Ivory A. Toldson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ivory A. Toldson
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| Born | 1973 (age 51–52) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Louisiana State University Pennsylvania State University Temple University |
| Occupation | academic, author |
| Known for | Counseling Psychology and Educational Research, Minority Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Public Scholarship and "Myth busting" Bad Stats, and Educational Equity and Access |
| Title | Professor |
| Spouse(s) | Marshella Toldson |
| Children | 2 |
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Ivory Achebe Toldson (born 1973) is an American professor and writer. He teaches Counseling Psychology at Howard University. He also helps lead education research for the NAACP and edits important journals about education.
Dr. Toldson used to be the president of Quality Education for Minorities. He also worked for President Barack Obama as the executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (WHIHBCUs). He wrote a book called (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear about Black People.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ivory Toldson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father, Ivory Lee Toldson, was a professor. His stepfather, Imari Obadele, was also a professor and worked for reparations for slavery.
Toldson's mother, Johnita Scott, raised him in North Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She ran a daycare center from their home. He went to and graduated from Istrouma High School.
After high school, Toldson went to Louisiana State University and earned a bachelor's degree. He then got a master's degree from Pennsylvania State University. Later, he earned his PhD in Counseling Psychology from Temple University.
His early experiences helped shape his ideas about education and fairness. He learned a lot from working with people who were part of the Black Power movement.
Career and Research
Toldson started his career at Southern University. There, he received a special award from the United States Department of Justice for his research. He also wrote a novel called Black Sheep: When the American Dream Becomes a Black Man's Nightmare.
He later became a professor at Howard University. He also worked as a research analyst for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. He wrote a series of reports called Breaking Barriers. These reports looked at what helps Black boys succeed in school.
Since 2008, he has been the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Negro Education. This is an academic journal published by Howard University. In 2017, he also became the executive editor of the Journal of Policy Analysis and Research.
Working with the White House
From 2013 to 2016, President Barack Obama chose Toldson to lead the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In this role, he worked with the U.S. Secretary of Education. They created plans to support and grow HBCUs. These are colleges and universities that were first created to educate Black students.
Challenging Myths and Bad Stats
Toldson became well-known for "debunking myths" about African Americans. He challenged what he calls "BS," or Bad Stats. He uses data to show that many common ideas about Black people are not true.
For example, he has said that Black males want to go to college even more than white males. He also believes that the "achievement gap" often shows more about how schools treat young Black males. He has also said that the idea of "Acting White" is a myth.
Toldson's work has been featured on NPR and the BBC. He is known as a "myth buster" and often gives interviews to check facts for organizations like PolitiFact.
Leading Quality Education for Minorities
Since 2016, Toldson has been the president of Quality Education for Minorities (QEM). This group works to improve education for African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Ricans.
As QEM president, Toldson has helped get over $3.2 million in funding from the National Science Foundation. This money supports science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs at colleges that serve minority students.
Honors and Awards
Toldson has received many honors for his work.
- He was named "Young Researcher of the Year" at Southern University.
- The Washington Post called him a leader who could reach the White House.
- Newsweek Magazine named him one of "30 leaders in the fight for Black men."
- Diverse: Issues In Higher Education called him the "Problem Solver."
His research has been featured in major news outlets like The Washington Post, CNN.com, The New York Times, and Essence Magazine.
Toldson was also named to The Root 100. This is a list of the most influential African-American leaders each year. He received the Equity Champion Award from the New York City Department of Education. He also got the Outstanding Alumni Award from Penn State Black Alumni Association.
In 2016, he received an honorary degree, a Doctor of Humane Letters, from Florida Memorial University.
Personal Life
Ivory Toldson is married to Marshella Toldson. They have a daughter and a son and live in Washington, D.C.
Toldson is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He is also part of its World Policy Council, which is a group that works on politics and social policy around the world. He is also a member of Sigma Pi Phi.
