Leadership

Autumn A. Arnett is a fierce advocate for Black and Brown children, in whatever environment they may find themselves. Her work primarily focuses on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in education, and her professional background includes a mix of research, advocacy, and communications.  

A self-described “former gifted kid,” Autumn is the author of “Let’s Stop Calling it an Achievement Gap,” and “Radical Ideas for Educating Black Children,” a workbook for educators looking to dive deeper into their antiracist journey. She is a frequent speaker on topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion in K-12 and higher education, and one of her personal and professional mantras is, “In a world full of labels, give my children and those who look like mine the label of ‘gifted.’” Autumn is a professional member of Education Leaders of Color and the American Consortium for Equity in Education. She serves as an advisor on the Great Schools Research Advisory Committee and has previously served on the Pflugerville Independent School District’s Gifted and Talented Advisory Committee. 

Autumn is excited to take on the role of the first executive director of The Brilliance, Excellence and Equity in Education Project (The BEE Project). Founded as thinkLaw’s nonprofit arm in 2021, The BEE Project is redefining who qualifies as gifted and who gets to teach gifted children by inspiring, training, and certifying Black and Latinx educators to equitably design and lead gifted programs. These programs identify and meet the unique needs of brilliant Black and Latinx children and their families who have been overlooked and underestimated by our current system. 

Autumn is a contributor to Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, The Grio and her byline has also appeared in The Atlantic, Complex Magazine and several other national and local publications.