Matthew R. Kay is a proud product of Philadelphia's public schools and a founding teacher at Science Leadership Academy. He is also the founder and co-director of Philly Slam League, a nonprofit organization that shows young people the power of their voices through weekly spoken word competitions and workshops.

Kay is the author of the bestselling Not Light, but Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom, as well as the co-author of We're Gonna Keep on Talking: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Elementary Classroom and Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Middle and High School ELA.