Black.Man.Teach.

Ryan DeRousselle
“I teach to our fatherless generation because I am fatherless. As a child, I never knew what it felt like to be given any type of affirmation from a man. I want to be present so that the void that this hurt creates can be bandaged by a sense of hope, belief and love. I see myself in all of my underprivileged black students.

I see their struggle because I have been there. I see their hurt because I have experienced their pain. I attribute the majority of my success in life to a teacher that believed in me as a student. He instilled a sense of worth in my life that gave me the desire to build myself a future that was better than the present I was born into. I know and have experienced how a single man can change a child’s life because that child was me.

I refuse to be anything less than a man that instills this same sense of worth and hope into my students. I desire for my students to learn how to gain confidence, choose wisdom, and build character from my teachings, actions, and love. These students are a reminder of my past and I am a reminder of what their future could be. We make the path by walking.”

Angelo Cross
“I truly believe in the potential of people. I believe that a person can reach their fullest potential when they are exposed to the simple truth that they are in control of their thoughts, their choices, and their actions. This also means that they are ultimately in control of their own destiny. Every second is an opportunity for us to do something great. While it’s a simple truth, it’s the most powerful truth, and I believe that my role as an educator is to help individuals realize the control they have over their situations (regardless of how rough or challenging it may be) and to motivate them to take ownership and begin creating their own a path toward achieving their full potential.”

Charles Reed
“As a black man, I believe there is no one better to teach our youth than us. I want all young children to see themselves teaching someday, so I serve as a role-model and point of reference for them. As a man of faith, it’s my call in life to equip them for tomorrow. Teaching is what we as men do whether we know it or not. We teach both the good and the bad, but we all teach because we all have a sphere of influence. My heart is my life, and I work hard to help everyone see the light of Jesus in all I Do. So the investment of myself in these youth, is a small glimpse of the plans of God. It’s my true pleasure to be apart of this education ministry.”

Jimmy Jenkins Jr.
“My name is Jimmy Jenkins Jr. and I am an artist who teaches Art History at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, NY. I come from a family of educators, but ultimately that isn’t why I teach. I teach because I believe in something bigger and higher than me. You can call it God, being spiritual, the universe, the cosmos, or just life (seen and unseen). Well, what does that mean? To me, those things mean love and using that love for something that will make an impact and reverberate throughout someone else’s and my own life. I believe that you should want to make a positive difference on any level in this world and cause a chain reaction that will expand in all directions, like ripples from a stone being dropped in a lake.

Art History is really “Life History”, and the best thing ever is when I’m giving information in class and I see the looks of discovery on the students’ faces, especially from the ones who in the beginning of class, were only interested in a grade. I run into students all the time around Brooklyn and when they tell me how my class was their favorite, or how they learned so much and now see the world differently, or even how although many semesters have passed, they still think about the subject matter we discussed in class and show genuine excitement, it fills me with that love. They sometimes go on to describe moments when they were with friends or family and saw something, experienced something, or were a part of something that allowed them to spread that knowledge and how good it made them feel. Those are the ripples I’m talking about. It’s awesome. That is why I teach.”

Renee Antoine
“When I reflect upon my decision for going into education, many thoughts come to mind. Perhaps, one of my strongest reasons for becoming a teacher was due to my prior experience as a swimming instructor at a school in Newark, New Jersey. During that time I was required to meet the needs of my students by teaching them how to swim. This motivated me to develop unique ways to get students to succeed. I found that I enjoyed encouraging young minds to use specific strategies that would help them grow in a skill. Over time I witnessed the success of my students becoming great swimmers. I realized that their success was a result of my persistent encouragement and guidance. This experience helped me understand that working with students validates who I am as a teacher and as a person.

Initially working as a swimming instructor was just a job, but my continuous interaction with the children allowed me to understand how much of an impact I was making in their lives. Their constant smiles and engaging dialogue made me appreciate the efforts of teachers in the classroom. Consequently, I was convinced to go back to school and acquire my bachelor’s degree in Earth Science to delve into the classroom setting. Much like the experience as a swimming instructor, at first, I encountered many challenging obstacles as a classroom teacher. Nevertheless my passion for witnessing children succeed never wavered.

Children are natural mimics who embody the behavior of influences around them. Therefore, I knew that in order to get students to succeed I needed to demonstrate the strategies and work ethic that I expected of them. As a result, students started to buy into applying more effort in their work and remaining confident in their own abilities. I am fortunate for the experiences I have gained working with students, and I also appreciate my students teaching me how valuable I am as their teacher.”

Gary Briggs
“For the past three years, I have been known as “Mr. Briggs”, a title that doesn’t seem to fit the mold of a 25-year old man. In 2011, I began my post-collegiate career in the classrooms of New Orleans serving as a Teach for America corps member. During my first year, I was assigned to teach 5th and 6th grade Reading. Prior to this experience, I read about the achievement gap, but I never imagined the extraordinary amount of work required to close this educational chasm. Being a New Orleans native, I felt an obligation to return and contribute in a meaningful way, especially in post-Katrina New Orleans. My educational experience is unlike the students that I serve. I’m the product of both public and private schools, so I bring to my students an understanding of what is possible.

When I began teaching, the vast majority of my students were not reading on grade level. I was incensed that the system (the status quo) allowed my students to pass from grade to grade without the requisite skill set needed to succeed. I began to question parents, community leaders, former teachers, and anyone else who I thought was responsible for passing along to me students who were not prepared to receive the education that I wanted to give them. They were not yet ready for the challenging curriculum that 5th and 6th graders were being exposed to in places like the private school that I attended.

My mind quickly became transfixed on this notion of using the political/educational system to help right this wrong and to bring an end to a dire reality that pervades much of inner city New Orleans. Throughout the course of my three years in the classroom, I found myself balancing two distinct ideas: 1) how could I use my voice to affect a community outside of the classroom and 2) how could I inspire my students to think critically about their current condition. As a young person, I was always aware of the opportunities that I had been afforded. I often looked at my progress juxtaposed with that of my peers in public schools, and it inspired me to question who gets what in society and why.

One of the most rewarding things about teaching is watching the ways in which my students continue to persevere despite their circumstances, despite not having access to many resources. My students come to school everyday carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, but they eagerly enter class. They truly embody the value of courage, and it’s incredible to witness on a daily basis. I teach to inspire that unrelenting pursuit of knowledge –the kind of curiosity that fosters change. The type of change needed to transform communities, particularly communities like the ones my students come from. Having the incredible pleasure of exposing my students to new ideas through text is a responsibility that I hold dear. We’ve got a community to build. My students will play a constructive role in that building process. I won’t accept anything less.”

Radale Falana
“Growing up, there were very few positive male role models in the community and particularly those who represented what I aspired to be as a Black male. This was something very disappointing to me as a Black boy growing up in an urban city. It is this, that was and continues to be my driving force to not only be a Teacher, but also a role-model and cultivator of greatness in our community. I feel that it is my responsibility as a positive product of the inner-city, to ensure our Black boys make it…. that they succeed… that they become examples of greatness.”