Introduction The Education System in The United States is Tasked With The Job of
Preparing Students ToBecome Productive Citizens
The education system in the United States is tasked with the job of preparing students to
become productive citizens however, many students do not reach this status in society, and of
those students, large portion are underrepresented minorities (Gay, 2013). One reason minority
students may not succeed in school is due to the lack of representation of people who look like
them. Researchers have claimed African American males have an important place in education,
particularly schools where African American male students attend (Watson & Smitherman,
2016). Each year, African American students withdraw from school or never attend college due
to low academic preparation (Bowman, 2014). Such a small percentage of African American
males in the education field may contribute to African American students having low academic
achievement levels (Gay, 2013).
Importantly, only 8–10% of U.S. educators do not identify as White, whereas 33% of the
students in U.S. schools are African American (Howard, 2011, p. 2). Public school populations
continue to increase in diversity, but teachers in the front of classrooms continue to mostly be
White (West, 2013). To help shift this demographic, African American males are needed in
education. Sadly, attracting them to become teachers is extremely challenging because African
American men have historically viewed teaching as a job that does not pay well and is a job for
women (Banks, 2016).
In the United States, protests have occurred since the prevalent murders of African
American men by police like George Floyd, Michael Brown, and Alton Sterling with increasing
vigor because of the mistreatment of African Americans and other underrepresented minorities.
African Americans are often faced with low academic standards and low socioeconomic status,
which has almost become a trademark in the African American community (Elias & Haynes,
,2008). This is but a portion of the experiences Black people have in the U.S. that are perpetuated
because of racial practices (Bell, 2013). Within the United States, demographics of marginalized
populations have increased; this same shift has taken place in the U.S. education system.
Although U.S. school demographics have constantly changed, the education field has not
(National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2015).
During the decade from 1993–2003, more racial minority students started attending
public schools. Sixty-four percent of students who attended public schools during that timeframe
were Hispanic; 23% were African American; and 11% were Asian (National Center for
Education Statistics [NCES], 2005). In the same decade, the percentage of White students
attending public schools declined (Fry, 2006). During the last 2 decades, there has been an
increase of minorities attending public schools to the point that they outnumber the majority U.S.
public school student population (Fry, 2006; NCES, 2015; O’Hare, 2011).
Most researchers have revealed that schools with Black student populations need African
American male teachers (Hines & Hines, 2020). Even at schools without African American
students, African American male teachers are needed to give students from different
backgrounds a positive viewpoint of African American males (Salinas, 2012). African American
male teachers provide important images of success; they also break negative stereotypes and can
serve as a figure to which all students look up (Bolich, 2012). Within the education field, many
teachers have begun to retire with no one to replace them (Gonzalez, 2021). If society values
students’ academic success and interactions with great educators, it is vital that African
American males enter and stay in the education field.
When examining secondary level public schools in the U. S., the amount of African
American male educators is not equal to changing student demographics (Andrews, 1993;
,Anyon, 1995; Cochran-Smith, 2000; Delpit, 1994; Freedman et al., 1999; Irvine, 2003; Sulentic
Dowell, 2008). Even though African American males are not required for African American
students to succeed, having them in schools can provide leadership for all students (Hunter-
Boykin, 2012).
Background of the Study
The United States is a mixture of many different cultures; however, the U.S. education
system does not reflect this image. The education field is dominated by White females who
comprise 79% of PK–12 teachers (Meckler & Rabinowitz, 2019, p. 3). Women make up 84% of
teachers and men make up the remaining 16% (NCES, 2018, p. 67). Statistics show
representation of gender and racial diversity of teachers is not on par with the diversity of the
students. African American male students hardly ever learn from someone who looks like them
within the school setting, or who understands their culture or background while in class
(Gardener et al., 2014). This concept, borrowed from the field of children’s literature, is referred
to as windows and mirrors—that is, seeing oneself reflected in educational settings and
perceiving a role model reflective of oneself as a goal to attain (Botelho & Rudman, 2009).
Although other student populations are underrepresented, African American males are
most notably absent from the teaching profession. African American males comprise 21 million
people in the United States and make up 48% of the total African American population (U.S.
Census Bureau, 2018). African American males comprise 6–7% of the population in the United
States, (U.S. Census Bureau, 2018) whereas they constitute fewer than 2% of teachers (NCES,
2013). Mitchell (2010) attributed African American male teachers not being present in large
numbers due to several factors. These factors included (a) bad experiences as a PK–12 student,
(b) low salary, and (c) views of teaching as a job for women.
, Until the education field becomes more diverse, minority students will continue to face
challenges when it comes to academic success. Public school personnel strive to have their
students attain postsecondary education, along with providing them with a well-rounded
experience. By not having African American male teachers in a school, students miss out on the
impact they can have on students from all backgrounds (Pipho, 2018).
Statement of the Problem
There is not a definite understanding of why African American males select the teaching
field. History has shown African Americans were not afforded the opportunity to pursue a career
in teaching (Lewis, 2006). With a plethora of career options, the amount of African American
males who become teachers has decreased (Hill, 2015). With fewer African American males
becoming teachers, fewer African American students subsequently have someone who looks like
them in front of their classroom. The multicultural classroom, which has been around since at
least 1975, constructs a need for educators who are mindful of different cultures among students,
including “differences that affect learning styles, behavior, mannerisms, and relationships with
school and home” (Skylarz, 2013, p. 22).
Martinez (2017) contended the underrepresentation of African American male educators
to provide someone for African American students to look up to could “contribute to the
underachievement of African American students, provide little incentive for African American
students to advance in school and negatively affect their career and life aspirations” (p. 24).
What remained unknown is what influences African American males to choose the education
field. It also remains unclear what African American males think about their existence in the
teaching profession. African American students are sometimes overrepresented in many
unfavorable aspects of education, such as suspensions, expulsions, and overrepresentation in
