By Kaci Wright • February 26, 2025 •
I can still remember my one and only Black teacher in public school: my eighth grade U.S. history teacher, Ms. Scott. She was the first teacher to ask me about applying for college and what my goals were. Not only did Ms. Scott push me to accomplish and try new things, but she also consistently instilled in me that I had endless possibilities for my future. She is a teacher I will never forget.
As I went on to become a Black teacher myself, I found such joy knowing that I could give that experience I had to my students. The cultural connection I was able to build with my students, families and school community created a learning environment where my students could flourish and be their entire selves.
All Black students deserve to see themselves in their educators and feel represented. Black educators have been the backbone of education equity advocacy and instrumental in teaching Black students for centuries. Yet, Black educators’ value is often not seen.
Black Teachers Have a Historic Impact on Education
Knowledge is power. And knowledge through schooling was purposely kept away from Black children during slavery. In fact, throughout the U.S. South, it was illegal to teach enslaved children how to read and write (Duggins-Clay, 2023). Even though these laws were designed to place fear among educators, many Black teachers who were enslaved risked their lives to secretly teach children in underground schools (Gundaker, 2007; Morris, 2023). In 1862, Susie King Taylor, who was educated in underground schools, became the first Black teacher to openly teach Black children in Georgia (University of the People, 2024).
After the Civil War and into the Civil Rights Movement, Black teachers continued to teach in segregated schools with inadequate funding, resources and facilities. Nonetheless, in 1954, over 82,000 Black teachers were teaching 2 million Black children across the United States (Baxter, 2018).
The historic Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1954 finally ruled racial segregation in public education unconstitutional. But the push for integration afterwards led to massive layoffs of 38,000 Black teachers (Lyons, 2023).
The effects of this brain drain on the Black teacher workforce have had a lasting impact on the diversity we see in the profession today, where only 6% of teachers nationally identify as Black (Schaeffer, 2024). Even so, Black teachers continue to advocate for fair education funding and discipline outcomes for Black students while promoting culturally responsive schools.
Black Teachers Have a Long-Lasting Positive Impact on Students
Having a Black teacher builds cultural bonds between educators and students and has a positive impact on students’ academic outcomes. Research has shown that Black teachers have a direct positive impact on Black and non-Black students.
- Black students who have a Black teacher are more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college (Gershenson, 2018).
- Black students are less likely to be suspended or expelled if they have a teacher who is Black (Lindsay & Hart, 2017).
- Having a Black teacher can increase students’ math and reading test scores and decrease chronic absenteeism at the same rates for Black and non-Black students (Balzar, 2024).
We Need to Support the Black Teacher Pipeline
Despite all the proven benefits of Black teachers, we still see a misrepresentation in the teacher workforce, especially in the U.S. South, where the majority of Black children live. Today, 15% of students are Black, but the teachers we see in our schools do not reflect that population.
School districts across the nation need to recruit and retain Black teachers actively. That starts with first acknowledging that Black teachers possess a unique value that needs to be uplifted and supported. Teacher preparation programs also need to recruit teachers to join the workforce and prepare teachers to work in culturally responsive environments where all Black students feel seen, supported and valued.
A variety of programs, policies and practices hold promise in helping to bolster the pipeline of teachers of color recruited and retained in teaching. IDRA has free online assistance toolkits for Diversifying the Teaching Field and using Grow Your Own Educator Programs.
Resources
Duggins-Clay, P. (February 24, 2023). Bans on Black Literature and Learning are Nothing New – State Lawmakers Must Reject Calls to Reinstate Antebellum-era Policies. IDRA Knowledge is Power.
Baxter, B. (March 12018). Desegregation’s Ugly Secret: Mass Layoffs of Black Teachers. AL.com.
Blazar, D. (March 2024). Why Black Teachers Matter. EdWorkingPapers. Annenberg Institute at Brown University.
Lindsay, C., & Hart, C.M.D. (Winter 2017). Teacher Race and School Discipline: Are Students Suspended Less Often When they Have a Teacher of the Same Race? Education Next.
Gershenson, S., Hart, C.M.D., Hyman, J., Lindsay, C., & Papageorge, N.W. (November 2018). The Long-Run Impacts of Same-Race Teachers. National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).
Gundaker, G. (July 2007). Hidden Education among African Americans during Slavery. Teachers College Record, 109(7), 1591-1612.
Morris, K. (February 1, 2023). African Americans Quest for Education in America. Chester County Independent.
Lyons, M. (May 17, 2023). Reactions to Brown Ruling Led to Breakdown in Teacher Diversity. IDRA Knowledge is Power.
Schaeffer, K. (September 24, 2024). Key Facts about Public School Teachers in the U.S. Pew Research Center.
University of the People. (October 25, 2024). Who Was The First Black Teacher? The System Revolution.
Kaci Wright is an IDRA Education Policy Fellow. Comments and questions may be directed to him via email at kaci.wright@idra.org.
[© 2025, IDRA. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]
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