“When did you have your first Black male teacher?”
The question pops up on social media ever so often as a glimpse into what is a known rarity in education. During the 2020-2021 school year, Black male educators made up fewer than 2% of the 3.8 million educators in the country. While the numbers have improved since that eye-popping statistic, they still pale in comparison to a similar study that found more than 6% of Black men were educators three years prior.
It’s something that frequently pops into Khary Golden’s mind.
Even as Leon Smith, a Black man, was honored as the 2026 National Teacher of the Year, the Mastery High School of Camden teacher can recall his first Black male teacher in the sixth grade. Their interactions, both in and out of the classroom, shaped his mindset for the future. Now Golden is giving back as a Black male educator through Teach For America, an organization that has, in recent years, expanded its outreach to attract young Black male educators.
According to a representative for the organization, nearly one-third of its teaching corps are Black educators, and over half of its corps, at a figure above 58%, are people of color, nearly 40 percentage points higher than the national average.
