Reversing the absence of Black men on college campuses starts with helping Black boys see themselves — by growing the ranks of Black male teachers in K-12 classrooms.

Studies show Black K-12 teachers pay dividends: Black boys see them as role models and inspiration, while white children show improved grades. Proportionately, HBCUs train and produce more black teachers than predominantly white institutions.

When students see themselves in their education, it lights a spark. I know, because it happened to me.

In sixth grade, I signed up with some friends for a quiz-bowl style competition called the Black Facts Challenge. We studied as much as we could about Black Americans’ contributions to this country — Booker T. Washington’s founding of the Tuskegee Institute, the life of Duke Ellingto

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