left-leaning books after wok equity chief’s scandal.” New York Post. March 10, 2023. Accessed March 14, 2023. https://nypost.com/2023/03/10/dod-school-sees-1250-increase-in-left-leaning-books/.
  38. “Individual Contributions.” Search Results for Kelisa Wing. Federal Election Commission. Accessed March 19, 2023. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=kelisa%20wing.
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