Let Them Rise: A Blueprint for Educating Black Boys
Before diving into this column, I want to be clear: This is not a critique of any one school, district or institution. This is a broader reflection, a blend of research, observation, and personal experience, on the current state of education for Black boys in America.
Let’s rise together
Years ago I started a boys’ group at a local middle school called REAL Leaders: Reaching Everyone’s Achievable Limits. Our mission was to build leadership, social awareness, self-identity, and financial literacy through service-based learning. The group quickly became a safe space for Black boys to explore who they are and who they could become.
I’ll never forget one session when a young man quietly shared, “School is tough because of the color of my skin.” He didn’t go into detail, but that single sentence hit me deeply, and stayed with me. It was a painful reminder of the realities many Black boys face, and it became part of my “why” for continuing to serve in education.
Since that moment, I’ve made it my mission to see every young Black boy as a whole human being, someone who deserves to be seen, heard, and valued.
As I reflect on that boy’s words, and the broader vision behind this Let Them Rise series, I find myself asking: What was the state of education for that young man then, and what is the state of education for Black boys now?
More than a backpack
In schools across Minnesota and throughout the country, Black boys walk through school doors carrying more than just a backpack. Many carry the weight of:
- generational trauma
- mental health challenges
- negative stereotypes
- low expectations
- a system that often views them as a problem, not potential
Despite these challenges, Black boys shine. Their brilliance shows up in creativity, resilience, humor, leadership and intellect. But too often they are left unseen, unsupported and unheard by the very systems meant to uplift them.
What are people saying?
To better understand current perceptions, I asked a cross-section of people to share their thoughts on the state of Black boys in education. Here’s a glimpse of what they said:
- Community Member: “Black boys are in trouble. We invest more in athletics than we do in their academics.”
- Educator: “Black boys need space to discover who they are beyond the noise, beyond phones, peers and pressure. The wilderness gave me self-reliance and clarity. They deserve that too. What’s missing is self-discovery with community in mind.”
- Community Member: “The state of education for Black boys is going through growing pains.”
- Parent: “It goes beyond today’s system. Black boys have been left behind for generations. My son struggles with identity in school. While I don’t blame schools alone, they play a critical role in helping him see who he is, and who he can become.”
- Student: “Sometimes it’s scary. People treat me different. Being a Black boy in school has its ups and downs.”
What the data tells us
The data backs up what lived experiences have long shown: Black boys are the most underserved group in American education.
Discipline disparities: Black students are eight times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white students. (Minnesota Department of Human Rights, 2022)
Achievement Gaps:
- Reading: Black 4th graders score 197 vs. 232 for white students, a 35-point gap. (University of Minnesota, 2019)
- Math: 4th grade: 223 (Black) vs. 248 (white);n8th grade: 260 (Black) vs. 292 (white)
National Data(U.S. Dept. of Education, 2021–22 Civil Rights Data Collection):
- Preschool: Black boys = 9% of enrollment but account for 30% of suspensions and 25% of expulsions.
- K–12: 8% of students, 18% of in-school suspensions, 22% of out-of-school suspensions, 21% of expulsions
Special Education Disparities (Minnesota Department of Education): Black boys are disproportionately labeled with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders (EBD). Of those identified for special education, 52% of Black students were classified under EBD, the highest category of identification.
But the data doesn’t tell the whole story, What these numbers can’t capture is the full humanity of Black boys:
- The student who shows up every day, even when carrying invisible burdens
- The young scientist who loves social studies but struggles to sit still
- The poet, the artist, the quiet thinker, the future father
- The boy full of potential, waiting for someone to see it
Numbers matter. But so do stories. And the story of Black boys is one of strength, creativity, and brilliance in the face of adversity.
So where do we go from here?
In the remaining columns of “Let Them Rise: A Blueprint for Educating Black Boys,” we won’t just name the problems, we’ll explore real solutions:
- Disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline
- Increasing Black male representation in teaching
- Rebuilding the village through community partnerships
- Promoting mental wellness and emotional development
- Embracing culturally responsive teaching
- Strengthening school-family bridges
- And most importantly, center Black joy in education
Each column will offer a blueprint grounded in love, accountability, and high expectations, because Black boys don’t just deserve to survive school. They deserve to thrive.
As someone who once sat in those desks, walked those halls, and felt unseen, I write this not from theory, but from lived experience, passion, and hope. A hope that together, we will build a world where every Black boy can rise.
Let’s rise together.
Richard D. Terrell is a native of Minneapolis and a father of three: Zyree, Raymond, and Vivian. For over 20 years he has worked in education and youth development, and currently serves as an assistant principal with Saint Paul Public Schools. He is the author of “Letters to My Young Brothers: There is Hope!”
Learn more or connect at https://mrrichardterrell.com.
