The Black Informant | African American Commentary, News and Community Building

Michael Benton never had a black male teacher, or any male teachers for that matter, until he entered college.

That’s one reason why Benton, an African-American kindergarten teacher at Schwab School in Northside, became an educator.

“I felt it was important for children to see a male, particularly a minority male, in the younger grades,” he said.

But at Schwab, where most of the students are black, almost all the adults in front of the class are white females.

The makeup is similar in schools from West Chester to Batavia to Covington. The number of male teachers – minority males, in particular – is dwindling, prompting a national effort to diversify the teaching force.

…”Every school district is begging for African-American male teachers to be role models and to be someone African-American male boys can relate to,” she said. “It’s extremely important. What’s turned off a lot of our students, I believe, is that they don’t see enough of them in the classroom.” (more…)

As a father of two, I must say that there is nothing in the world that can replace the feeling of teaching children about the world they live in. Just to see the wonderment in their eyes as you explain to them things that most of us adults take for granted—just awesome.

As I mentioned in this blog several times in the past, I also have an extensive background in mentoring youth. Some of the greatest challenges that I have encountered is not with the kids, but with parents who feel intimidated because their kids are showing you more love than their own parents.

It is also very rewarding to see these same kids years later. Not only do they remember you, but they are grateful for the time that you invested in them.

We as black men are missing out on a wonderful thing by not owning up to our responsibility in this issue.

You have to sow love and respect in order to see it returned in society. These is no need to wonder why black on black crime (for example) is a significant statistic these days.

WHERE ARE THE MEN????