Dante's Story

Bio

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Dante King is a native of San Francisco, California. He is the author of the new book The 400-Year Holocaust: White America's Legal, Psychopathic, and Sociopathic Black Genocide and the Revolt Against Critical Race Theory. Dante is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medical Education, in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. He serves as guest faculty at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine (UCSF), where he has lectured for three years. Dante officially consults as a legal expert scholar and witness concerning matters regarding race and racism. Dante was recently instrumental in codifying new law in California (see People v. Finley, 2023).

His academic disciplines include Afro-Realism; Critical Race Studies; African American Studies; Whiteness Studies; Anti-Blackness; American History; African American Studies; African American History; and the ways that they have shaped American culture and institutions.

Dante’s continued research interests include examinations of race, racism, and legality throughout colonial and post-colonial America, and their impacts on American culture and identity.

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Dante has guest lectured at Clark College (Vancouver, Washington), Bellevue College (Bellevue, Washington), and Skyline College (San Bruno, California), and Green River College (Green River, Washington). Dante is a member of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP); National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME); Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH); and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE). 

Dante is a historian, scholar, public motivational speaker, thought-leader, facilitator, and coach. He has worked and consulted for more than 15-years as a human resource management professional specializing in executive leadership development, coaching, and the implementation of anti-racism organizational development frameworks, strategies, and practices. 

In 2018, Dante partnered with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to develop and enact the City and County of San Francisco's Racial Equity Ordinance, which led to the first-ever citywide Office of Racial Equity (2019).

Dante was previously the Deputy Director for the Department of Public Health Office of Health Equity, in San Francisco, one of the largest public health organizations in the country with more than 8,000 employees. He led and directed the development and implementation of the department's Racial Equity Action Plan, which focused on improving both workforce and health equity outcomes. He also led the development and implementation of several highly impactful antiracism and racial equity policies and programs (i.e., Antiracism Recruitment and Hiring Policy, Healing Time Off, Respect in the Workplace, etc.). One of his most significant accomplishments, while at the SFDPH, was the implementation of the department's first ever Antiracism and Racial Equity Leaders Fellowship, a 12-week cohort which included more than 50 executive and senior leaders. 

Prior to assuming this role, Dante was the Director of Race, Equity, and Inclusion at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), one of the largest municipal transportation agencies in the country, with more than 6,000 employees. He led and directed the design, development, and implementation of the agency's first-ever Racial Equity Action Plan, focused on improving workforce outcomes. He also collaborated with his peers on the executive leadership team, which included the Human Resources Director, to develop and enact policies and programs which directly targeted racial disparities and disproportionate organizational outcomes.

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While working as a senior Human Resources Manager at the City and County of San Francisco (2016-2019), Dante designed and implemented a citywide anti-racism and bias training, Creating and Inclusive Environment: An Introduction to Implicit Bias. More than 20,000 city employees have received this training to date. Dante also managed and led the team of learning partners and training professionals who delivered the training to all employees and members of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). As a part of this project Dante provided consistent feedback and hands-on guidance and direction to the SFPD executive leadership team.

In early 2020, a confidential email written to SFPD Chief Bill Scott, appeared in the San Francisco Examiner. The email to Chief Scott highlighted the depth of anti-Black bias and racism Dante and his team experienced from many members of the SFPD, during the three years they provided training to the department. The feedback Dante provided to Chief Scott, led to Dante presenting his findings to the San Francisco Police Commission, as well as systemic programmatic and policy-oriented changes throughout the department.

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In addition, Dante King founded the Black Employees Alliance (B.E.A), in 2019. The B.E.A consistently partnered with San Francisco Leadership (Mayor London N. Breed, S.F. Board of Supervisor President Shamann Walton, Hillary Ronen, Matt Haney, and Sandra Fewer), as well as department heads and senior leaders, to highlight and combat racial inequities and disparities. The group's advocacy was in direct response to racial disparities concerning Black employees across all departments, in the areas of recruitment and hiring, pay and promotions, recognition, and discipline and terminations.

Additionally, the Black Employees Alliance was instrumental in compelling and influencing Mayor Breed's appointment of Dr. William Gould IV, whose firm investigated the city's employment practices, issuing a comprehensive summary of findings and recommendations. The B.E.A partnered with Mr. Gould and his colleagues to produce information and data that led to many of the findings.

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In addition to Dante's Human Resources Management experience, and public service, he has taught courses for Stanford Medical School, Johns Hopkins, UCSF, and the Mayo Clinic. Dante currently teaches an accredited course through UCSF called, Understanding the Roots of Racism and Bias: Antiblackness and Its Links to Whiteness, White Racism, Privilege, and Power. As guest faculty at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, he lectured a two-part course called, The Roots and Lingering Effects of White Supremacy and Anti-Blackness in American Culture and Institutions. Most recently, Dante developed an additional course called, Developing Antiracism Leadership Competencies to Achieve Inclusive Practices and Health Equity, a collaboration with special guest and co-lecturer, Dr. Robin DiAngelo, author of the books White Fragility and Nice Racism. Dante and Robin have also partnered to produce the Unlearning Anti-Blackness, White Supremacy, and Racism in American Culture and Institutions Leaders Fellowship, a 16-week virtual fellowship program focused on training, coaching, and mentoring leaders who directly influence and impact change at their organizations.

Dante has consulted and collaborated with organizations in the areas of human resource management, antiracism policy and program development and implementation.  Some of the organizations Dante has worked with include the San Francisco Police Department; San Francisco Department of Police Accountability; California State Public Defender's Office; San Francisco Public Defender's Office; Johns Hopkins University; Stanford University School of Medicine; University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine; Wikimedia Foundation; The Athletic; Oakland Unified School District; UCSF Office of Diversity and Outreach; UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative; UCSF Alliance Health Project; California Prevention Training Center; and BATS Improv; to name a few.

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Dante has keynoted and presented at annual conferences, such as the 35th Annual National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education on  National Education Association's Annual Conference on Race and Social Justice (NEA), American Public Health Association (APHA), Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), Eikenberg Academy for Social Justice Soulwork Annual Conference, Brothers of the Desert Wellness Summit, Howard County Champions of Change Conference, Race Forward: Facing Race Annual Conference, California Prevention Training Center's Medical Mistrust Conference, Mayo Clinic Annual Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Antiracism Annual Enterprise Retreat NEA Minority and Women's Leadership Conference to Advance Racial and Social Justice​, Bemidji State University’s 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration, Rainier Educators of Color Equity National Conference 2023, 4th Annual Northwest Regional Equity Conference 2023, the 24th Annual White Privilege Conference, and many more.

Most recently, Dante was  featured in the San Francisco Sun Reporter’s 2022 Special Edition of the Talented 25. He has been featured on Legal Lens with Angela Reddock-Wright (KBLA 1580), CAPTC’s Coming Together for Sexual Health, BackTable Podcast, The Sisaundra Show, KPFA Radio Interview (B.H. Brilliant Minds Juneteenth Celebration), California Prevention Training Center Podcast, Intentional Conversations with Dr. Nika White, This Week In White Supremacy, The Dawn Stensland Show, recurring guest on the Joan Esposito Radio Show, KCBS, and the The Karen Hunter Show. Dante has also been a featured guest on the What Say U Podcast, hosted by Melannie Cunningham, All About Community with Robert L. Harris, Esq., KMOX The Show, Areva Martin In Real Time, and a host of other shows and media outlets.

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Awards and Future Endeavors

Amongst an array of many awards and recognition, most recently, in the summer of 2022, Dante was awarded 1st Place, by The Bookfest Awards, in the genre of Non-Fiction History for penning The 400-Year Holocaust. Dante also received the Dr. Huey P. Newton Trailblazer and Legacy Award, presented by B.H. Brilliant Minds, Inc., for his consistent leadership and advocacy on behalf of Black communities in Oakland and San Francisco, California, and abroad. In fall 2023, Dante was awarded the Carter Godwin Woodson Service Award by the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) for a commitment to correcting "deficiencies in American history where African American History and the history of other cultures is misrepresented, distorted, or ignored."  

Dante released his second publication, The 400-Year Holocaust: Toolkit and Workbook, in April 2023. It focuses on Organizational Change and Development; an introduction to antiracism policy development examples and skills practices, as well as antiracism leadership strategies and frameworks (i.e., Equity in the Center's Awake to Woke to Work, Dismantling Racism's Antiracism Organizational Change, etc.). Dante is also writing his third book publication, Diagnosing Whiteness & Anti-Blackness: White Psychopathology, Collective Psychosis, and Trauma in America.

Education

Dante holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in African American Studies, and a master’s degree in Education, from California State University, East Bay. He also possesses a Human Resources Management certification. Dante started doctoral work in Educational Leadership and Social Justice, with principal focuses in Critical Race Studies, including analyzing White supremacy and anti-blackness, and their cumulative affects on Black people, White people, and all American culture participants and subjects.

In spring 2024, Dante was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in Humanitarianism from the School of the Great Commission (SGC). The School of the Great Commission is accredited by the International Association for Quality Assurance in Pre-Tertiary and Higher Education, American Accrediting Association of Theological Institutions, World-Wide Accreditation of Christian Educational Institutions, and Southeastern Association of Bible Colleges.

Community Outreach and Volunteer Efforts

Dante is the Executive Director of Blackademics: Addressing Anti-Blackness Around the World, LLC. Blackademics is an educational and charitable non-profit, focused on educating students and families across race, about the legacy and persistence of White supremacy and Anti-Blackness in America, as well as worldwide. Dante is a board member for the B.H. Brilliant Minds Project, LLC, a local Bay Area, California, non-profit and charitable agency focused on bringing healing to African American people, through community service and outreach. He has served as a board member for the B.H. Brilliant Minds Project for over 15 years, while also serving the agency through education and book donations.

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Previously, Dante served as a board member for the Sexual Minority Alliance of Alameda County (SMAAC) Youth Center. During his tenure as a board member for more than four years, Dante focused SMAAC's mission and goal on serving underserved, unhoused, and unsheltered Black LGBTQ+ youth. In addition, Dante mentored and tutored many youths during his time at SMAAC. Dante has also helped organizations like AMASSI and the AIDS Project of the East Bay with their sexual health outreach efforts.

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While in high school, Dante joined the AmeriCorps program created by President Bill Clinton. During his time with AmeriCorps, Dante was employed at the East Lake YMCA in East Oakland, where he worked as a youth outreach worker, mentor, and tutor under Margaret Wimberly's supervision.

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Shortly after high school, Dante became involved with a non-profit which was housed at the Allen Temple Church in East Oakland. This opportunity allowed him to tutor at his old elementary school, Daniel Webster. These experiences were crucial in shaping Dante's future as a leader, educator, and public servant.

Dante previously attended the Center of Hope Community Church, where he helped people from the unsheltered and unhoused community. This experience led Dante to collaborate with friends and family in proactively purchasing food, water, and toiletries to deliver directly to people throughout these communities.

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In 2016, Dante became involved with The Village, a prison outreach program that catered to helping Black men in prison. Dante began reaching out and connecting with prison inmates. His goal was to provide guidance, aid, and comfort. Dante became deeply involved with these efforts, and has donated, to date, more than $100k in resources to over 15 men. Donations have included loading monies onto JPay and Connect Network accounts to ensure inmates can write letters to, as well as call their families; ordering thousands of dollars of Secure Paks; as well as driving to see and visit inmates in prison both in northern and southern California. Additionally, Dante has written several early release letters to support early prison releases for reformed prison inmates. Dante has been successful in helping two men access early parole releases.

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Dante's drive and ambition, which aim to authentically uplift and help others, have fueled his long history of public service, allowing him to attract and sustain many meaningful and long-lasting relationships.

Websites:

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www.danteking.com

www.the400yearholocausttoolkit.com

www.the400yearholocaust.com

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Social media – find me on:

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Facebook - @dantekingofficial

Instagram - @dantedkingofficial

Twitter – @danteking2020

LinkedIn @dante-d-king-edibbayarea