Cogent Education

Rewriting the Narrative: Lessons from Exemplary Black Males for Educational Systems Worldwide

Cogent Education is pleased to welcome you to submit your research to the Article Collection "Rewriting the Narrative: Lessons from Exemplary Black Males for Educational Systems Worldwide".

Even though there are Black boys in schools across the Diaspora who successfully navigate barriers to flourish, there are many who are not so fortunate. History is replete with examples of how this group of citizens have been deprived of opportunity and right to a free and appropriate education due to marginalization and oppression that continues today in the form of disproportionate disciplinary measures, overrepresentation in special education programs, and underrepresentation in advance placement and gifted and talented programs. Sharing counternarratives of Black boys who do indeed flourish in schools can resonate and inspire change in the way Black boys are perceived and handled in schools. A Black male who flourishes in school can have a transformative effect on society at large. Instead of being warehoused in the prison industrial complex, they can fill the corridors of the world’s mightiest economic, political, educational, social, and government institutions.

It is imperative that educational institutions across the African Diaspora contribute to the flourishing of Black boys in their systems. Although the literature is saturated with discourses on Black boys in schools from a deficit perspective, there are a significant number of Black boys who are flourishing in schools across the Diaspora. A counternarrative needs to be told to address the hyperfocus of Black boys engaging in misanthropic behavior, harboring the lowest test scores, and dwelling in the doldrums of their graduation class. A shift needs to be made in the thinking of researchers, politicians, educators, and the general public so that the true nature of Black boys in schools can be more holistic. This change in perception will increase good will and hopefully policy change when it comes to how these students are managed in the hallways of schools across the Diaspora. Research needs to be dedicated to examining successful or flourishing Black boys to determine how those structures can be replicated throughout.

In rewriting the narrative of Black boys in schools across the Diaspora, the exploration of the lived experiences of flourishing Black boys must occur; researchers can inquire into what conditions contribute to the success of exemplary Black male students. This can begin with a close examination of how schools can cultivate academic excellence among Black boys or investigating schools who are successfully creating conditions and environments where Black males do flourish. Here is where a scrutiny of principal leadership, teacher expectations, school culture, equity initiatives and other innovative programs that exist in educational systems in the Diaspora. Any study in this arena would not be complete without reviewing the role of religion and spirituality in the social emotional development of Black males who flourish in schools. A critical examination of the roles of family, culture, and identity invites a deeper exploration of the lived experiences of Black boys and the ways in which race and gender intersect to influence student flourishing. Equally important are opportunities to hear directly from flourishing Black males across the Diaspora as they articulate their own definitions of success, offering nuanced and profound insights into the factors that shape their educational journeys and personal development.

Meet the Guest Advisors

Dr. Cleo Wadley brings over 30 years of experience in public education, serving as a teacher, principal at both the primary and secondary levels, and a central office administrator. He also works in higher education as a professor for Houston City College, teaching freshman-level English. Dr. Wadley earned his doctorate in educational leadership from Stephen F. Austin State University, where his research focused on educational leadership, the experiences of Black males in K–12 schools, and organizational leadership. His scholarship has been featured at national and regional conferences, including the Southwest Educational Research Association, the National Council of Black Studies, the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, and the National Alliance of Black School Educators. His publications include an article in Texas Study titled “‘Schooling’ the Black Male: Oppressive Hegemonic Discourses, Material Constraints, and Critical Resistance” and “Black Males: The Perennial Moral Panic in K–12 Schools” in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s quarterly journal The Sphinx.

Prof. Clement N. Dlamini is Director of the Centre for Community Services and a Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), where he leads the integration of community service, service learning, and community-oriented research across the University. A social work educator, applied researcher, and development consultant with over 25 years of experience across Eswatini and the Southern African region, he has advised UNICEF, UNDP, the European Union, Georgetown University, Save the Children, and Management Sciences for Health on social protection, child rights, gender, and public health. He is President of the Monitoring & Evaluation Association of Eswatini and has published internationally on school social work, social protection, indigenous social security, and community resilience. He holds a Master of Social Work from Stephen F. Austin State University (USA).

The Guest Advisors declare no conflict of interest regarding this work.