Helping Black men become teachers is beyond critical

I didn’t have a lot of Black teachers when I was in school, especially those who were men. The first was my eighth-grade teacher, Mr. Farley. Having him as a teacher is something I’ll never forget. He made me realize I could do so much more in the classroom instead of just saying, “I can’t do something.”

Mr. Farley’s motivation is the reason why I want to be a teacher. I am currently pursuing a degree in early childhood education at Cincinnati State to make that a reality. I’m also working with The Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship in Cincinnati to gain classroom experience working with kids. I want to be a positive role model like Mr. Farley was for me so future generations of Black students can see someone that looks like them and believes in them.

Unfortunately, there’s a shortage of Black male teachers in the U.S. Less than 2% of all teachers in the country are men of color. Black male educators also face a myriad of challenges. One of them is knowing the route or the next steps for them to take to get into teaching.

Creating pathways to help Black men become teachers is beyond critical. Diversity in education impacts student performance in a number of ways. Seeing yourself represented encourages young learners to engage even more. Black students who have at least one Black teacher in elementary school are significantly more likely to graduate from high school.

An emphasis needs to be placed on meeting future Black male teachers at the high school level before they make a decision about college or start working after graduating high school. That’s what the Leading Men Fellowship in Cincinnati aims to do.

The Literacy Lab hosted a Leading Men Fellowship Summit on March 22 at Duke Energy Convention Center for hundreds of Black and brown male high school students from across Cincinnati to create opportunities for young men of color and increase representation in the field of education. It was amazing to see so many men who look like me at this event. Opportunities to interact with educators like this are rare, and it makes a lasting impact.

It’s easier for men of color to see themselves working in a classroom when they see men who look like them doing the same job. There’s tremendous power in identification. But a single conference won’t eliminate the gap in teacher diversity. The answer to that problem is like an onion: It has many layers.

We can’t shy away from this problem. In fact, we need to lean into it to come up with real solutions to help recruit more Black and brown males into the teaching profession. Those solutions should include collaborations with community organizations, educators, policymakers, colleges and universities and other institutions. The racial makeup of classrooms won’t change without a collaborative strategy. Early exposure pathways that encourage young Black and brown men to get into education should also include access resources such as scholarships to defray, or cover entirely, the cost of a teaching degree.

It’s also imperative for young men of color to answer the call for diversity in education. No one forced me to pursue a career in teaching. It’s a decision that I made because I believe I can make a difference in the classroom.

I can’t wait until I am a lead teacher in a classroom with students who see me as a role model. Until then, I’ll seek out every opportunity possible to talk to young men of color everywhere about why the answer to diversifying the teacher pipeline starts and ends with Black and brown men like us.

By doing so, I can tell my mentor, Mr. Farley, that I am doing something. I’m answering the call for more Black male teachers.

Yoshua Simms is a 2023-2024 Fellow with the Leading Men Fellowship in Cincinnati, where he works with pre-k students at the Learning Grove Center. He is currently enrolled at Cincinnati State University pursuing a degree in early childhood education.