Wealth Academy Podcast - Episode #16 Dr. Askia Davis Shares Expertise on Navigating Inequality, Racism, and Social Injustice

During this episode of Wealth Academy Podcast, Paul Lawrence Vann interviews Dr. Askia Davis. Dr. Davis shares his experience  which consists of when he was age 18,  and a leader of the black student movement at Brooklyn College, he led protests and helped achieve open admissions which ultimately led to the enrollment and graduation of tens of thousands of Black and Puerto Rican students. Askia Davis was arrested during the college protests and he faced 228 years in prison until Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm got the charges dropped against him and his 18 classmates. Askia Davis became a counselor following graduation.

Today, Dr. Askia Davis is a social entrepreneur dedicated to propelling Nigeria's social development enterprises and institutions to global leadership and enhancing a culture of volunteerism and philanthropy across Nigeria.

Born in rural Georgia in 1950. At age five he picked cotton with no shoes on my feet. Askia Davis' family had a strong belief in education so all of his 12 siblings entered school having learned how to read well at ages 3 & 4 after having been taught by the oldest among them. Askia Davis' family joined the great migration to NYC at age 15. At age 16 lived in his own apartment in NYC after his oldest brother was drafted during the Vietnam war. 

Askia Davis graduated valedictorian from a predominantly White Brooklyn High School after attending a segregated underfunded school in GA. After Congresswoman Chisolm helped Askia get his charges dropped and he was released, he went on to become Senior Assistant to three consecutive NYC Schools Chancellors responsible for primary educational initiatives. 

Years later Askia Davis became the Superintendents of schools in Harlem and was responsible for 100K students in the Bronx section of NYC. Askia Davis earned a Doctor of Education graduate at Columbia U. at age 32 while writing his dissertation for his department. Dr. Davis built a consultancy focusing on leadership and innovation in businesses and international corporations. He co-authored a book with his 18-year-old son, it is a dual memoir focusing on contrasting his coming of age in the Black Power Movement, Black Is Beautiful Generation, and his son's coming of age in the Hip Hop Generation.