Last week, Secretary 
of Education Arne Duncan and notables, including filmmaker Spike Lee and Morehouse College president Robert Franklin, held a panel discussion to encourage more African American males to become teachers. This is a sentiment I resolutely support in both scope and necessity. However, as a scientist and university professor by trade, it is easy to proclaim such a need when the reality is that the values promoted by African American and mainstream media outlets do not reinforce an appreciation for the role of teaching.
Yes, we need more male teachers who are African American, but, more importantly, we need them to be competent, assured and dedicated to an environment that is nourished and respected.
It is easy for Spike Lee to put out such a call when he is continuously admired, whether at a Knicks game, on the radio or during a BET interview. The actuality is that a foundation is nonexistent for teachers or scientists or Philomaths (lovers of learning) in general. You never and will never see a scholar, scientist or teacher on the cover of Vibe, Essence, Ebony or even rolling out. But, you will see actors, rappers, musicians and athletes. There will never be a teacher or scientist “centerfold of the month” in Jet, but you will see some scantily-clad young woman.
It is “we” who are the problem. We do not glorify education in the same manner we magnify fame, money and materialism. We tolerate and even build up idiots if they have money or are on radio or television. We take the teachers of the world for granted.
In all my 14 plus years of teaching and doing research at the School of Public Health at Emory University and the Morehouse School of Medicine, I can count on two hands the number of African American males in my classes at these graduate schools. In my statistics class at Clark Atlanta University, I may see two each semester.
The problem is that teachers do not get paid enough and few, if any, media members cover teaching as we do other mundane issues. However, there are more of us African American male teachers than rappers, actors or professional athletes. Yet, the spotlight is shined on the latter as opposed to the disturbing fact that few black men even make it to college.
So, it is nice to ask more black males to become teachers, but, until the media advocate their importance as they do Denzel Washington, Waka Flocka Flame, Puff Daddy or Deion Sanders, it will never happen. –torrance stephens
Last week, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and notables, including filmmaker Spike Lee and Morehouse College president Robert Franklin, held a panel discussion to encourage more African American males to become teachers. This is a sentiment I resolutely support in both scope and necessity. However, as a scientist and university professor by trade, it is easy to proclaim such a need when the reality is that the values promoted by African American and mainstream media outlets do not reinforce an appreciation for the role of teaching.
Yes, we need more male teachers who are African American, but, more importantly, we need them to be competent, assured and dedicated to an environment that is nourished and respected.
It is easy for Spike Lee to put out such a call when he is continuously admired, whether at a Knicks game, on the radio or during a BET interview. The actuality is that a foundation is nonexistent for teachers or scientists or Philomaths (lovers of learning) in general. You never and will never see a scholar, scientist or teacher on the cover of Vibe, Essence, Ebony or even rolling out. But, you will see actors, rappers, musicians and athletes. There will never be a teacher or scientist “centerfold of the month” in Jet, but you will see some scantily-clad young woman.
It is “we” who are the problem. We do not glorify education in the same manner we magnify fame, money and materialism. We tolerate and even build up idiots if they have money or are on radio or television. We take the teachers of the world for granted.
In all my 14 plus years of teaching and doing research at the School of Public Health at Emory University and the Morehouse School of Medicine, I can count on two hands the number of African American males in my classes at these graduate schools. In my statistics class at Clark Atlanta University, I may see two each semester.
The problem is that teachers do not get paid enough and few, if any, media members cover teaching as we do other mundane issues. However, there are more of us African American male teachers than rappers, actors or professional athletes. Yet, the spotlight is shined on the latter as opposed to the disturbing fact that few black men even make it to college.
So, it is nice to ask more black males to become teachers, but, until the media advocate their importance as they do Denzel Washington, Waka Flocka Flame, Puff Daddy or Deion Sanders, it will never happen. –torrance stephens
