Black Teachers Matter: Examining the Depths of Seven HBCU Teacher Preparation Programs

Abstract

There is an immediate need for Black teachers who have been properly trained to meet the diverse needs of students in urban schools. However, the lack of appropriate representation of Black teachers has caused issues among Black students that include lowered academic performance and missing cultural experiences (Egalite, Kisida, & Winters, 2015; Ladson-Billings, 2000; Madkins, 2011). Thus, this study examines the teacher preparation programs of seven historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) using Ladson-Billings’ (2000) conceptual framework for effective programs. The results reveal that, though each of the programs vary in their program components, the majority of the HBCUs intentionally incorporated situated pedagogy, academic achievement, and cultural competence within their teacher preparation programs. The components that were not underscored in most of the HBCUs were autobiography and sociopolitical critiques. Therefore, since the HBCUs studied in this paper contribute significantly to the number of Black teachers in America, it is recommended that they and other schools preparing Black teachers consider incorporating these components into their programs, while also intentionality ensuring the cultural competence of future Black educators being prepared to serve in diverse urban schools.