Republic file photo Kimberly Easton, who is originally from Columbus, was photographed when named the new director of multicultural diversity at Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.
Kimberly Easton, known for her work in diversity, equity and inclusion as multi-cultural coordinator for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., has died.
BCSC and Easton’s family made the notification of her death Tuesday after local officials did a welfare check at the request of the family.
Easton, 56, was found dead in her home on Monday, said her sister Kelly Easton. The time and date of death is currently unknown.
Kelly was notified of her oldest sister’s death on Tuesday morning.
“This was a total surprise,” she said. “I mean, she wasn’t sick, or she didn’t have anything like COVID, or any symptoms, or anything like that,” she said.
The Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy will be conducted.
Kelly Easton expressed gratitude to all who have reached out to the Easton and Whitehead family during this time. Kimberly Easton is survived by her daughter, Lake Whitehead, and three grandchildren. Kelly added that her sister considered Jamie Jackson as a sort of stepson and was like a surrogate mother to him, as he lost his mother at a young age.
Easton, a former journalist who joined the school corporation in 2019, grew up in Columbus and graduated from Columbus North High School. She was a graduate of Liberty University and earned a master’s degree from Regent University. Before joining BCSC, she worked as an award-winning reporter and anchor at a number of stations around the country, including CBS Newsradio Chicago. According to school officials, she also founded KEI Connects, a strategic communications company. Easton was a long-time member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
“In her time here at BCSC, Kimberly was very passionate about her work,” said BCSC Director of Secondary Education Bill Jensen in a statement. “She accomplished a lot and clearly moved the district forward in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. She cared for all of our students, and especially our marginalized students.”
Superintendent Jim Roberts likewise said that Kimberly Easton was passionate about helping students and was “critical to their continued growth and development.”
According to school officials, her work included developing guiding teams for Diverse Curriculum, the Family Academic Achievement Network, Under-Represented Teacher Recruitment and Retention and Restorative Justice.
Denise Recarte, the director of BCSC’s English learning program, collaborated with Easton on the recruitment and retention initiative. She said that she will remember her friend and colleague for “how dedicated she was to making the world a better place and our district a better place.”
“She definitely made me a better person,” said Recarte.
Kelly said her sister had a positive impact on others, especially the students she interacted with.
“I think with some of the families, also, that she’s had a very positive impact on a lot of people in the community and around the school,” said Kelly.
Kimberly Easton’s work in the community included serving as an emcee for Foundation For Youth’s “Great Girls, Wonderful Women” event from 2019 to 2021. FFY Director Chuck Kime remembered Easton as a very professional host who could make people feel “comfortable and conversational” and connect with the presenter to help deliver a powerful message to young girls.
Kime called her a “voice of equity” and added, “She was a strong voice for women, and we will miss her.”
Head of the local NAACP chapter Pastor Johnnie Edwards offered condolences to Easton’s family on behalf of both himself and the organization and said she will be “greatly missed.”
Edwards worked with Easton on different initiatives such as addressing hate speech, bringing restorative justice for families, and educating the community.
He noted Easton’s “willingness to bring change for the youth of this community, especially the youth of color” and her determination to make sure that youth hurt by hate speech or negativity knew their value and worth. He said he will miss her work to promote change in the school district.
“She was one that I can say went against the grain,” he said. “When others wanted to remain silent, Kimberly wanted to make sure situations such as those were out in the open so the community could heal.”
Kimberly Easton once said in an interview that while it could be tiring to educate people about her culture, the “burden of representation” left her with two choices.
“I needed to realize I may be the only black person somebody may see, and I can either reinforce their belief system about African Americans, or I can change them,” said Easton. “I have one opportunity to do that. It’s a huge burden of representation when you’re always the only one, but it was something that God said, ‘This is your charge. This is what I’ve given you to do.’”
