David Ragland

David Ragland is an academic and activist affiliated with Pacifica Graduate Institute. He serves as co-founder and co-executive director of the Truth Telling Project, director of the Grassroots Reparations Campaign, and Senior Bayard Rustin Fellow at the Fellowship of Reconciliation. He is also a board member of the Peace and Justice Studies Association. His work focuses on truth-telling as decolonial education, systemic racial injustices, and responses to police violence. Recently inducted into the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College, his research was highlighted by Georgetown University’s Advocacy Lab as among the most impactful advocacy studies in four decades.

Education:

• Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Toledo
• M.A., Peace Education, Teachers College of Columbia University
• M.A., International Affairs, Washington University in St. Louis

Research Interests: David’s scholarship bridges decolonial theory, human rights praxis, and grassroots activism. He examines how marginalized communities reclaim narratives of systemic oppression through truth-telling initiatives, particularly in movements for Black liberation. His work critiques structures of systemic humiliation and advocates for reparative justice frameworks.

Recognition:

• Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Collegium of Scholars Membership (2023)
• Georgetown University Advocacy Lab Recognition (2023)

Advising & Projects: While no formal advisees are listed, his leadership in truth-telling campaigns and reparations advocacy reflects collaborative community-based scholarship. His work intersects with social justice movements through institutional and grassroots partnerships.

Labs/Teams: Central to his work are the Truth Telling Project and Grassroots Reparations Campaign, which operationalize his research into actionable social change.