National Association for Multicultural Education

Purpose and Organization

The work of NAME is guided by a set of core beliefs. NAME and its members believe that cultural and ethnic diversity are strengths for schools, society, and the nation; that the participation of people of diverse cultures is critically important to the work of the United States and world; and that diversity is defined by ethnicity, race, gender, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, language, religion, and other identities. Further, NAME believes that multicultural education is a powerful approach that leads to the achievement of equity and that any form of discrimination is detrimental to the achievement of democracy. NAME views multicultural education as a process that supports individuals in learning about their own and others' cultures. An antidiscrimination policy undergirds all NAME programs and services. NAME's policy asserts that “NAME is consciously and proactively inclusive of all areas of diversity including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, socioeconomic status, marital status, language, disability, or immigration status.”

NAME today is an incorporated nonprofit organization that is a 100% voluntary organization governed by an elected 24-member Board of Directors. The board includes 10 regional directors, three members at-large, and five founders. The national office is located in Washington, D.C., and NAME activities are coordinated through the work of an executive director. Jill Moss Greenberg served as NAME's first executive director between 1996 and 2004. NAME activities take place on national, regional, state, and local levels. NAME's membership is more than 1,000 people. At the local level, members have formed chapters in more than 20 states. Funding support for NAME's work comes from a variety of sources, including membership dues, conference fees, and individual contributions.

NAME's History and Leadership

By the late 1980s, no organization appeared to be addressing and advocating for ways to meet the needs of diverse learners. Sensing a gap, a group of educators dedicated to multicultural education began to formulate a vision of just such an association. At the annual meeting of the Association of [Page 1596]Teacher Educators in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 7, 1990, Rose Duhon-Sells met with the Multicultural Education Special Interest Group. She urged the attendees to join with her in developing an organization that would support the development and implementation of multicultural education, encourage new research and scholarship on multicultural education, provide opportunities for members to learn from and with each other, and join forces to advocate for educational equity. From this meeting a new professional association was born. Duhon-Sells was elected the first president of the National Association for Multicultural Education.

NAME's first annual conference was held on February 16, 1991, in New Orleans, Louisiana, attracting 500 individuals. The beliefs, hard work, and dedication of many individuals helped the organization overcome early challenges. In particular, Duhon-Sells believed deeply in the potential impact of NAME and used her own personal credit cards to finance NAME activities. Since that time, NAME has steadily built a strong membership base, and influenced in significant ways educational opportunities for diverse students in schools throughout the United States.

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