Podcast: Dr. John F. Leeke and Ananda Leeke on the divine work of DEI

Dr. John F. Leeke, a native of Maryland, spent his career promoting the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and has seen the good, bad, and the ugly of America when it has not lived up to ideals of equality.

That’s why he and his daughter, Ananda Leeke, coauthored the new book “American Change Agent: A Life & Legacy of Seeking Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion,” to tell his story of overcoming segregation, and discrimination to become an advocate fighting the good fight.

Dr. Leeke’s journey started at the National Education Association in 1968, just two years after the American Teachers Association—an African-American organization—began its merger with the NEA. Leeke worked on a special NEA task force probing the issues facing mostly Black youth in urban areas of the United States.

“Minorities, but particularly people of color, were being shortchanged in many ways,” Leeke said on the latest episode of the Black Catholic Messenger show, also discussing his later promotion to head the NEA’s Center for Human Relations, now known as the Human & Civil Rights Department.

“We worked on issues [such ass] desegregation, racism, sexism, and many other ‘human’ things that normally come under human relations. And that was before the term ‘diversity’ was ever mentioned.”

Leeke remained with the NEA for 17 years before joining Elsie Y. Cross Associates, Black- and woman-owned firm promoting what would later become known as DEI with some of the nation’s top companies. He also worked as a consultant under his own auspices, advising clients in education, government, and beyond.

A convert to the Catholic faith, Leeke also noted that his rearing in Catholic schools—including those run by the Oblate Sisters of Providence and the Augustinians—were instrumental in his understanding of equality.

“I certainly developed a whole notion of the importance of recognizing and accepting all people,” he said.

“At the same time, I also learned pretty quickly that there were things that as a Black student, later as a Black educator, and clearly always as a Black man, that there were things that I was not allowed to do… I began in my twenties to start to do things that would make my life better, but also to make other people's lives much better.”

His daughter, Ananda, who works as a mindfulness coach, doula, and artist, notes that the work of DEI is also a matter of personal and community health, promoting wholeness and human flourishing.

“Here in the United States, we are and have been for over 400 years placed in systematic oppressive environments. Just breathing creates stress in this society, whether we want to acknowledge it or not,” she said.

“One of the ways that we can navigate the stress and the struggle and all of the different things that are coming at us is by choosing our birthright of self care, self-love, self-compassion, and so on. Slowing down and recognizing that no matter what you call your higher power, we were all created to live well and to take care of ourselves.”

The Leekes argue that, given the state of the struggle for DEI—now under attack in the political realm, and quickly fading among many corporate bodies—the need for “change agents” is acute, calling for motivated citizens to do their part. The initiative, they say, must start within.

“Everyone has something that they can do,” said Ananda Leeke, who has leveraged her own platforms in support of wellness and self-exploration after career journeys in law, banking, and communications.

“You have the power to be a change agent. And that's how we make diversity, equality, and inclusion a reality.”

To hear more from the Leekes about their new book, listen to the latest episode of the Black Catholic Messenger show on your favorite podcast platform.

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Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.

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