We Need More Black Teachers

We have to make teaching more appealing to Black men. I don't want to overgeneralize, but I think the main reason that so many Black men are not interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers is that they are being told from a young age that these fields are only for white people. It is especially true in the engineering and computer science fields. Black boys hear that their role in society is to be servants. We get reminded that we should go to college and get a degree in something that will help us find a job.

How we get, there is something I grapple with daily. The situation is dire. We need more Black male teachers. We have to do better. The following article is part of an ongoing series on the state of Black men in America. You can read other articles in this series here. If you are a Black man, you probably know how difficult it is to be a teacher. And that's just in your community. Outside of your community, the reality is much worse. There are not enough Black men teaching, period. Black men are underrepresented at every level of education.

Black men make up only 1.7% of teachers nationwide. Black male teachers are more than disciplinarians. They're mentors and role models. They're the ones who make a difference, both in and out of the classroom. That's why it's so disheartening to hear about how black men get treated by their superiors. We have to be tough, resilient, and nurturing at the same time.

Moreover, we have to be able to teach in a way that is engaging and motivating for students while at the same time being professional and courteous. We are often responsible for our student's academic success or failure, and we often have to take care of the well-being of the students who need us most. I have been teaching for the past 13 years and have learned many things about myself and the world of education. One of my biggest lessons is that every teacher has a story.

Research supports that if Black students have a Black male teacher by the 3rd grade increases their chances of going to college. Boys with a Black male teacher tend to be more confident in themselves and their abilities. Many choose other careers, even with funding to create a Black male teacher pipeline.?

In the summer of 2011, a group of black high school students in Boston decided to take matters into their own hands. The boys decided to launch a program called "The Black Male Teacher Pipeline Project" (BMTPP) to mentor and support black male college graduates interested in teaching. The BMTPP website states that the organization was founded by three Harvard University alumni who are "dedicated to creating positive, lasting change for African Americans through educational equity, opportunity, and achievement."

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