Meet Ericka Duke

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ericka Duke.

Ericka, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Born and raised in Sacramento, California. Educator, doctorate student, author, and an avid gym junkie who uses boxing as my main source of training in New Orleans, Louisiana. I left home in 2008 and earned my undergraduate degree in Business Communication from Holy Names University. Upon completion, I was accepted into the Mills College School of Education. In 2015, I earned my Master’s in Educational Leadership. During that time, I was also a temporary student through New York University and completed research in South Africa centered around Education Reform. I subtly fell in love with the classroom and quickly became emerged with creating and building platforms of transformation for students of color, particularly black students and black women educators by introducing bell hooks notion, talking back–the liberated voice. During this time, I was teaching Middle School in East Oakland. Upon graduation, I was accepted into the University of San Francisco Doctorate program. Within two years my research interest moved me to transfer to Xavier University of Louisiana where I am now completing my Doctorate in Education.

I am the author of Blossom Black Girl, an affirmation journal dedicated to black girls and black women of the African Diaspora. Currently, I teach High School Special Education in New Orleans, Louisiana and train at New Orleans Boxing Club. While modeling for OdAomo an African brand located in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans. My latest project is centered around literacy, fitness, and black women administrators.

My mission is to build community globally through literacy, fitness, empowering all humans to be all of who they were designed to be.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As an educator, black woman, woman – I would say the journey has had its ups and its downs. It’s always interesting reflecting on life as a black woman on a mission who true intentions are simply to serve her community, yet often struggles to do so because of how spaces and places weren’t created to serve me. Therefore, maneuvering within a system not created for me to thrive can be challenging. Yet, what I found best when in this work of dealing hope or as SOL Development conceptualize it, ‘disrupting hopelessness’ that it is best to surround yourself with a positive tribe.

Contact Info:

• Email: ericka.zuri@gmail.com
• Instagram: @erijduke
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/designsofzuri

Image Credit:
Wearing: OdAomo (ig @odaomo), Quentin Alexander (ig @sighsofapoet)

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