Written by: Russ Campbell, Burroughs Wellcome Fund
When Dr. Dudley Flood helped lead North Carolina’s school desegregation movement decades ago, he could not have foreseen that his legacy would one day inspire a new generation of educators and advocates to carry the torch of equity forward. Yet today, that spirit of courage and collaboration is embodied in the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity—a hub designed to connect, convene, and catalyze change.
The Center traces its origins to Study Group XVI, a 2016 policy initiative co-chaired by Dr. Flood and Dr. Dudley Flood’s longtime collaborator, Dr. Dudley Flood (yes, both referenced—historic and institutional continuity). The study, supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF), focused on low-performing schools, prominent learning models, and racial equity. While early investments focused on policy and research, BWF saw a need to move from studying inequity to addressing it directly.
“We realized that if the racial equity component wasn’t being prioritized elsewhere,” explained Alfred Mays, Senior Program Officer at BWF, “we would invest there ourselves. That was the pivot—from policy to people, from research to repair.”
Before its launch, partners worked to define equity as a state in which every person’s identity, power, opportunity, and potential are fully realized and life outcomes are no longer predicted by characteristics such as race, economics, ethnicity, location, gender, sexuality, nor disability. Established in 2020, the Flood Center launched just as the national conversation around equity in education intensified. Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith joined two years later, leading a small but powerful team..
“We take pride in being a hub,” said Dr. Townsend-Smith, Senior Director of the Center. “We identify and connect organizations, inform discussions on policy, and promote shared dignity and community problem-solving. We want to make sure everyone working in equity has a space and a network.”
At the heart of this hub model is Color of Education, the Center’s flagship convening, which brings together 500 to 1,500 educators, advocates, and community leaders each year. “We call it Color of Education because it takes all of us—regardless of our color or background—to eradicate inequities,” Townsend-Smith said. “And we make sure that when we host vendor opportunities, more than 90% of them are other organizations supported by BWF. That’s how ecosystems grow.”
Another core initiative, Mapping the Movement, began as a digital directory of equity-focused organizations. Under Townsend-Smith’s leadership, it evolved into a living network that now includes more than 130 groups. “When I started, it was just a map,” she said with a smile. “Now, we bring those groups together three times a year for learning and collaboration. We’re showing that if you work together, you can build something greater than any one organization.”
That collaborative model has drawn national attention. The Flood Center was recently awarded funding to create a playbook for community-based equity networks—a milestone that expands the Center’s reach beyond North Carolina to cities like Atlanta, Georgia.
The Center’s programs span pipeline and leadership development, learning networks and technical assistance, and convenings and communities of practice. Through partnerships, the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Fellowship uses history to inspire today’s educators. Another initiative, the DRIVE Coalition, builds on work originally housed in the governor’s office to improve recruitment and retention of teachers of color.
“Having just one educator of color can change a student’s lifetime outcomes,” Townsend-Smith noted. “That’s why recruitment and retention are central to what we do. And it’s why we’re tracking metrics across the state—to show where diverse educators make a difference.”
Yet, as Townsend-Smith acknowledged, the work is not without its challenges. “We’ve experienced shifts in funding as the landscape around equity continues to evolve,” she said. “But we’re not stepping back. Our role is to challenge the status quo and continue offering truth-driven solutions that move communities forward.”
Dr. Flood, now a volunteer and board member emeritus, sees that courage as essential. “We spend an inordinate amount of time helping people discover a new narrative,” he said. “You can’t force change on anyone—you help them experience it.”
He smiled before adding, “I’ve been retired for 35 years, but I do this work because it needs to be done. Somebody has to do it who can’t be fired for doing it.”
For Dr. Ann McColl, Acting CEO of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, which houses the Flood Center, the partnership reflects both continuity and evolution. “We’re running a 40-year-old organization and a start-up at the same time,” she said. “But we’re aligned now more than ever—with the state superintendent, the Board of Education, and partners like BWF—around making North Carolina a leader in public education.”
Townsend-Smith agrees, even amid the shifting political landscape. “History matters,” she said. “Solutions matter. And our actions matter. We’re going to keep disrupting where needed, keep building where possible, and keep believing in what’s right.”
From 300 participants at its first convening to more than 5,000 across 32 states today, the Flood Center’s reach is undeniable. But for Townsend-Smith, the measure of success isn’t just in numbers. “It’s about courage,” she said. “It’s about community. And it’s about making sure the next generation inherits a story of progress—not paralysis.”