Bio
I'm a Black Boy from Dade County!
I was born and raised in Miami, Florida and a proud graduate of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Going into high school, I struggled with being my authentic self. I was a Black Boy who grew up with working parents, who lived in the inner city, who was athletic, but also smart. I struggled identifying my true identity, and knowing who I really was and who I wanted to be each and every day I arrived at school. My ninth grade Geometry teacher became my inspiration for proving people wrong. You see you labeled me as a troublemaker and went out of her way to say negative things about me and my future. She was my first example of someone who stereotyped me because I was vocal and articulate Black boy. She would not be the first person on my journey to doubt me and my abilities, but she did ignite a flame that allowed me to work twice as hard to prove everyone wrong. I graduated #10 in my class out of 595 students. My Geometry teacher is the reason I became a teacher. I never wanted any other Black boy to experience a teacher like her, and it became my duty to uplift those behind me. I went on to graduate from The University of Florida with a B.S. in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences.
The Emergence of Modern Day Joe Clark
Right after graduation, I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina to become a middle school math teacher. I was named New Teacher of the Year, and received the High Growth Achievement Award each year I taught. Although Florida raised me, I became the educator I am today because of my time in North Carolina. My students ignited a passion in me that I did not know existed. I witnessed the disparities facing my Black boys and knew I had to do something about it. I went on to start an all-male mentorship program called The Gentlemen's League. The mission of The Gentlemen's League is to educate, empower, and enrich our males to lead them to path of success. I quickly learned that schools must be equipped with individuals who have the power to evoke change to ensure equity exist for all students. While teacher I graduated with my Masters in Middle Grades Education with a focus in Middle School Math from the University of North Carolina Charlotte. I went onto become a Dean of Students. When I left the Dean of Students role, I realized that even as a Black man, I was further reinforcing the school to prison pipeline. My role required me to regulate and police behavior in ways that shook my faith in education. I knew there had to be another way. That “other way” runs against the conveyor belt of conventional thinking about the purpose of and methods for building school culture. I then went out to join New Leaders’s Aspiring Principal Program Cohort 15 in Memphis, TN.
The Journey To Principalship
After completing my principal residency, I joined the most beautiful school community as principal. I am proud to say that I am the youngest Shelby County Schools principal, and the first Teach For America Alum to lead a district school. During my time as principal, my school was removed from the State of Tennessee's Priority List and the school was named a 2018 State of TN Reward School for high achievement and high growth. In February 2019, I went viral due to my weekly bedtime stories series. Every Tuesday evening, I read a different Bedtime Story to my scholars on Facebook.
Through The Gentlemen's League, I founded Shelby County Schools’ first ever Elementary Basketball League. The league, targeting Black boys, was a positive outlet for students and taught them the fundamentals of basketball as well as teamwork and accountability. In February 2020, I talk about some of the work I was able to do when I delivered a TEDx Talk on Small Ideas leading to Big Change.
During my time as principal, I earned my Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy from The University of Memphis and launched my consulting business Black Boy Joy Consulting LLC. Being a school leader is all about cultivating joy and creating the conditions where children can be holistically successful in school and life.