TOGETHER, WE ARE REBUILDING THE NATIONAL BLACK TEACHING PIPELINE TO ACHIEVE EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND RACIAL JUSTICE

Research shows when Black students have Black teachers who reflect their experiences and worldviews, they perform better in school. But most go through 13 years of public education without one.

As a result, Black students continue to fall short of their academic potential.

We built the Center to address this national educational crisis by increasing the number of Black teachers in public  district and charter schools and promoting anti-discriminatory, culturally-responsive educational practices. 

All so Black students can reap the full benefits of a quality public education.

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SCHOOL AND DISTRICT LEADERS:

WE WANT TO INVEST IN YOUR STUDENTS.

Partner with us to set up a Teaching Academy so your high school students can explore a career in education. Our Le Count-Catto Curriculum based in Black pedagogy helps students make the connection between teaching and activism.

All Teaching Academy students are eligible for the Center’s Black Teacher Pipeline Fellowship that provides academic support, professional coaching, college scholarships and retention bonuses. 

Don’t let your scholars miss out. Do your part to liberate education for generations to come. 

CONTACT US

NEWS & EVENTS

#BMEC2023: LIFTING AS WE CLIMB

#BMEC2023: LIFTING AS WE CLIMB

Date: November 16, 2023
Time:

.Join us for the largest, most influential gathering for Black educator activists and our allies.

Philadelphia School District, Center for Black Educator Development aim to increase number of Black male teachers

Philadelphia School District, Center for Black Educator Development aim to increase number of Black male teachers

A new, innovative program aimed at helping to produce the next generation of educators is being offered at the historic 90-year-old Dimner Beeber School building in West Philadelphia.

Despite The Supreme Court Ruling, Race Based Admissions Will Endure… For White People

Despite The Supreme Court Ruling, Race Based Admissions Will Endure… For White People

Zoë Westlund shares the impact Freedom Schools Literacy Academy 2023 had on her from a Q&A with the Center for Black Educator Development.

LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

Leadership Message from Sharif El-Mekki, Founder/Chief Execuitve Officer, Center for Black Educator Development

Otis Kitchen Black Men in Education Spotlight

Otis Kitchen Black Men in Education Spotlight

I was in fourth grade when I had my first Black male teacher. Mr. Mebane did things a little bit differently. He took us outside…

The Space Race

The Space Race

Date: December 31, 2023
Time:

From Emmy-award winning directors Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (The Redeem Team) and Lisa Cortés (The Apollo), THE SPACE RACE weaves together the stories of Black astronauts seeking to break the bonds of social injustice to reach for the stars.

Right to Read Screening Recap

Right to Read Screening Recap

A sold-out room at The Fillmore Philadelphia came together this past August to show support for literacy and learn together how we can advocate AND agitate.

BMEC2023 Keynote speaker announcement!

BMEC2023 Keynote speaker announcement!

We’re proud to announce that award-winning actor and education advocate, Tyler James Williams, and award-winning journalist, author, professor and entrepreneur Dr. Marc Lamont Hill will be joining us for this year’s Black Men in Education Convening!

Network for EdWork’s Annual Convening

Network for EdWork’s Annual Convening

Date: February 23, 2024
Time:

This year’s convening is happening February 23-24, 2024 at University of Washington, and the Call for Proposals is OPEN! This year’s theme is Journey Towards Liberation.

MESSAGE FROM DR. M. LOUIS ROBINSON III, DIRECTOR OF BLACK MALE ENGAGEMENT

MESSAGE FROM DR. M. LOUIS ROBINSON III, DIRECTOR OF BLACK MALE ENGAGEMENT

Leadership Message from Dr. M. Louis Robinson III, Director of Black Male Engagement, Center for Black Educator Development

TURNOVER SOARS FOR EDUCATORS OF COLOR AS BURNOUT, LOW PAY, AND POLITICS DRIVE AWAY TEACHERS

TURNOVER SOARS FOR EDUCATORS OF COLOR AS BURNOUT, LOW PAY, AND POLITICS DRIVE AWAY TEACHERS

Rhonda Hicks could have kept working into her 60s. She loved teaching and loved her students in Philadelphia’s public schools.

Register Today for SXSW EDU 2024!

Register Today for SXSW EDU 2024!

Date: March 4, 2024
Time:

The SXSW EDU Conference & Festival features four days of compelling content for education professionals, industry leaders, and policymakers looking to connect, collaborate, create and change how we teach and learn.

OPINION: In an era of teacher shortages, we must embrace and develop new ways to unleash educator talent

OPINION: In an era of teacher shortages, we must embrace and develop new ways to unleash educator talent

It’s difficult to overstate how vital teachers, a key factor in student success, are to post-pandemic academic and social-emotional recovery.

Schools can’t just hire teachers — they must keep them. Here’s how.

Schools can’t just hire teachers — they must keep them. Here’s how.

As the new school year dawns on Philadelphia, it brings with it both challenges and opportunities for schools and their leadership.

ASCD Annual Conference

ASCD Annual Conference

Date: March 22, 2024
Time:

Be inspired by world-class learning from respected and influential thought leaders at the forefront of solving today’s most pressing education challenges.

FELLOWSHIP AMONG BLACK MEN IN EDUCATION IS A NATURAL, TIMELESS BROTHERHOOD  

FELLOWSHIP AMONG BLACK MEN IN EDUCATION IS A NATURAL, TIMELESS BROTHERHOOD  

Leadership Message from Sharif El-Mekki, Founder/Chief Execuitve Officer, Center for Black Educator Development

Q&A: Lessons from a Decade of Battling Racial Inequity in the K-12 Workforce

Q&A: Lessons from a Decade of Battling Racial Inequity in the K-12 Workforce

By day, Carmita Semaan thinks of ways to keep people who look like her fulfilled in their jobs as educators and school leaders. 

NAFSA 2024 Annual Conference & Expo scheduled May 28–31, 2024 in New Orleans, LA

NAFSA 2024 Annual Conference & Expo scheduled May 28–31, 2024 in New Orleans, LA

Date: May 28, 2024
Time:

Uniting thousands of professionals from more than 100 countries, the NAFSA International Education Expo highlights the diverse and innovative programs, products, and services advancing the future of international education and exchange.

Black teachers are burning out of classrooms. Meet the people fighting to keep them there

Black teachers are burning out of classrooms. Meet the people fighting to keep them there

Here are a few programs offering professional development, community, and support to Black teachers in the summers and throughout the year.

The 1954 Project

The 1954 Project

The 1954 Project is an education philanthropy initiative for diverse Black leaders, led by the Black community in partnership with those who share our values.

Our Reach & Impact

2019-2023 PROGRESS REPORT
27 States
14,492 Participants

SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES


TEACHER APPRENTICES

  • Interest in Teaching Black Children
  • Social Justice Orientation
  • Educator Activism

YOUNG SCHOLARS

  • Reading Skills
  • Positive Racial Identity

 

Learn More


Ramier Jones
Junior Servant Leader 2020
Ramier Jones
Junior Servant Leader 2020

In Freedom Schools, culture and tradition are very important. If you don’t know your culture, you lose a part of yourself.

READ MORE

Jacob Gray
Junior Servant Leader 2021
Jacob Gray
Junior Servant Leader 2021

What’s special about this camp is honestly the uplifting and emphasis on Black culture: how they want to embed into these children that you are Black, you are beautiful. You are Black and intelligent.

Jaiona Johnson
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021
Jaiona Johnson
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021

This Academy makes me realize that I am going to have a huge impact on these students’ lives.

The experience provides these students with tools and skills that they are going to end up using in the real world. It’s also going to help improve the skills that the students already know.

Melissa Leslie
Junior Servant Leader 2020
Melissa Leslie
Junior Servant Leader 2020

You learn here what you can do to change the outside world.

Jaleya Martin
Junior Servant Leader 2021
Jaleya Martin
Junior Servant Leader 2021

Freedom Schools Literacy Academy is really fun and interactive!

Noel Baynes
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021
Noel Baynes
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021

I learned the importance of leading by example and teaching with justice.

A lot of times the system causes our sisters and brothers to be forlorn and out of pocket, but that’s not their fault.  If you give them the tools, they will rise to the challenge. They want to succeed.

Oriana Smith
Junior Servant Leader 2022
Oriana Smith
Junior Servant Leader 2022

I would recommend this experience 100 percent to my friends because it was not only fun, but it exposed me to new ideas.

I would encourage them to join the education profession for the sake of their own education.

I want them to know that it is crucial for them to stand up and speak out about the unfairness of the system but most importantly, be the change.

Aisha Nashadeem
Servant Leader Apprentice 2020
Aisha Nashadeem
Servant Leader Apprentice 2020

My experience with Freedom Schools Literacy Academy afforded me so much confirmation that I was on the right path.

The start of my teaching career began during the pandemic. Yet in a time of great uncertainty, the work I got to do with the Freedom Schools Literacy Academy as a Servant Leader Apprentice confirmed that I was right where I needed to be.

Aremoni Chamber
Servant Leader Apprentice 2022
Aremoni Chamber
Servant Leader Apprentice 2022

Freedom School Literacy Academy really taps into what being Black is and embracing your blackness.

Making sure we get more Black teachers into the education system is what stuck with me the most and what made me want to come to this program.

Briana Amaya
Servant Leader Apprentice 2018
Briana Amaya
Servant Leader Apprentice 2018

I liked the cultural focus. It’s important to know the history of the school-to-prison pipeline system, how literacy rates inform the likelihood of prison involvement and things like redlining. There are rules and policies that create these systems. 

Freedom Schools allowed me to see all the parts. It’s not just about school. It opened me up to all the different aspects.

Charisma Holly
Servant Leader Apprentice 2022
Charisma Holly
Servant Leader Apprentice 2022

Freedom Schools Literacy Academy helped solidify my passion for teaching and has expanded my capacity for intellectual work.

My goal is to make the world a better place, secure the future for younger generations and to help mold the minds of future brilliant thinkers who can continue to improve the world.

Christian Sabree
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021
Christian Sabree
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021

I see Freedom Schools Literacy Academy as an opportunity that is a door that leads to a corridor of more doors.

Destini Williams
Junior Servant leader 2022
Destini Williams
Junior Servant leader 2022

What interested me in taking the role as a Junior Servant Leader was having the ability to motivate children to learn and also to get a better understanding of the history of education attracted me.

It is my ambition to become a teacher when I grow up.

Feven Shonga
Servant Leader Apprentice 2022
Feven Shonga
Servant Leader Apprentice 2022

Working with the Center for Black Educator Development pushed me to expand my views on literacy and inspired me to take a course on literacy when I returned to school. 

Overall, being an SLA has increased my passion about the education of Black children and pushes me to do well in my own life in order to contribute to the well-being of my community.

Horace Ryans
Servant Leader Apprentice 2020
Horace Ryans
Servant Leader Apprentice 2020

Freedom Schools is a direct way to be an activist for your community.

Teaching these kids what is right, how to love each other and advocate for themselves.

Trent Petty
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021
Trent Petty
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021

I want to see more Black teachers!

My ultimate vision is to have more Black educators in cities that may not be predominantly Black.

I think it is important for Black youth to pursue a career in the education industry because I see it as an investment for the future of our people.

Tre Terry
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021
Tre Terry
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021

I understand that it is crucial that Black boys and girls know that someone sees them, loves them, and believes in their innate genius.

I would like to see Black teachers reclaim their wholeness, continue to create sustainable institutions that unearth the work of the ancestors, demand critical thought, and listen to the communities in which they serve.

Tatiana Amaya
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021
Tatiana Amaya
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021

Freedom Schools Literacy Academy was liberating. I could be authentic all the time. I never needed to dim my personality or code switch and was able to be who I am and to connect to my students in the way I felt was needed and necessary.

Tarik Timothy
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021
Tarik Timothy
Servant Leader Apprentice 2021

I want to be what I had growing up as an educator, so I want to instill that sense of pride and expansive knowledge.

WHO WE SERVE

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

BECOME THE TEACHER YOU WISH YOU HAD.

Join our community of influential and accomplished Black educators. The Center offers opportunities to explore teaching careers through mentorship, workshops and instructional experiences.

Get involved in our Freedom Schools Literacy Academy and Teaching Academy to experience educator activism—something you’ll be able to carry with you for a lifetime.
LEARN MORE

COLLEGE STUDENTS

FIND YOURSELF IN EDUCATION.

In college, but still considering your career path?  Or are you already committed to teaching, but looking for extra training and real-world experience?

Become a Servant Leader Intern with our Freedom Schools Literacy Academy to train with world-class Black educators and get first-hand experience teaching young scholars reading skills.
LEARN MORE

TEACHERS & PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS

MENTOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF EDUCATOR ACTIVISTS.

Help us pass on a love for learning, teaching and sharing knowledge to the next generation of great Black educators, all within an intellectually rigorous, collaborative environment. 

Along the way, improve your own teaching and mentoring skills and reignite your passion for educator activism.
LEARN MORE

PARENTS & FAMILIES

YOUR CHILDREN BELONG HERE.

As a parent, you are your children’s biggest champions. Through Freedom Schools Literacy Academy’s summer and afterschool programs, your children will be instructed by teachers who care for them as if they were family. 

We ensure our young Black scholars—rising first, second or third-graders—benefit from Black teachers who integrate a culturally-responsive, affirming and sustaining early-literacy curriculum.
LEARN MORE