We assert the concepts of "role model" and "mentor" continue to permeate educational and public discourse as viable means of behavioral modification among young Black males facing multiple inequities. Though these terms it seems, have obtained significant currency, they also carry a degree of ubiquity--obscuring proper…

There is a near unanimity among researchers and practitioners about the need to recruit and retain more teachers of color. Diversification of the teaching ranks has clear benefits. This brief contends that the push for diversifying the teaching force must be scrutinized within the context of larger patterns and structures of racial injustice, and…

Drawing from the framework of "populational reasoning," this paper explores the implicit and explicit discourses within recruitment calls for Black male teachers. "Populational reasoning" helps to construct meaning about how students learn and the socio-psychological attributes that inform school achievement. In this sense, we…

This article explores the theoretical implications around positioning the Black male teacher as the central agent of social change for Black male students. In addressing such concerns, my intention is not to discourage efforts to recruit and retain more African American men as teachers, but to trouble the commonsense assumptions embedded in such…

Numerous scholars have illustrated how African American teachers' past experiences provide them a philosophical vision committed to teaching for social and educational change for African American students. This article draws from this body of work by looking at the diverse ways five African American male teachers used their past experiences to…