Despite Challenges, Here’s Why These Black Women Educators Stay in the Classroom

By Mi Aniefuna via https://www.edsurge.com/

EdSurge Research facilitated virtual spaces for Black women to discuss their lived experiences in the classroom. We learned about some of these educators’ triumphs and obstacles as they engage in radical care for their students.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Education reported that Black educators make up approximately 9 percent of the teacher workforce, of which a majority are Black women. A group that is often studied but left out of conversations, we wanted to intentionally facilitate spaces for Black women across and outside the gender spectrum and learn more about their experiences in this climate, as much recent research covers pre-pandemic educator experiences.

Joy in learning, discovering Black literature and having a relatable role model are some of the benefits of having a Black teacher for Black students. Yet, in our research study on the experiences of this underrepresented group, most of the Black women we talked to experienced the opposite in their workplaces, namely apathy and interpersonal racism and…

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