see.” So today, if I could answer that same student’s question about why I became a teacher, with certainty my reply would be, “because I had some Black teachers that re- minded me… of me.” Now, having been an educator for more
than ten years, I have encountered hundreds of Black students that I assume view me through a similar lens. I can see the excitement in their faces when they ask me my name or tell me that they have a sibling or cousin that told them about me. Along with the excite- ment is a subtle look of relief and trust. I can only guess that the sense of relief they feel is because there is someone in the building they can, at least, visually connect with and, at best, culturally connect with. I have seen the impact I make on Black students in my classes over the years. I can tell that they are working hard academically, but there is also the comfort that they clearly have with me. They want to get to know me personally. They ask me personal
20 ETFO VOICE | WINTER 2022
questions like how old I am, where I grew up, if I have kids, what sports I like and even what television shows or video games I like. Black students will pull me aside individually or in small groups and ask me what my thoughts are on societal or cultural issues happening in the Black community or to the Black commu- nity locally, nationally or internationally. With any of the scenarios, I am as open and honest as I can be with them because I know they take to heart what I say and do. The same sense of relief and trust is
something I experience with the parents and guardians of the Black students I inter- act with. Due to many, many years of now well-documented negative experiences and outcomes for Black students at the hands of education institutions, the relationships be- tween parents and guardians and the educa- tion system are severely strained. As a result, navigating and trusting the institutions that have historically and presently caused harm
to Black students and families is complex. This is not to say that white or other racial- ized teachers cannot be trusted by Black par- ents. Many of these teachers make a positive impact and I see first-hand the care and ef- fort many white and racialized teachers put into ensuring there are equitable outcomes for all, and in particular for Black students. However, the negative perceptions, experi- ences and now growing data to support the distrust are hard to ignore. As a Black teacher, there is an inherent belief from parents and guardians that I will have the best interests of their children in mind, more so – correctly or incorrectly – than a teacher from another racial group that does not reflect them. Although the focus of Generation Black
was to highlight the need for more Black educators to be encouraged to enter the field and actually be hired by school boards, this is not solely for the benefit of the Black students and families in their schools and respective
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