Desmond Blackburn

Desmond K. Blackburn, Ph.D., is President & CEO of Facing History & Ourselves, a global education nonprofit that uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and students to stand up to bigotry and hate. Under his leadership, he is excited to bring Facing History’s resources to more teachers, schools, districts, states, and networks than ever before.

Before joining Facing History, Desmond was Deputy Chancellor of School Leadership for the New York City Department of Education, the largest school system in the nation. He was also Superintendent of Brevard Public Schools in Florida, where his guidance led to significantly improved graduation rates and school performance recognized numerous times by the state. He actively serves on state and national organizations for education leaders.