TJ Whitaker: Privilege and Inequality

Given recent events in our country and in our schools, the question of how and when to address issues related to race and social justice has become increasingly urgent.

TJ Whitaker has been teaching in SOMSD since 2002. He is an English Language Arts teacher at CHS, as well as a parent and Maplewood community resident. He is currently completing his doctoral dissertation at Rutgers University. He is a former Moderator for the MLK Association at CHS.
Mr. Whitaker is the recipient of the Community Service Award for 2017 by the New Jersey Chapter of the National Black MBA Association, Inc.

The School Board of Maplewood-South Orange has recognized Mr. Whitaker for his outstanding dedication to social justice and the wellbeing of our students, stating, “CHS Teacher TJ Whitaker has worked tirelessly to protect the rights and promote the welfare of our students and our community. Mr. Whitaker helped organize a ‘Charlottesville Teach In’ with other educators from around NJ on September 9th, which provided teachers with ways to help their students process disturbing recent national events.”