Perseverance Is in Our DNA

With the ongoing educational disparities and an increasingly diverse special education student population, the need for Black special education teacher faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) has never been greater. The role of Black women in higher education is indispensable as a means of addressing the social injustices faced by students of color with disabilities, diverse communities, families, and historically underserved groups by training Black educators. In this chapter, the author introduces her authentic self and academic journey as foundational to the proposed ideas expressed. The roles of novice special education faculty are discussed, including the challenges these emerging professionals face in obtaining tenure, promotion, and grant procurement. This is followed by suggestions for how to respond to the microaggressions (e.g., classism and colorism) encountered by both Black and White peers. Based on that groundwork, a series of best practices are proposed for creating safe spaces, nurturing and mentoring our future special education teachers. The chapter ends with a reinforcing and supporting summary of lessons learned to promote persistence and retention among Black special education teacher education faculty.