In 2012, I began my teaching career as a Black male educator at Greenwood High School through the Teach for America program. At the time, more than 6 percent of the country’s teachers were Black men.
Today, that figure has fallen below 2 percent, underscoring a troubling decline in Black male representation in public education in the U.S. This shift is part of a larger trend that highlights the systemic challenges Black men face in entering and remaining in the teaching profession, making Vice President Kamala Harris’s recently unveiled policy agenda for Black men all the more timely and critical.
Harris’s plan focuses on empowering Black men financially while also addressing their representation in critical professions like education. Among the many proposals in her agenda, one of the most significant is her effort to increase the share of Black male teachers and school leaders. This marks the first major federal initiative aimed at expanding the presence of Black men in education, a move that could reshape the future of public education for Black children.
Research has consistently demonstrated the profound effect that Black teachers have on Black students. Scholars such as Constance Lindsay, Travis Bristol and Gloria Ladson-Billings have found having a Black teacher can significantly improve educational outcomes for Black students.
For instance, Lindsay’s research shows Black students matched with Black teachers are less likely to be placed in special education. Furthermore, a study led by Seth Gershenson found Black students are more likely to graduate when they have a Black teacher at some point during their education. These findings underscore the importance of Harris’s plan to increase the number of Black male educators in schools because it has the potential to improve the academic success of Black students.
What makes Harris’s proposal even more noteworthy is her focus on supporting Black male educators, not just through recruitment but also through retention. Her plan includes significant investment in the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program, which provides grants to teacher education programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions. This program was authorized in 2008 but did not receive funding until 2023, when Congress appropriated $15 million. Harris’s proposal suggests that, as president, she would advocate for increased funding to this program, ensuring it plays a larger role in preparing and supporting Black male educators.
Harris also plans to address the financial burden many Black male teachers face by strengthening the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Black borrowers, on average, owe about $52,000 in student loans four years after graduation — nearly twice the debt of their white counterparts. Although Harris has not detailed specific changes to the PSLF program, we can look to the LOAN Act, introduced by Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), as a potential model. This legislation seeks to reduce the number of years required for PSLF eligibility, which could make it easier for Black male teachers to stay in the profession and build long-term careers.
Harris’s policy proposals are a step in the right direction for improving educational outcomes for Black students and addressing the challenges facing Black male educators. By focusing on both recruitment and retention, her plan responds to a growing call from researchers, educational leaders and Black male teachers for targeted support and investment in the profession.
As the first presidential candidate to make this issue a central part of her platform, Harris has shown a commitment to reshaping the future of public education in a way that prioritizes Black male educators.
Phelton Moss is an assistant professor of educational leadership in the school of education and an affiliate faculty member in the Wilder School of Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also a former congressional staffer, school principal and teacher.