By Sam P.K. Collins
In 2022, Kurt Russell, a Black male history teacher from Ohio, became the National Teacher of the Year. That occasion not only shed light on Russell’s efforts to reveal all facets of American history, but the lack of Black men in school buildings across the country.
Black men currently account for less than 2% of the U.S. public school teacher workforce, according to the National Center for Education Statistics’ National Teacher and Principal Survey and Dr. Travis J. Bristol of the University of California, Berkeley. This trend has been attributed to the lack of mentorship or misalignment in certain educational environments.