About us.

What is Black SEL?

Black SEL is a customized approach to social-emotional learning (SEL) that serves as a vehicle for cultural transmission, specifically tailored to the experiences, needs, and cultural contexts of Black students and communities.

Black SEL acknowledges the unique hurdles presented by systemic racism, prejudice, and marginalization. By employing culturally affirming methods, Black SEL endeavors to empower Black students and communities with the skills needed for success, promoting resilience and fostering positive social-emotional growth.

Our framework cultivates inclusive and supportive learning environments for Black youth and communities. This approach empowers them to thrive and reach their full potential. 

After six years of SEL training, forums, workshops, and constructive discourse with teachers, parents, and students, Dangers Of The Mind and thought leaders in education collaborated to establish Black SEL: the social-emotional learning HUB dedicated to black communities.

We strive to amplify the voices of Black SEL practitioners and extend SEL initiatives beyond the classroom to encompass the wider community. By sharing resources, our aim is to advance the field and ensure the continuity of social-emotional learning practices within Black communities.

We honor generations of community and ancestral wisdom, leveraging it to empower Black communities and schools, fostering dignity and equity within these institutions.

Our Mission

Black SEL exists to reach, teach, and equip Black communities with the tools to sustain and expand Black Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), fostering critical consciousness, civic engagement, and collective well-being for Social-Emotional Liberation.

Our Purpose

We exist to create spaces where Black people and communities contribute to and experience liberation through power, action, and sustainability.

Our Vision

Our vision is to cultivate Black leaders who dismantle inequities and build systems that affirm, uplift, and sustain Black Social-Emotional Liberation (also known as reSELience™).

Our Vibe

At Black SEL, we believe Social- Emotional Learning will not be a trend in black communities, but a sustainable practice to advance and heal people of color, one community at a time.

Black SEL recognizes that social-emotional learning skills have been an integral part of Black communities for generations, even before they were formally identified and studied.

Our Team

Kristen Hopkins-Vincent, M.Ed.

Chief ReSELience™ Officer

Tanesha Cameron-Cole

ReSELience™ Operations Lead

Donyae Trawick

ReSELience™ Communications Curator

Damaris Fletcher, M.Adv

ReSELient™ Story Architect

J Sterrett

ReSELience™ Program Designer

Eric Moore

Research Lead

Dr. Ashley Mathews

Research Coordinator

Olivia Henson

ReSELient™ Engagement Ambassador

Dr. Taunya Jaco

Hub @ Hillside Facilitator

Alex Lewis

Technical Support

Advisory Board

Our Advisory Board members come from diverse professional backgrounds, enabling us to establish strategic partnerships that enhance the visibility and implementation of social-emotional learning in Black and Brown communities.

Dr. James Comer. MD, MPH

Yale University Child Study Center

Minnie Forte-Brown

Chief Executive Officer Forte-Brown Consulting

Dr. Ralph Simpson

Deputy Superintendent | Clayton County Public School District

Dr. Bettie Ray Butler, PhD​

Director M.ED Urban Education Program | University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Joshua Vincent

Executive Director and CEO | Southern Vision Alliance

Dr. Bloodine Barthelus, Ed.D.

Founder & CEO | Wellness Embodied LLC

Join Our
Advisory Board

Help Shape the Future of Black Social-Emotional Learning

Our advisory board plays a vital role in advancing culturally responsive SEL that addresses the unique challenges Black students and communities face.

As a board member, you’ll help shape the Black SEL Framework and support programs that build confidence, resilience, leadership, and civic engagement.

Ready to make an impact?

Apply now by completing our online enrollment form.

Get in touch with us

We look forward to connecting with you!  We understand that it is important for you to access our services, we will respond to your message between 24-48 hrs.