Recently I had the opportunity to offer welcome remarks at the kickoff event for our Lurie College of Education’s new Emancipatory Education Speaker Series, which focuses on a “post-COVID-19 education system.” What an important and timely initiative! After listening to the first speaker, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, I quickly realized how well-aligned this series is with San José State values, our academic goals and our Transformation 2030 strategic plan.