“A lot of schools want Black Male Educators, but they don’t want to deal with what comes with a Black Male Educator,” said @teachman91 on Instagram on January 5, 2021. After sending this video to a few fellow Black Male Educators (BMEs), they shared how this video resonated with them.
- Ahmad, a K-5 teacher in Washington, DC with 2 years experience replied, “I agree with the fact that every school wants BMEs but for their own agenda. Which can hinder your career if you don’t fit that mold. Also the expectation of being a disciplinarian is a double edged sword as well because when someone doesn’t like the way you handle a situation you are now viewed as the angry black man that doesn’t nurture and develop students. It almost feels like being typecast in a movie.”
- David, a K-5 teacher in Atlanta, GA with 7 years experience replied “I definitely agree with his point on mentorship. It would have been great to have another black male teacher that I could connect with and go to for support.”
- Jonathan, a K-5 teacher in New Orleans, Louisiana with 3 years experience replied, “The reality is that schools exist as a space of trauma for a lot of black boys and coming back to teach as an adult often means coming back to a space of trauma. My first and second year of teaching (two different schools) was really hard because I didn’t fit how my school and admin felt that I should show up In the classroom. I felt pushed out because of it.”
In four major cities – Atlanta, DC, New Orleans, and Boston – Black Male Educators report similar experiences. These four men express a strong desire to experience belonging and mentorship, contribute positively and lead in their school communities. While we can’t change their school experience (at the moment), BMEsTalk has created a new professional learning space to meet their needs.
We are excited to announce the launch of our BMEsTalk Leadership Lab – a series of five (5) virtual workshops that offers Black Male Educators (BMEs) the rare opportunity to come together to learn how to design and lead equity-centered learning experiences for their students, parents, and fellow educators. The BMEsTalk Leadership Lab starts on Feb 24, 2021 and ends on May 19, 2021. Click here to secure your “All Access Package” for all 5 workshops. We figure it is our time to define the way we want to lead.
