Ashanti Branch works to change how young men of color interact with their education and how their schools interact with them. Raised in Oakland by a single mother on welfare, Ashanti left the inner city to study civil engineering at Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo. A construction project manager in his first career, his life changed after he tutored struggling students and realized his passion for teaching. In 2004, during Ashanti’s first year teaching high school math, he started The Ever Forward Club to provide support for African American and Latino males who were not achieving their potential. Since then, Ever Forward has helped all of its more than 150 members graduate from high school, and 93% of them have gone on to attend two- or four-year colleges, military or trade school. In 2016 after a fellowship at the Stanford d.school to grow the capacity of Ever Forward Club, Ashanti became the first full time Executive Director or Ever Forward – Siempre Adelante, over the past 3 years, Branch has received fellowships with Saybrook University, Campaign for Black Male Achievement Fellow, and The Gratitude Network.
Ashanti Branch
