The question how to ensure educational equity for an increasingly diverse student population has been a key question in international educational research (e.g. Zhang et al. 2014). Whole-school-approaches are seen as a key strategy for reducing social inequality and counteracting discrimination in schools in migration societies, as they aim to change institutional routines and procedures which contribute to the reproduction of inequalities (Brown 2004, Gomolla 2005). In many schools, teachers are actively working towards diversity-oriented and inclusive education and school development, some 'informally', some with an explicit mandate to promote diversity and inclusion (Arshad 2008, Grogan 2014, Gomolla, Schwendowius & Kollender 2016). The paper examines biographies and professional activism of teachers who are concerned with re-structuring schools and educational practice according to the needs of migration societies. The central interest is to discuss how professional activism of ‘diversity actors’ who demand structural change in their schools, is intertwined with their biographies. It is highlighted how professional activism is constructed biographically, how life experiences are interwoven with professionalization, and how these may become relevant in the process of making schools more inclusive. The paper draws on case studies from an explorative research project. They are based on biographical-narrative interviews with four teachers who are or have been active as coordinators for ‘intercultural’ and inclusive school development in in their respective schools. The interviews were interpreted according to biography analysis (Schütze 1984, Dausien 2006). The findings show that the way 'diversity actors’ in schools construct their role and their professional activities is deeply interlinked with biographical experiences and the reflection of these during the course of their professionalization. In the two cases presented, especially family experiences and legacies form significant biographical resources for the teachers’ professional self-constructions – yet, they become relevant in very different ways. Moreover, the analyses shed a light on how biographical professional activism is interlaced with institutional and structures and changes in¬¬¬¬ the respective school. With regard to the question on the role ‘diversity actors’ play in forming more inclusive schools, the analyses underline that professional activism for diversity is multifaceted and does not necessarily promote a school culture which is sensitive to discrimination. It can also become a 'figurehead' which may even protect schools from structural change.

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