Meet Dr. Edward C. Bush, Ph.D.

Dr. Edward C. Bush

Dr. Edward C. Bush is a nationally recognized educational leader, pioneering scholar, and unwavering advocate for the advancement of Black students across the globe. Since 2015, he has served as the President of Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, California—making history as the first African American president of the institution. Under his leadership, the college has become a statewide and national exemplar of racial equity, student-centered reform, and transformational leadership.

A visionary architect of educational justice, Dr. Bush is widely regarded as a national thought leader who challenges educators to reimagine systems, center Black excellence, and lead with vision, healing, and ancestral wisdom.

Dr. Bush also serves as the Chairperson of the All-African Diaspora Education Summit (ADES)—a groundbreaking international convening held annually in Ghana, West Africa. Through ADES, he has helped create a premier immersive professional learning experience connecting educators to African-centered pedagogies and cultural traditions that strengthen outcomes for Black students. Under his leadership, ADES has supported more than 600 educators and students traveling to Africa, engaging in cultural reconnection, ancestral dialogue, and liberatory learning practices.

As a scholar, Dr. Bush is a trailblazer in the field of African American male research. He is a co-author and co-theorist of African American Male Theory (AAMT)—the only theoretical framework specifically dedicated to the educational experiences of Black boys and men. He is also a founding contributor to the Sankofa Research Model, the first culturally grounded research methodology for studying Black male learners.

Grounded in this work, Dr. Bush is co-author of the book SANKOFA (RE)Search Model: (Re)membering, (Re)storing, and (Re)birthing Black Boys and Men, and his scholarship includes 12 peer-reviewed journal articles and numerous book chapters shaping national conversations on racial justice, institutional transformation, and equity in education.

In addition to his presidency and scholarship, Dr. Bush is a co-founder of A2MEND (African American Male Education Network and Development), a nonprofit organization led by Black community college administrators and faculty dedicated to transforming institutions through culturally responsive mentorship, student advocacy, and leadership development