Shauna Knox

Shauna Knox is a curriculum theorist, decolonial scholar, and thought leader whose work focuses on the intersection of education, Black humanities, and technology. Knox completed her EdD at The George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development. While studying abroad in South Africa, she developed an interest in education, observing how race and socioeconomic status contributed to disparities in educational quality—a concern that influenced her master's and doctoral research. Knox was accepted into former President Barack Obama's inaugural class of interns and later participated in Teach for America to gain firsthand experience with the U.S. educational system.

Knox has contributed to the field of curriculum studies through her scholarly work. She has released two monographs with Routledge Press, which are used in the training of curriculum theorists pursuing doctoral degrees in education and human development. Her first book, "Engaging Currere Toward Decolonization: Negotiating Black Womanhood through Autobiographical Analysis," received Honorable Mention for Book of the Year from the American Education Research Association. This volume illustrates how currere can be applied to the process of decolonizing subjectivity, focusing on the experiences of a Black woman from the third world and detailing the theoretical underpinnings of Currere toward Decolonizing (CTD). Her second book, "The Black Subaltern: An Intimate Witnessing," combines autobiographical vignettes with theoretical reflection, providing material for students and researchers in Black studies, diaspora studies, anthropology, sociology, geopolitics, development, and philosophy.

In addition to her academic writing, Knox has held roles in public service and institutional leadership. She served a six-year tenure at the U.S. Department of Education, where she received a Breakthrough Award for her work on the steering committee tasked with upskilling the department following the eighth reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. She also served as the department-wide designated subject matter expert for human trafficking and child labor exploitation. Knox has held positions as senior vice president of the National Black Child Development Institute, co-chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum for People of African Descent Civil Working Group, and board member for Maryland Humanities. She was selected as keynote speaker for the Bergamo–Journal of Curriculum Theorizing Conference.

Knox is founder and CEO of The Emancipation Group, an EdTech product development center. The organization designs tools, builds coalitions, and drives policy change that centers Black children as creators, owners, and leaders, with work spanning product development, curriculum design, and systems transformation. Among its initiatives is "The Emancipation Game," a math game designed for students who are disengaged from math, using global Black history to inspire inquiry, strategy, and critical thinking. Knox's work bridges theory and practice, influencing how educators, policymakers, and technologists approach equity, identity, and the future of learning.