“Schools are not places that Black boys should enter to be forgotten, overlooked or unprotected.” Dr. Alfred Tatum
If you work in the field of K-12 education, the best months of the year are (June) and July. There is something about August that makes us nervous, excited and fearful all at once.
Who will my new students be? Will my teachers be ready for the next initiative? Will the building be ready to welcome new students?
These questions and more fill the minds of teachers, administrators, custodians and every other staff member charged with the operation of the school house. Given the context of the nature of race in this country and a summer of unrest, there is another, more pressing question:
What questions course through the minds of Black boys who will soon enter our schools?
In light of their over-representation in suspension, special education and remedial courses, they probably are asking themselves some deeper and perhaps darker questions.
Will anyone notice who I really am?
Will my culture matter in any class this year?
Are there any adults who will advocate for me? Protect me?
I am now entering my second decade in the field of education, but my experience as a Black male in this landscape is more than twice as long. For 28 of my 33 years of life, I have been in a school as either a teacher or a student; but always as a Black male. I have noticed many differences between being a student and educational leader, but the one constant theme has been that Black males are mostly seen as priorities when it comes to suspensions, scores and sports. Our emotional and psychological safety is either ignored or forgotten. I have been to schools in urban, inner-city and rural settings throughout Baltimore, Washington D.C. and the nation and I have never seen a school vision, motto, mission or improvement plan that states the emotional and psychological safety of Black boys as being a top goal. Ever. I think the time has come for this practice to end; the emotional and psychological safety of Black males in our classrooms needs to be a top priority.
Too often, their safety is sublimated into the mantra of ‘all means all.’ I can only answer that idea with a quote from 2016 Washington Teacher of the Year Nate Bowling, who said in a speech that “our color-blind policies are still producing color-coded outcomes.” It is important to understand that when we say all means all, if any segment of the population is consistently under-served, they were really never in the ‘all’ to begin with. Black males need more focused attention. There are at least four ways schools can protect the dignity and complexity of Black males:
Honor and protect their emotional lives.
We do this by ensuring that they are not victims of shame from the hands of harsh teachers and administrators. Dr. Brené Brown defines shame as a painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging. Some of the ways in which I have experienced this as a student would be when a teacher would embarrass me in front of my peers. When Black males feel like love and belonging are contingent upon perfection, it becomes a zero sum game. It does not have to be this way – we can create an environment of emotional and psychological safety by intentionally engaging our Black males.
We create this atmosphere by simply checking on them and saying ‘Are you okay?’ or ‘Do you need anything?’ We also do this by doing away with the notion that if they show weakness, vulnerability, fear or tears that they are less than masculine. These actions can be some of the most masculine and courageous behaviors they ever practice.
Offer opportunities for connection and positive meaning-making.
Discipline has to be about restoring, not putting away. If I know that there is a constant threat of being ‘put away’ because of my natural, and possibly disruptive behavior, every minute of instruction can be a landmine. Where can Black males go in your school to get connected to a caring adult who will defend them, advocate for them and love them for all of their peculiarities and quirks? We can allow them an opportunity for connection when we take the time to let them shape their own experience. How many times do we ask for their opinions when it comes to a school procedure, course offering or hallway decoration? You may be surprised. We have a lot to say.
Also, we need to be intentional about using texts and situations that present positive images and depictions of Black males. There are enough stories and examples of Black males in compromising and violent situations. School can be a place where they learn about the best natures and qualities of men, past and present, that look just like them. How many times does a Black male hear or read a story about their own great contributions to America? To the world?
In addition to reading about great stories, classrooms can be powerful places where they can learn about writing for the purpose of telling their own stories. When Black males get a chance to share their stories, everyone wins. It is what we want to do the most when it comes to reading and writing. Just listen to most of the hip-hop music you hear – it is simply Black males getting an opportunity to share what they perhaps could not share in school.
Delight in their presence.
I have heard it said that one of the deepest messages children get is when your eyes greet them for the first time when they enter your bedroom in the morning. A warm smile and eager eyes tells them that you appreciate them, while a ready critique or cold direction tells them that they are simply widgets on you dashboard or cogs in the machine of your household operation (I am still working on this). Do you delight in seeing Black males enter your classroom? How do you communicate it?
Always consider their context.
In the book, The End of Average, Todd Rose argues that the idea of a fixed personality trait (introvert or extrovert) is fiction. He believes that traits are fluid and most directly related to the environment the individual is in and the impact of that environment on each individual. I have seen this first hand. I can see a Black male causing chaos at 9 a.m. and then, only one hour later, be calm and composed. The only change was the classroom. And the teacher. When a Black male misbehaves, it may be helpful to start considering their context before assigning a trait as the reason for their actions. Traits become stigmas. Stigmas become placements. Placements become destiny. There is no excuse for disruption and misbehavior, but there is almost always a context where disruption and misbehavior can be predicted. Find out the context (either in school or out of school) and you may find the solution.
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My wife and I were recently discussing the verve and quirkiness of our six-year old Black male. His name is Joshua and he is special. We cherish him. We also acknowledge that despite our most sincere efforts to surround him with positive male role models, spiritual encouragement and love – he still must face the difficulties in life of being a young, energetic and intelligent Black boy. It is a challenge his father knows well. When he hits those moments, what we want most is not teachers who will correct him or administrators that will dole out the necessary consequences, those have their place, but we would rather have a caring adult in the school that will listen to him and validate him while training him to navigate the complex set of emotions and thoughts that run through his mind. This does not happen if it is not a stated priority of the school to protect and honor the emotional and psychological experience of every single Black male.
What a powerful moment it would be for a Black male to enter a school that says “The safety, security and achievement of Black males is one of our highest priorities.” The statement, followed up with clear and observable practices would at least leave one of the deepest questions in a Black boy’s heart answered: Do I belong here?
