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Black Male Teachers: Diversifying the United States’ Teacher Workforce, is the first book in the series, Advances in Race and Ethnicity in Education. The book represents a collective effort between research scholars, policy experts, and in-service Black Male Teachers. Through this book, we affirm the values of teacher preparation that we introduced in our call for chapters. Black Male Teachers is a book to provide Black male teachers with the resources to advance in the profession, teacher education programs with needed training materials to accommodate Black male students, and school district administrators with information to help recruit and retain Black male teachers. Each chapter features policy and practice recommendations and a case example to spur action and increase opportunities for discussion.

In an effort to diversify the nation’s teaching force, the U.S. Department of Education has initiated programs to increase teachers of color in U.S. schools, particularly Black male teachers in subject areas like mathematics. In that Black male mathematics teachers continue to be under researched, particularly in urban school contexts, it was critical that their cases were (1) documented and analyzed in an effort to better understand their experiences and practices, and (2) utilized to inform teacher recruitment efforts. In this chapter, we present the case of Floyd Lee, a Black male mathematics teacher who participated in an NSF-funded research study of Black Algebra 1 teachers teaching in an urban school district. We present experiences that appear to influence his practice and consider how his case, and other cases like Floyd’s, might inform efforts to increase the number of Black male mathematics teachers in U.S. schools.

Scholarly literature on Black teachers has traditionally depicted a cultural connectedness between Black teachers and Black students. Drawing upon one set of findings from a broader qualitative study on the experiences of 11 Black male teachers in a predominantly Black urban school district, this chapter explores the intraracial divides that confounded study participants’ relationships with Black students and local Black communities. By charting the contested terrains of Black identity politics within urban schools and their surrounding neighborhoods, this chapter reveals the need for critical considerations of how Black male educators can respond to the heterogeneous and evolving nature of Black identities in contemporary American society. Several strategies are offered to enable Black male teachers to negotiate the intraracial differences that may emerge in their work with Black students.

Black male teachers represent between two and five percent of the teaching force, yet many research studies have suggested the importance of their presence in the classroom. While most research focuses on the necessity of a larger force of Black male teachers to serve as role models for Black male students, minimal research examines their importance in teaching Black female students. In addition to this lack of research, teacher-training programs, even those that tailor their programming toward Black men, do little to address issues of teaching across gender. This phenomenon has implications for Black male teacher retention, Black female student success, and improved gender dynamics in the Black community. This chapter highlights the dynamics of teaching across gender through review of the literature and a case study. It presents the Gender Dynamic Awareness Model, a conceptual framework for use in teacher training that addresses five factors for Black men to consider when teaching Black female students.

In segregated elementary and high schools, African American male teachers played the role of mentor in the lives of African American male students which included serving as role model, authority figure, counselor, emotional and academic supporter, encourager, and community activist. The seven men interviewed for this study believed that African American male teachers can serve these same roles in today’s schools as they assist African American males and other students of color in navigating through the sometime difficult maze of what it takes to successfully complete high school and postsecondary degrees. Factors are also noted that may encourage or discourage African American males’ entry into the teaching profession.

In this chapter, we discuss teaching physical education to Black male students in urban schools. We present a brief account of the history and status of physical education and specifically examine school physical education, particularly for Black male students in urban geographical contexts. We also offer strategies to counter the narrative of Black male school failure and present strategies for addressing the needs of urban teachers and Black male students.

In our case study, we explored the perceptions of female-led and male-led educational leadership cohorts mentoring teacher candidates (mostly female) under faculty supervision. The study compares the educational leadership candidates’ cohort experiences and the teacher candidates’ perception of leadership development of individual students and as part of a group. Student teacher candidates engaged in generative mentoring relationships with educational leadership candidates by applying feedback from previous seminars and then revising their experiences in subsequent sessions. Our preliminary findings suggested that the structure of the seminars and collaborative partnerships contributed to student teachers’ understanding and application of pedagogical content knowledge, while critique occurred in facilitated sessions and discussions.

My chapter includes a discussion of various elements throughout my life that were very influential for the attainment of a successful education that I believe can also help other Black male students receive a successful education. The chapter begins with an explanation of why I became a teacher and my passions to enhance the education of Black male students with the use of the same influential elements that enhanced my education. The influential elements I highlighted are opportunity and exposure, discipline and accountability, recognition, and mentorship. I compared and contrasted the effects of these elements on my life with others who lacked these same elements, and provided examples of what I observe today as an educator in reference to these elements. I further speak about how I have implemented these elements in my classroom and in my interactions with young Black males today. Finally, I provide possible solutions to reshape the image and education of Black male students and create a positive impact on future generations. When a Black male student has an exemplar of an educated professional to emulate they can gain motivation to strive for academic greatness that will bring them true greatness rather than fighting and dying in the streets over false opportunities. Ultimately, Black male students will strive for academic greatness, which is truly … an opportunity to die for.

This chapter provides commentary on the causes and consequences of having a majority white and female teaching force in a diverse school system, as well as strategies to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion among P-12 teachers and students. The chapter also addresses the key reason why Black males are underrepresented in the U.S. teaching force.

The impact of academic and school-related factors on college readiness, aspirations, and access has been examined frequently within the literature (Barber & Torney-Purta, 2008; Polite, 1994; Taliaferro & DeCuir-Gunby, 2008; Uwah, McMahon, & Furlow, 2008; Wimberly, 2002; Yun & Kurlaender, 2004). Several factors related to school racial composition and perceived school support (Yun & Kurlaender, 2004), school relationships (Wimberly, 2002), gaps in exposure to college preparatory and advanced placement curriculums (Taliaferro & DeCuir-Gunby, 2008), teacher perceptions (Barber & Torney-Purta, 2008), and structural inequalities (Polite, 1994) have been identified as variables that significantly impact the opportunities for African-American children to be exposed to the types of interpersonal relationships and educational experiences necessary for preparing them to succeed in postsecondary education.