Carrying the dream forward: How Black Men Teach is shaping Minnesota’s classrooms

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed education was one of the most powerful tools for justice. He understood that classrooms could either reinforce inequality or become sites of liberation, and that real change requires both collective action and sustained service. In Minnesota, that vision is being carried forward by the nonprofit organization Black Men Teach.

Founded in 2018, Black Men Teach emerged in response to a stark reality: Black male educators remain among the most underrepresented professionals in Minnesota’s education system, particularly in elementary and middle schools where early representation can have a lasting impact. In a state with nearly 60,000 teachers, Black men account for less than one-half of one percent of the workforce, and fewer than 50 teach in elementary schools statewide.

For Black boys across Minnesota, the absence of educators who share their lived experience has real consequences. Research consistently shows that having even one Black teacher can improve academic performance, reduce disciplinary disparities, and increase long-term outcomes such as graduation and college enrollment. Yet for many students, that opportunity never materializes.

Black Men Teach was created as a direct response to that gap.

For executive director Markus Flynn, the connection to the organization was immediate. Before moving to Minnesota, Flynn learned about Black Men Teach and felt its mission aligned with his own purpose and experiences as a Black educator.

“I kept asking how I could support the work,” Flynn said.

That persistence led him to help develop the organization’s college program and later step into the role of executive director. A journey that reflects one of Dr. King’s core teachings: meaningful change requires showing up, again and again.

Despite growing awareness around educator diversity, Flynn notes that progress has been uneven.

“There’s more acknowledgement now,” he said, “but recruitment hasn’t been matched by retention.”

Across Minnesota, teacher shortages, political pressures, and budget constraints have often pushed equity efforts to the margins. For Black male educators, retention is especially challenging. Many find themselves isolated as the only Black man in a school building, carrying unspoken expectations around discipline, cultural translation, and leadership, often without adequate institutional support.

“Black Men Teach provides what too many systems do not,” Flynn said. “Belonging, mentorship, coaching, and tangible support.”

By centering community and culturally responsive leadership, Black Men Teach supports educators as whole people, not just employees. That approach aligns directly with Dr. King’s belief that education must cultivate both intellect and character.

Some of the organization’s most meaningful milestones extend beyond the classroom. Through partnerships, Black Men Teach has supported educators in achieving long-term stability, including helping teachers purchase homes in the communities where they work.

“Seeing teachers invest in the neighborhoods they serve was a full-circle moment,” Flynn said. “It’s about stability, belonging, and impact.”

That work is unfolding amid renewed legal and political scrutiny. In December, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Minneapolis Public Schools challenging provisions in the district’s teachers union contract, including protections intended to retain educators from underrepresented populations and a partnership with Black Men Teach. Supporters of the policy say it was designed to address longstanding disparities in recruitment and retention, particularly for Black male educators who remain dramatically underrepresented in Minnesota classrooms.

While Flynn is not able to comment on pending litigation, the moment underscores an example of current resistance towards overcoming lingering disparities that are addressed by programs like Men Teach.

Dr. King believed collaboration was essential to justice, and Black Men Teach operates with that same philosophy. The organization partners with school districts, universities, nonprofits, and community groups to build clear pathways from high school to teacher licensure, and to strengthen retention once educators enter the profession.

“This work is too big for any single organization,” Flynn said. “Collaboration isn’t optional, it’s the strategy.”

At its core, Black Men Teach reflects Dr. King’s values of dignity, justice, service, and equity in education.

“Our work is about treating Black male educators as human beings whose presence transforms communities,” Flynn said.

When asked about the long-term vision, his hope is simple: that Black boys across Minnesota grow up seeing themselves reflected in classrooms and leadership, and that teaching becomes a viable, respected, and dignified career path for Black men.

“The quote that guides me is, ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,’” Flynn said. “We see our work as one of the hands bending that arc.”

On this Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black Men Teach reminds Minnesotans that the dream is not only remembered: it is practiced, taught, and lived in classrooms across the state.

Margaret Sullivan welcomes reader responses at msullivan@spokesman-recorder.com