I knew even before I landed my first teaching position that my presence as a Black male educator was going to matter. My main purpose for entering the education ranks was to inform, inspire, and empower the Black male learner. I have always cared deeply for all my students, but my “why” — the purpose that drives me — is disproving the stereotypes about Black boys and proving to the world what they are capable of achieving. Black men comprise less than 2% of America’s teaching force (Borowski & Will, 2021). That means that, for most Black children, the likelihood of learning from a Black male teacher is slim to none. That’s problematic for all students, but especially Black boys, because, as the expression says,