My Black Students Have Learned to Be Wary of People Who Look Like Me, And That’s Not Racist

Recently in class, my students and I were listening to Lil Nas X sing “Old Town Road,” for what felt like the 100th time. Unintentionally…

Reading the Right Books, Not Just the White Books, Will Help Black Students Succeed

Dear Black Students:  I want to tell you something controversial, something different from the messages most people will give you. I want you to know…

I Hate to Inform You, but Not Everyone Is Above Average in Wobegon

Wherever you live, there is a high probability that Minnesota is low-key superior to your state.  We are the safest state in America, we have…

Democratic Presidential Candidates Aren’t Talking About K-12 Education and That’s Why We Crashed Their Debate in Houston

All eyes may be on the third round of Democratic presidential candidates’ debates happening tonight. But let me direct your attention for a second to…

If Black Male Teachers Benefit Students, Why Are They Underrepresented?

Two percent and shrinking. It’s a statistic that may seem small enough to be insignificant … until you understand what the number represents. Black males…

Black Male Educators Have Sounded the Alarm, But Will We Listen?

For years, Black males have been underrepresented in P-12 education. While there have been many efforts to diversify classrooms by adding more Black male educators,…

Not to Be a Buzzkill, But Teachers Need a Reminder to Be Nice to Their Students

I couldn’t sleep the other night and found myself doing what any reasonable person would do: I turned to Twitter. There was the usual: President…

The Suffragettes Were Not Allies to Black Women, They Were Racist

This week America celebrated the 99th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s passage, which granted women the right to vote. However, like much of American history,…

Teaching About Race Does Not Make You Un-American

“The Holocaust was an atrocity.” This was the example I gave my eighth graders as we were learning our words of the week. And with…

What If Black People Had a ‘Green Book’ for Finding the Schools Our Kids Deserve?

Black families should not be forced to choose between schools that challenge them academically and schools that nurture and love them for who they are.…