Camika Royal

Dr. Camika Royal serves as Associate Professor and Program Director of Urban Educational Leadership within the Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy at Morgan State University's School of Education and Urban Studies. A critical race theorist with over 20 years of urban education experience, she combats anglonormativity, antiblack racism, cultural oppression, patriarchy, and transphobia through scholarship and practice.

Her educational foundation includes:

• PhD in Urban Education (2012) from Temple University
• MA in Teaching: English Education (2001) from Johns Hopkins University
• BA in English Literature (1999) from North Carolina Central University

Dr. Royal's research interrogates the intersections of race, politics, history, and urban school reform. Her work exposes systemic racism in American schooling through historical analysis of Black educators' experiences, particularly in Philadelphia. She employs critical race theory to challenge oppressive structures while advocating for culturally relevant, socially just educational practices that center collective humanity.

Her scholarly trajectory reveals consistent focus on urban education inequities, with publications spanning school finance underinvestment, historical reform patterns, closure impacts, and pedagogical resistance. The recurring themes highlight racialized policy impacts on Black communities and the resilience of educators navigating oppressive systems.

Her significant recognition includes:

• 2024 Outstanding Book Award from the American Educational Research Association for Not Paved For Us: Black Educators and Public School Reform in Philadelphia

As Program Director of Morgan's Urban Educational Leadership doctoral program, she mentors emerging scholars while continuing her consultancy work on context-based racism in schools. Previously at Loyola University Maryland, she co-directed the Center for Innovation in Urban Education and developed the urban education minor, demonstrating sustained commitment to leadership development.

Dr. Royal's work bridges academic research and practical application through professional development, speaking engagements, and policy consultation focused on dismantling educational oppression.