Dr. Amir Whitaker
Founder and director, Project KnuckleHead
Dr. Amir Whitaker is an educator, author, human rights lawyer, and artist. He is the founder and director of Project KnuckleHead, a nonprofit organization empowering youth through music, art, and educational programs since 2012.
Often referred to as “Dr. KnuckleHead,” Dr. Whitaker was introduced to the criminal justice system as a child when he visited both his mother and father in prison. At age 15, he was arrested and entered the juvenile justice system. Problems at school eventually led to him being expelled. Despite these hardships, he went on to complete five college degrees. As a lawyer referred to as a “civil rights and education stalwart” by the Daytona Times, Dr. Whitaker has negotiated settlements and policy changes that have improved the lives of youth across the country. He worked for the ACLU of Southern California for eight years from 2017-2025. Dr. Whitaker has taught varying grade levels and in different educational settings for over a decade, and has held teaching certifications in Florida, California, and New Jersey. He has written for publications like TIME Magazine and Washington Post. Dr. Whitaker's autobiography, “The KnuckleHead’s Guide to Escaping the Trap” has been featured on ABC News and in The New Yorker. As an artist, Dr. Whitaker has collaborated with musicians around the world while studying and teaching styles of music and dance of the Afro diaspora. His art has been displayed in galleries, libraries, and billboards around the world. He is the co-founder of Afro Unidad, a Black cultural kinship movement with 50+ ambassadors across 14 countries. He received his doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California, juris doctorate from the University of Miami, and his bachelors from Rutgers University.
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