The NAIS People of Color Conference

History and Impact

For nearly 40 years, the People of Color Conference (PoCC) left an enduring mark on the National Association of Independent Schools and the broader independent school community. More than a convening, PoCC became a defining expression of NAIS’s values and leadership—an enduring investment in the people, relationships, and conversations that helped reshape how independent schools understand community, leadership, and belonging. Born of a clear and urgent need, PoCC provided a vital gathering place where educators of color could come together in courage and trust, share lived experience, and strengthen their professional practice in ways that reverberated far beyond the conference itself.

Founded in 1986 as the National Conference for Teachers and Administrators of Color in Independent Schools, the first gathering was held in Reston, Virginia, and drew 200 educators from 25 states. It marked a historic moment of collective visibility and affirmation and quickly became a professional and communal home for faculty and staff of color. As its reach and influence expanded, the conference came to be known as the NAIS People of Color Conference, reflecting both its purpose and its growing significance within the field.

From its beginning, PoCC was both a sanctuary and a catalyst, intentionally shaped by NAIS leaders who knew that this work must be central to the life of independent schools. Under the vision and stewardship of leaders like Randolph Carter, Gene Batiste, and Caroline Blackwell, it created space for educators of color to share their experiences openly and to build community rooted in trust and affirmation. At the same time, it served as a vital learning environment for members of the broader school community committed to advancing more inclusive, equitable, and just independent school communities.

PoCC became a touchstone for generations of educators, reflecting a belief that voices from beyond the education sector were essential to this work. Attendees were inspired by keynote addresses from trailblazers such as Academy Award winner Sidney Poitier, baseball legend Hank Aaron, and John Lewis, a titan of the Civil Rights Movement, alongside hundreds of educators and practitioners leading change from within schools. Through seminars, master classes, and more than 100 workshops each year, the conference addressed identity, leadership, pedagogy, governance, school culture, and systemic change—always grounded in the realities of independent school life. Teachers, administrators, counselors, trustees, and heads of school found programming that spoke directly to their roles and responsibilities and their capacity to lead with integrity and purpose.

The conference’s impact extended far beyond the days of the event itself. Participants returned to their schools with new language, sharper tools, deeper confidence, and renewed purpose. Many credit PoCC with sustaining them in the profession, shaping their leadership journeys, and expanding what they believed was possible for themselves and their institutions. Long before conversations about equity and belonging became widespread, PoCC helped set the direction for the field.

In 1993, NAIS expanded this work by launching the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) as a parallel event held in the same host city, reinforcing the connection between adult leadership and student experience. Over the decades, PoCC and SDLC traveled across the country, grounding national conversations in local contexts. In 2006, the NAIS Board formally reaffirmed the conference’s purpose and mission. Over time, PoCC celebrated important milestones, including its 30th anniversary in 2017, and built new programming, including the inaugural PoCC Heads’ Summit in San Antonio in 2022.

Even amid disruption, PoCC endured—guided by a deep sense of responsibility to the communities it touched. After Hurricane Georges in 1998, PoCC was held in Puerto Rico just weeks after the devastation as a visible act of economic support, with attendees arriving not knowing whether facilities would be ready. Following Hurricane Katrina, the conference in New Orleans similarly became a platform for active community engagement, as participants connected learning with service and bore witness to the resilience of the local community. In these moments, PoCC reflected its belief that presence, partnership, and action matter. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference continued in virtual formats in 2020 and 2021, sustaining connection and community at a time when it was most needed. From an inaugural gathering of 200 educators in 1986 to a final convening of more than 6,000, PoCC’s growth reflected not only its success, but the depth of its purpose and the community it sustained.

An Enduring Legacy

While the conference itself has come to a close, its influence continues—woven into the people, practices, and values that define independent education today. It’s carried forward through the educators it affirmed, the leaders it cultivated, and the schools it helped transform into more inclusive and affirming communities. 

PoCC also informs and inspires the new NAIS conference experience launched in 2026, Gather, a convening for renewal and growth, belonging, and impact.

For nearly 40 years, PoCC shaped how independent schools understand leadership, identity, and community, and it remains a foundational chapter in the history of NAIS—one the association was honored to steward and advance on behalf of the sector.

PoCC City Locations Through the Years

  • 1986: Reston, Virginia
  • 1989: Philadelphia
  • 1990: Los Angeles
  • 1991: New York City
  • 1992: Atlanta
  • 1993: St. Paul, Minnesota
  • 1994: Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • 1995: Philadelphia
  • 1996: Baltimore
  • 1997: St. Louis
  • 1998: San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • 1999: San Francisco
  • 2000: Nashville
  • 2001: Providence
  • 2002: Chicago
  • 2003: Honolulu
  • 2004: Miami
  • 2005: Dallas
  • 2006: Seattle
  • 2007: Boston
  • 2008: New Orleans
  • 2009: Denver
  • 2010: San Diego
  • 2011: Philadelphia
  • 2012: Houston
  • 2013: Washington, DC
  • 2014: Indianapolis
  • 2015: Tampa
  • 2016: Atlanta
  • 2017: Anaheim
  • 2018: Nashville
  • 2019: Seattle
  • 2020: Baltimore (held virtually)
  • 2021: Virtual
  • 2022: San Antonio
  • 2023: St. Louis
  • 2024: Denver