Beyond suspension: seeing the boy before the behavior

On Oct. 8, educators, parents, mental health professionals and community members gathered for a conversation about the educational experiences of Black boys. The event was part of my ongoing Let Them Rise: A Blueprint for Educating Black Boys initiative, which challenges how we think about, educate and support Black boys in our schools and communities.

The evening centered on one question: What happens to a Black boy academically, mentally and emotionally when he is removed from the classroom?

As an educator, I have spent years working with young people, particularly Black boys. I have known young men who were intelligent, creative, compassionate and natural leaders, yet the adults around them sometimes saw their behavior before they recognized their potential. I have watched situations where a young person needed someone to ask, “What happened to you?” or “How can I support you right now?” Instead, the first question was “What consequence should he receive?” or “What does the handbook say?”

Those are two very different questions, and the answers can change the direction of a young person’s education.

Throughout the evening, we challenged ourselves to think beyond traditional approaches to school discipline. Conversations about suspension often center on rules, consequences and accountability. Accountability is necessary, but young people also need room to learn from their mistakes without losing their connection to school.

What happens when a Black boy misses instruction? What happens when he begins to feel he does not belong at school? What happens when adults start to see him through the lens of his mistakes?

Removing a Black boy from the classroom does not automatically address what caused the behavior. Sometimes it creates new challenges. Given the longstanding disparities in educational opportunity and school discipline, these questions deserve particular attention when it comes to Black boys.

Our first speaker, educator and youth advocate Nafeesah Muhammad, urged us to consider the importance of culturally responsive instruction, strong relationships and recognizing the brilliance and humanity of Black boys.

Our second speaker, Zadok Nampala, a licensed mental health professional with more than two decades of experience in trauma-informed care and youth development, framed a deeper discussion about the emotional toll of exclusionary discipline.

We have to consider what repeated suspensions communicate to Black boys. Do they begin to feel unwanted? Do they lose confidence? Do they come to believe the adults around them have already given up on them?

One of the evening’s central themes was changing how we see Black boys. What if, instead of talking only about achievement gaps, behavior, suspensions and graduation rates, we focused on giving them opportunities to lead, talking with them intentionally about their educational journey and including them in the decisions that affect them?

Our responsibility as adults is not simply to respond to behavior. It is to teach, guide, support and create opportunities for Black boys to rise in their schools and communities. Black boys should never have to be perfect to be seen as worthy of support.

That responsibility does not belong to teachers alone. It belongs to administrators, parents, caregivers, mental health professionals and community members. We must examine our own practices, assumptions and expectations. We must ask whether our schools are places where Black boys feel valued, challenged, protected and supported. And we must be willing to listen and respond differently.

This conversation connects directly to my work with RISE Prep Academy, a nontraditional educational program scheduled to open in fall 2027 with 25 sixth-grade boys. The academy will focus on academic excellence, culturally responsive education, leadership development, mentorship, social-emotional learning, restorative practices and enrichment. Our vision is a school where young men are recognized for their strengths, their potential and their ability to lead, and where they are challenged academically while their mental, social and emotional well-being is supported.

One of our commitments is a learning environment without suspensions, where behavior is addressed through accountability, restoration, relationships and opportunities for growth rather than exclusion. RISE Prep Academy is not the answer to every challenge facing Black boys, but it represents our commitment to building something different.

As the evening closed, I reminded everyone that Let Them Rise is more than the name of a conversation. It is a call to action. Our Black boys need adults who consistently see them, listen to them, believe in them and challenge them. We cannot keep discussing the challenges Black boys face without asking what we are willing to do differently.

The Oct. 8 conversation was not meant to provide every answer, but it was the start of a powerful and much-needed dialogue. Next, I plan to continue it by inviting parents and Black boys to share their own perspectives.

I want to thank our sponsors, Black Pastors United for Education, MAD DADS Twin Cities and Affordable Tires in Brooklyn Park, for making this community conversation possible. Their support reflects a shared commitment to the academic, mental, social and emotional well-being of Black boys, and a reminder that meaningful change requires collaboration and a collective willingness to act.

Let’s rise together!

Richard D. Terrell is a native of Minneapolis. He serves as assistant pastor at Historic Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church in north Minneapolis and as founder and executive director of RISE Prep Academy. For more information, visit his website at mrrichardterrell.com. You can also reach him directly at mrrichardterrell@gmail.com.