There is no secret that Black students are subjected to some of the worst school funding formulas, least experienced teachers, and least rigorous courses. Black students are over-policed, subjected to the harshest discipline, and...
My first day in the classroom is one I’ll never forget. I was given a room of curious sophomore students — 43 of them. I could feel the lump in my throat and every drop of sweat on my body. I was used to public speaking...
Over the years, I have written ten books and about fifty articles and blog posts for educators. This is by far the shortest, but probably the most important piece that I have ever written. Black men comprise between 1.2 to...
In the current, at times, toxic educational debates, cancel culture is rampant. But, there is room, space, and precedence for cordial debates, fierce and persistent differences in outlooks and strategies, yet solidarity in the...
When it comes to Black male teachers, the question shouldn’t be, “Do we need to hire more?” We know Black teachers, both men and women, are vital; they are particularly critical to the education of Black and...
One of the main pillars of the Center for Black Educator Development is professional learning, coaching, and mentoring teachers, with an emphasis on early career Black teachers. Teachers are the most important in school factor...
We have just recorded our 30th episode of the 8 Black Hands podcast. Time really flies and it has been an exciting ride. The 30th episode was particularly special because we were at the 49th annual Congressional Black Caucus...
There is always much talk about integration, segregation, and desegregation. There is less talk of the power Black families hold and a blueprint Black parents can use to make demands that create seismic shifts for what they...
The show was going really well. We were in Pittsburgh, taping a live 8 Black Hands podcast episode at the State of Black Learning Conference, and we were just wrapping up the Q&A. Then, a White woman stood up and...
Gloria Ladson-Billings remembers that there was a difference between the black and white teachers she had growing up in Philadelphia. African-American teachers could give the students “the talk,” she recalls, referring to...
