Project Description

Black.Man.Teach

Black.Man.Teach.

Currently, black males represent less than 2% of our nation’s teacher workforce. Our young brothers and sisters, our children, our schools, our communities, and our country need more black male teachers. To increase these numbers we must explore, examine, and confront all of the current and historical social and political forces at work that have led to this troubling scarcity. We must also look to those remarkable and courageous brothers who make up the 2% for guidance. We must encourage them. We must support them. We must challenge them to get better. To teach with passion. To teach with rigor. To teach with joy. We must celebrate them. We must appreciate their unique paths, their journeys, their failures, their struggles, and their triumphs.

We must heed their advice and understand their motivations and inspirations, so that we in turn can motivate and inspire others to join this movement. We must learn why they teach.

Black.Man.Teach. seeks to share the stories of that valiant 2%, working on behalf of our children.

Ultimately, these stories should help galvanize us towards appropriate action large-scale improvements in the recruitment, training, support, development, recognition, and celebration of black, male teachers.

If you would like to be featured, or know somebody that would like to be featured, please contact me at jabalisawicki@gmail.com.

Please share with others and let’s continue to build this movement.

Each one. Teach one. Black.Man.Teach.

Ryan DeRousselle
blackmanteach:

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.”

Reggie Farmer
blackmanteach:

Reggie Farmer
“For as long as I can remember I have loved kids. Growing up, I was always the person that made sure the kids were alright. When we picked teams, I was the captain who made sure every kid got picked, even the ones who weren’t very good. As I got older and chased my dreams as a professional athlete, it was always with the kids in mind. I wanted to build a large center with the latest and greatest “stuff”, a place where the kids in the neighborhood could attend, FREE of charge, and have a fun, safe place to hang out and learn.

Once the dream of superstardom as an athlete was no longer a reality, I chose to teach so that I could help students by being a positive male influence in their lives. It is something I do with the utmost respect and pride for the profession. I know how important my actions and the words that come out of my mouth are to my students and how influential I can be in their lives.”

Rodney Ray
blackmanteach

Rodney Ray
“I started teaching because I believe that education is the “great equalizer.” I believe that education is the key to a better life. No matter where you come from, you are able to use education to improve yourself and your circumstances. I wanted to show our youth that you can start out life with humble beginnings but with hard work and a good education, you can live the American dream.”

Angelo Cross
blackmanteach:

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.”

Timmy Jones
blackmanteach:

Timmy Jones
“I teach because I love. I love the youth in my community and I have a strong desire to see them become successful and productive. I initially wanted to be a social worker but in my efforts learned that I was reaching kids too late. I was asked to give education a try and 19 years later I am still here. When the light turns on for just one student each day, I celebrate my efforts. If each one who can reach one just teaches one, our world will be a better place. I teach because it’s a necessity. Our youth deserve to share the experiences of their ancestors, and a chance to create opportunities for themselves and for those who will follow them. Some day, the youth will have to guide me, and I pray that I can influence the success they achieve.”

Richard Atkins
blackmanteach:

Richard Atkins
“I think it’s an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to teach a population of students that look like me and come from similar places as I do. I take pride in holding myself to a high standard in everything I do because I know that my students will only benefit from the experiences I share and my belief that the “impossible” is achievable if you put your mind to it and work hard. I teach because I believe that teaching is a form of art that should be perfected for the sole purpose of educating the youth and cultivating the minds of the leaders of tomorrow. When I look back on my life 50 years from now, I will be proud to say I dedicated my life to enlightening the youth of urban America.”

Charles Reed
blackmanteach:

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.”

John Burnett
blackmanteach:

John Burnett
“I teach for the fatherless boy, the boy who never knew his father. I teach for the young man whose mother is shouldering the immense load of raising him on her own. If she needs my help, I am fully committed. I will be there. I teach, because they are like me. In fact, they are me when I was much younger. Young black boys need a steadfast advocate who will always support their best interests and that’s what I will do.

I was driven to do this incredibly important work to instill the character, wisdom, and confidence that I have learned make a man, a man. I plan to be the shoulders that they stand on to advance black men. When they have the intuition that urges them to reach back and pull up more of their own, it will be because of the many conversations I’ve had with them. I teach to hand them the books that I should have read when I was their age the books that will forever change how they proceed through the world. I exist to show them that boundaries are only but figments of their imagination. I teach to show them if they want to be a neurosurgeon it’s possible if they want to be an architect, it’s been done by others who look like them I teach so that they know the skin they wear is powerful. That’s why I teach…”

Korby Wesley
blackmanteach:

Korby Wesley
“The other day I had a conversation with one of my students about the importance of completing classwork and always putting forth your best effort. In the middle of the conversation he began to sob, a behavior I had never seen from this particular scholar. Once I was able to calm him down, I asked what was bothering him so much. He explained that his father was in jail and that it has been hard for him to stay focused or motivated to do anything. It was at that moment that I realized the reason why I teach. I teach because there is an abundance of young Black students who lack a positive male role-model in their life. I was blessed to be raised by both of my parents and have the essential values instilled in me. As a result, I have been properly prepared and set up for success in life. Therefore, I believe it has been my calling to infuse as much positivity into these children as possible. I strive to motivate and inspire my scholars to look beyond their unfortunate situations in life and plan for a better future. Having a Black man in their life that cares about them and helps them every day is a necessary stepping-stone to raise self-esteem and take our children to a higher level. I may not have any biological children, but I have been blessed to care for 30 each day.”

Jimmy Jenkins Jr.
blackmanteach:

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.”

Jacobi Clifton
blackmanteach:

Jacobi Clifton
“Growing up, education was one of the two things my mother instilled in my siblings and me. She let us know that if we got an education we could be and do whatever we wanted to. I was so blessed to have that support system as early as I could remember and that is why I am a teacher! I am here to awaken that since of purpose in my students and to teach them that if they get their education they can do or be whatever it is they want to be. Malcolm X said, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today” and this is something to which I hold every one of my students accountable, DAILY. I am the flame igniting the fire within them to chase their dreams. It started with my mother and all my amazing teachers who drove me toward success and now I’m taking all they’ve given me and am imparting it to my students. Knowing the task at hand drives me to give every ounce of who I am to this work because I have the responsibility of giving young minds the exact same opportunities I was afforded.”

David Wallace
blackmanteach:

David Wallace
“There once was a time when the majority of my teachers were white or black women with the exception of the P.E. teacher who was typically a white male. This made me question my very existence. The two things I was sure of were that I am African American, and I am a male. Separating the two would be like having the yin without the yang. The two forces are interconnected, and give rise to each other. For me, being African American and male are interdependent and interrelated to each other. I didn’t understand this as a child, but as I grew into an adult my understanding of the “African American male identity” grew into perspective.

This perspective took me by surprise the summer of my junior year in college. I interned for Breakthrough New York as a Geometry and Biology teacher, and there I realized my identity and purpose in life became evident. One day, as I was collecting the students’ homework, I noticed that one of the assignments did not have a name on it. So I asked, “Who forgot to put their name on their homework?” The class responded “Shane! He always forgets to put his name on his work!” As I handed Shane his paper, he snatched the paper, put in on his notebook, and then snapped.

Shane picked up his three-inch binder and threw it at me. The binder hit me right in the chest as he uttered profanity, and screamed, “I’m so sick of this!” Shane stormed out of the classroom in tears once he realized what he had done. I called for someone to cover my class as I chased after Shane, wondering what the cause of this sudden outburst was. At that moment I realized that Shane was having a difficult time respecting me as an African American male because he was trying so hard to remove himself from that very identity. He was used to African American males soliciting him to join gangs or sell drugs back at home. He was also fatherless and had no positive male figure to look up to. He wanted to erase the very part of him that I was simultaneously discovering to be a driving force in my decision to be an educator.

Fast forward into my third year of teaching and I realize that I am an African American male who is breaking the stigma of African American males in this country. I am working to ensure that my children are not only exposed to the typically negative media portrayals of black males, but also to positive and productive images of African American males who are responsible, intelligent, goal driven, and working to change the world, one scholar at a time. In my classroom, I bring fatherly love that I lacked growing up. The words of my students, “I wish you were my father,” and “Can you adopt me as your daughter?” are sentiments that continuously affirm that I made the right decision. I am an African American male, who has found his very own existence in life.”

Renee Antoine
blackmanteach:

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.”

Richard Robinson
blackmanteach:

Richard Robinson
“I teach, in large part, because I’m still a student. Through each interaction, each lesson plan administered, “each off the wall” question fielded, I learn something new. I resonate with all the students I’ve ever taught, however, I see myself reflected in every young brother of color I have ever shared words with. Few things are more rewarding than witnessing that “a-ha!” moment. The scene where a student accomplishes something they before thought impossible or never even fathomed. I teach because I was taught with compassion, care and dedication. I remember the names of every teacher that I ever had on a regular basis. They each offered me something that I still carry with me today, especially those that looked like me.

Finally, I teach because I recognize myself as a role model. Whether or not I accept the role matters little to reality that I am one. Youth always look to their elders (in this case “elder” meaning a person just years older) for indications of how things are done. They literally watch us, so I teach in a sense to model style, substance, and behavior. The example I embody will likely outlast any lesson I offer. To quote James Baldwin “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” This is why I teach.”

Shawn Sprewer
blackmanteach:

Shawn Sprewer
“My three school-age children continue to be my driving force in impacting education in my community. This ultimately resulted in my career change from Corporate America to my passion, education. Simply put, Milwaukee is one of the worst places to live as an African-American, especially for black males. Having barely graduated high school and having worked hard as hell to get to and through college, I refused to allow other young black males to struggle as I did to attain success. Therefore, I got actively engaged and went to work hands on with young people and positively impact education in Milwaukee. With all of the variables we face in our community, education is a way out and a way for more opportunity.

The problem is our options for quality education our slim in our city. So, I am a parent and educator fighting for high quality opportunities and outcomes for my babies and for all parents, especially minority families. I am also here to help give those directly affected by our decisions, our youth, opportunity and a voice in their educational goals and outcomes. In our city’s current climate we continue to limit our children’s potential to maximize cash flow, self-interests, and market share. I am determined to change that.

My goal is to create shifts in the paradigm and put things into perspective, as well as create a pipeline of young people to become active in education in our city. I am part of the future of black leadership in education and in Ed-Reform. All in all, I want to help Milwaukee develop a focused vision of bringing balance to our broken system of education. I want young people to maximize their potential, be engaged, and have a voice. This is how we will begin to eliminate the structural barriers we face and develop our next generation of youth to lead Milwaukee and serve as positive examples for our babies to follow.”

Gary Briggs
blackmanteach:

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.”

Paul Sweat
blackmanteach:

Paul Sweat
“I decided to become a teacher in order to fill the void of male teachers in the classroom, and the lack of positive male role models for today’s urban youth.

Growing up, besides physical education, I did not have a male classroom teacher until I reached the 8th grade, and a total of two male teachers by the time I graduated high school. The youth of today do not have many male role models besides actors, athletes, and musicians, all of whom they may never know on a personal level. Growing up in East Orange, I have seen the types of individuals that our youth see and emulate on a daily basis. By being in the classroom, I get to change the perception of success that has been embedded into our future by the males in, or not in, their lives. In short, I became a teacher to help better our future!”

Dashun Beck
blackmanteach:

Dashun Beck
“I am a single, black man with no children, and no commitments or responsibilities to another on this earth. Over two years ago I received a call from a social worker in regards to my five and six year old cousins. I was asked to take custody of them for six months because of some issues their mother was struggling with. She’s still struggling with the same issues, and now the courts have granted me legal guardianship of the two until they are 18 years old. In the two years I have had them in my custody, I have had first hand experience with their struggles and their pain due to the choices of a neglectful mother.

When I graduated high school and went on to college my pursuit was for a degree in elementary education but I ventured off into another field.

I have been slowly, but I believe divinely, led into this path where I am working with children because of my work with my own cousins. I have worked as a mentor and I’ve taught in schools. The fulfillment I receive working with children is like no other. I currently work in private school serving predominantly black children. It is a Christian school that teaches and abides by the Word of God. I love children tremendously and that feeling of helping them get to their next place in life. I’ve become aware of some of the issues of the children I work with, and I become so excited knowing just the little time I spend with them, if it’s from disciplining to encouraging, helping, teaching or just listening to them, makes a world of difference in their lives.

I love the pureness of children, their honesty, their outlook on life and their willingness to love and be happy. Just as I teach them, they teach me in ways on how to approach challenges and obstacles in my own life. You have to be adaptable and flexible. Some struggles cause you to have to be creative in a resolution. I simply teach because I love to help people and I know I can make a difference in someone’s life. God gave me the desire to want to help and I take the desire and honor Him by doing it, therefore creating a harvest of blessing that everyone will benefit from.”

Radale Falana
blackmanteach:

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.”

Black.Man.Teach

I decided to become a teacher in order to fill the void of male teachers in the classroom, and the lack of positive male role models for today’s urban youth
Paul Sweat, Black.Man.Teach
I teach to inspire that unrelenting pursuit of knowledge –the kind of curiosity that fosters change!
Gary Briggs, Black.Man.Teach
I love the pureness of children, their honesty, their outlook on life and their willingness to love and be happy. !
Dashun Beck, Black.Man.Teach
I want young people to maximize their potential, be engaged, and have a voice.
Shawn Sprewer, Black.Man.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).
Jimmy Jenkins, Jr., Black.Man.Teach
I teach to show them if they want to be a neurosurgeon it’s possible if they want to be an architect, it’s been done by others who look like them I teach so that they know the skin they wear is powerful. That’s why I teach…
John Burnett, Black.Man.Teach