Teaching and Reaching Black Boys in America

Last January, faculty were energized by the panel discussion, “Teaching and Reaching Black Boys in America,” which was hosted at Lowell and led by Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., one of the editors of The Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys (2017). Inspired by the vision to balance the scales for Black boys in school, teachers and administrators came together in a task force. The Guide Task Force explored the ways that race matters in the classroom and then created a year-long series of workshops to lead our entire community forward in shaping learning environments and ensuring success for Black boys.

Overview of The Guide

J and Debbie led one of the groups in a deep dive, discussing all six sections of the book—from “Understanding the Constraints and Challenging the Narratives About Who Black Boys Are and Who White Women Can Be” to “Ensuring Student Success with School Structures and Classroom Strategies.”

Black History in the Curriculum

Michelle and Cordenia built their discussions about the importance of understanding the history of Black people around this quote from The Guide: “We believe educators must start by respecting the history connected to Black boys. It is impossible to bring our Black boy students to a place of success, pride, and self-actualization if we don’t know where that place is.” Resources included “Respecting Black Boys and Their History” by Jawanza Kunjufu (The Guide, 2017), “A Talk to Teachers” by James Baldwin (Teaching for Black Lives, 2018), and clips from The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates Jr. (PBS, 2013).

White Fragility

Jason and Coleman led their group in a study of White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo. Questions discussed included What is White fragility? How does race shape the lives of White people? What are the racial triggers for White people? How can White people engage constructively in the work of antiracism?

Creating Identity Safe Classrooms

Using the book Identity Safe Classrooms: Places to Belong and Learn by Dorothy M. Steele and Becki Cohn-Vargas, as well as other articles, Stefania and Brian led discussions on ways teachers can create inclusive, equitable classrooms in which students from diverse backgrounds can thrive. Theory, research, and practice informed the strategies covered.

Always Learning

Teaching and Reaching Black Boys in America

Overview of The Guide

Black History in the Curriculum

White Fragility

Creating Identity Safe Classrooms

List of 2 members.

Joan Buhrman

Diana Wensley