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LOOKING BACK, HONORING THE LEGACY OF BLACK EDUCATORS.

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Black Men Teach could not do this work without the rich legacy of Black American educators who came before us. We would be remiss if we did not honor this legacy by placing our organization within that historical context.
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There was a time when formal education in the United States was private, expensive, and almost exclusively available to well-off white men (and a few fortunate white women). However, in the century between the American Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, Black and brown teachers, community leaders, and white allies established an incredible network of “Negro schools” to educate people of all ages—from basic literacy and arithmetic up to professional degrees earned at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
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During this time, Black male teachers were quite common. After the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, local officials across the country resentfully integrated students but refused to integrate their staffs. As a result, Negro schools began to close, and there was nowhere for Black teachers to go. This led to catastrophic, generational losses of Black educators, particularly men. Our nation has still not fully recovered.
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On May 17, 2024, the United States recognized the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. Black Men Teach stands with the activists, policymakers, legal scholars, educators, caregivers, and students who are currently fighting against the relentless attempts to undo this progress. We also stand on the shoulders of countless educators, elected representatives, business owners, philanthropists, lawyers, faith leaders, freedom fighters, and ordinary folks who dared to imagine equitable, anti-racist, and diverse schools where students feel seen and where we can all learn and teach together.
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WE DEDICATE THIS REPORT TO ALL THOSE
VISIONARIES, PAST & PRESENT.

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