Hey! I'm Joy.

I'm a speaker, writer, scholar and facilitator who promotes racial and gender justice through compassion and open dialogue to ignite equitable, empowering and transformative practices.

Dr. Joy Wiggins Keynote Speaker

HOW I GOT STARTED...

Some may call me a Texan but in fact I grew up all over the world. My family moved every three years. My dad was in the military and the idea of home was elusive for me. Although, difficult at times, it benefited me because I was able to really see the world. I saw how all human beings are very similar but also quite different in many ways. I think moving often enabled me to have a different perspective from the average American child. I'm appreciative of the times we were able to move abroad and learn about different cultures. This broadened my horizons early on and allowed me to step outside of myself. Traveling is a continued passion of mine.

I lived in China for a year and travel for professional development seminars all over the world. I had an opportunity to attend a seminar on the women’s movement in Amman, Jordan and an intercultural communication seminar in Madrid, Spain among others. This has continually informed my understanding around social justice and a look into my own socialization around whiteness.

As a queer woman who didn’t come out to my family until I was 40 years old, I understand what it feels like to be isolated, vulnerable and misunderstood. I feel that I can take some of that experience and extend it to have empathy for many different people. I may not know what it means to be a person of color or grow up in a war torn country, but I feel that we all must begin to connect to one another in as many ways as we can.

My biggest pride is my daughter, Ruby. My love for traveling and passion for social justice has now spread to her. She's an advocate for racial and gender equity in her own right. We've travelled to five different countries and she's only 8 years old. We've only just begun exploring this world together.

Dr. Joy Wiggins Ted Talk

EDUCATION

Ph.D. 2005 Ohio State University

Multicultural Education and Social Justice, Language, Literacy and Culture

Dissertation: Constructions of Preservice Teachers’ Biographies: Mediations of a Sociopolitical Text. An emphasis on preservice teachers’ perceptions of the 1992 Los Angeles uprisings. Advisors: Lead-Dr. Cynthia B. Dillard, Dr. Peter Demerath and Dr. Molly Blackburn.

M.Ed. 2000 Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA,

Woodring College of Education, Literacy

B.A. 1996 Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX,

Multidisciplinary Studies, Minor: English

Sabotage to Support

CURRENT WORK

I am currently on a book tour promoting our co-authored book with Dr. Kami J. Anderson, “From Sabotage to Support: A New Vision for Feminist Solidarity in the Workplace” which stems from our research and my TEDxWWU talk about Women Liberating Women.

Find my interviews, podcasts, articles, webinars and guest lecture talks on my PRESS page.

My research has been published in The Urban Review, Democracy and education, In Factis Pax: Journal of Peace Education and Social Justice, Journal of Children’s Literature, Journal of Adult and Adolescent Literacy and Educational Action Research. I have presented at numerous international, national and regional conferences with special invited sessions for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the National Network for Educational Renewal for her work with Global Peaceful Paths.

I'm currently working on my second book. I can't wait to share it with you all. Release date TBD.

Dr. Joy Wiggins

PUBLICATIONS

Selected works from WWU CEDAR

Areas of Emphasis, Special Interest or Research:

Racial and gender justice, implicit bias, microaggressions, and developing and training in women's leadership courses.

Identity

"Positioning self in figured worlds: Using poetic inquiry to theorize transnational experiences in education" The Urban Review: Issues and Ideas in Public Education.

The Search for Balance: Understanding and Implementing Yoga, Peace and Democratic Education

See Curriculum Vita

MEET MY COLLABORATORS

Below are the fabulous folks I have the privilege of knowing and working with through a variety of projects like facilitating workshops, collaborating on writing and engaging in rich discussions that support and fuel each other’s work.

Dr. Kami Anderson

Dr. Kami Anderson

Herdacity

Herdacity

Toi Sing Woo

Toi Sing Woo

New Directions Consulting, LLP

Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell

Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell

Co3 Consulting

Caroline Cook

Caroline Cook

Red Cactus Media

Rebekah Wood

Rebekah Wood

Red Cactus Media

Kinsey V Photography

Kinsey V Photography

Book Me To Speak

Get in touch with me to inquire about my schedule & speaking fees.

Change The World With Me

Follow me on my journey to empowerment for all.