Rooted in legacy. Rising in leadership. Transforming education.
Our Vision
Roots of Change: The Power and Promise of Black Men in Education is an international initiative that seeks to center and elevate the voices of Black male educators across the diaspora whose stories have been overlooked, underestimated, or erased. Through both an anthology and in-person conference experience, Roots of Change provides a platform for truth-telling, healing, affirmation, and transformation—rooted in the brilliance, resilience, and leadership of Black men across educational and political spaces.
We believe that when Black male educators are heard, honored, and supported, schools become more just, more humanizing, and more powerful for every learner.
Why This Matters
Less than 2% of educators in the United States are Black men, despite overwhelming evidence that Black students benefit academically, socially, and emotionally from teachers who share their cultural background and lived experience.
Yet far too often, Black male educators face:
Isolation in their organizations, schools, universities, and districts
A lack of culturally responsive mentorship and development
Disproportionate discipline, underpromotion, and burnout
Limited representation in leadership and curriculum decisions
Roots of Change exists to shift that reality.
We are building a platform and a movement where Black men in education are no longer fighting for space, but standing firmly in it.