Chapter 3: Curating the Black Male Aesthetic: The Perceptions, Preparation, and Persistence of Black Male Educators

The research literature about Black male educators (BMEs) is disparate, as researchers provide various claims regarding the perceptions, preparation, and persistence of Black males as teachers. An art curator looks at a collection of artworks and shows those pieces in an exhibit that captures the theme’s aesthetics. The purpose of this chapter was to curate the Black male aesthetic. To curate, the researcher reviewed the literature, interviewed Black male preservice teachers, and contributed ethnographic commentary to create an exhibit of findings. The findings clarified why there is a critical shortage of BMEs, determined the effectiveness of current initiatives, and captured traditional and alternative pathways to licensure. This chapter recommends how teacher education programs can utilize these findings to ameliorate the BME shortage.