Every student deserves to be seen. To walk into a classroom and feel like they belong, not just in that room, but in the future it promises. For boys and young men of color, that sense of belonging often starts with seeing someone who looks like them, who understands their story, and who believes in their potential.
At MBK Tulsa, we believe that representation is a form of love and justice. It is one of the most powerful tools we have to affirm identity, unlock possibility, and disrupt inequity. Our work is rooted in a simple but urgent truth: when boys and young men of color are supported by people who see them fully, they thrive.
This past winter, Tulsa turned a page in its history. The election of Mayor Monroe Nichols, the city’s first Black mayor, was a message to every Black boy in this city that they are not only part of Tulsa’s story, they have the power to lead it. That same message must echo through our schools, where representation in the classroom remains one of the most important and underleveraged equity strategies we have.
Research shows that Black students who have at least one Black teacher are significantly more likely to graduate from high school and consider college.
Additional studies show improved academic achievement, stronger engagement, and a greater sense of identity and self-worth when students learn from educators who reflect their lived experiences.
Despite this, Black men represent less than 2 percent of teachers nationwide. The absence of Black and Brown male educators goes beyond a staffing issue but is instead a symptom of systems that have not prioritized belonging for students or for those called to serve them.
That’s why we celebrate and support efforts like the recent partnership between City Year Tulsa, Tulsa Public Schools, and Northeastern State University. Through this innovative collaboration, City Year AmeriCorps members can pursue teaching certification and a master’s degree while continuing to serve in Tulsa classrooms. It is a meaningful step toward building a more representative and equity-driven educator pipeline that grows from within our own community.
We are proud to see community-driven and -centered initiatives like these that stand as a testament of the power of collective action. Change for boys and young men of color requires a community working in unison with schools, nonprofits, government, grassroots leaders, and neighbors, each committed to building systems that truly serve our youth.
Through our own milestone table work, we are using this very framework to help increase reading proficiency, boost high school graduation, connect young men to workforce opportunities, and create safe and thriving communities. Knowing that we cannot do it alone, we’re bringing together partners from across sectors to align on vision and values and create the kind of city where every young man has a clear path to success.
To the young men we serve, know this: teaching is not just a profession, it is also a powerful way to lead. It is how we lift as we climb. If you’ve ever wondered whether you belong in front of a classroom, consider that your presence alone could change a life.
We are building a Tulsa where representation is not an exception, but an expectation. Where every student sees themselves in the leaders around them and starts to believe they can lead too.
Representation matters. Collective action matters. And when we combine the two with intention and heart, we move one step closer to the Tulsa our boys deserve.