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Black Men Teach (MN): Can We Know More?

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I believe it is important to explore the sources of support and resources available to us. I am confident that many Black teachers and administrators would be willing to contribute $50 a month to the BMT, provided there is a clear and transparent approach that fosters trust, accountability, and responsibility through the use of data. My focus is not on personal grievances but rather on promoting positive outcomes, as I have a deep understanding of the systems in which we operate. By Don Allen, Ed.S., M.A. Ed., MAT - Doctoral Candidate - Research Scientist As a Black male teacher in Minnesota, I am particularly concerned with efforts to grow the number of Black male teachers in Minnesota classrooms. Black Men Teach (BMT), a nonprofit group, has drawn attention for its work to recruit, prepare, place, and retain Black male elementary school teachers in Minnesota. While the aims of the organization are commendable, there is an immediate need for greater transparency regarding its activiti...
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CUB Foods - Where Are The Shopping Carts? Open Letter to United Natural Foods, Inc.

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Regarding : Cub Foods-University Ave St. Paul There are St. Paul commissioners, city council members, and other elected officials who shop at Cub Foods on University Avenue. Their silence in this superficial matter is deafening. How is it they can solve challenges for the people they represent but cannot pick up a phone a lobby for something the people might need? By Don Allen, Journal of A Black Teacher (2025) Saint Paul, MN...I don’t typically delve into conspiracy theories, but I find myself fully immersed in this one. The Cub Foods on University Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota, situated in the vibrant heart of Midway, has been eerily devoid of shopping carts for over a month now. How can you shop on a Sunday after church and not have a cart—and only two cashier lanes open? This unusual situation has sparked my curiosity and raised a myriad of questions about what could be behind such a puzzling oversight. I chatted with the manager and a few employees at the deli, which, I must say, ...
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Location: St Paul, MN, USA
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The Equity Illusion: Why Education Systems Struggle to Make It Work

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Equity in education is a buzzword that fills mission statements and district policies, but ask ten educators what it truly looks like, and you’ll get ten different answers. Some say it’s equal funding, others argue it’s individualized support, while some claim it’s dismantling systemic barriers. Yet, when decisions about resources, discipline, or curriculum are made, equity becomes a vague ideal rather than a concrete practice. Teachers are told to “meet students where they are,” but with what tools, and at whose expense? The truth is that equity remains an abstract promise, a goal chased but never fully defined, leaving schools in perpetual debate. Author's Note: My article, Why Equity Is A Unique Inoperational Fantasy in Education Systems, criticizes the use of "equity" as a buzzword in education. I attest that equity shows up in mission statements and strategic plans but remains an unrealized promise, used more as a shield for inaction than as a structured approach to...
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Location: Minnesota, USA
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The NFL didn't End Racism; they just decided it was Bad for Business

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For context, read -  NFL to remove ‘End Racism’ messaging in end zone ahead of Super Bowl By Don Allen, Journal of A Black Teacher (2025) Ah, the Super Bowl: America's most hallowed secular holiday, when corporate titans, celebrities, and the common fan all coalesce in blue-lit awe of multi-million-dollar ad spectacles, halftime spectaculars, and yeah-football. This year, though, the league pulled its own trick play-off, with very little fanfare, taking its once-prominent "End Racism" messaging from the end zones. Why? Well, because in what feels like 2025, it would appear acknowledging racism is too "divisive." That is like replacing signs saying "Stop Smoking" with "Breathe Freely." Yeah, it may sound nice, but the thing is, it does absolutely nothing to change your addiction. For those keeping score at home, this is the same league that has spent the last few years wrapping itself in the language of diversity, equity, and inclusion like a ...
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Location: Minnesota, USA
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Target Corporation Did Not Make DEI a Performative Enemy

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When “...being judged by the content of character” (Dr. King’s Dream) manifests itself in real-time due to the elimination of policy-forced culture in human capital workgroups, some seek to protest self-actualization, a trained response from the manifestation and evolution from the residual leftovers of the Jim Crow Era. By Don Allen, Journal of A Black Teacher (2025)      In an era where diversity, equity, and inclusion are frequently challenged, the backlash against Target Corporation's recent retreat from its DEI initiatives reveals a deeper issue: the superficiality of corporate diversity efforts and how Black America continues to be misled by the optics of DEI instead of genuine equity. In 2025, Martin Luther King, Jr., and his dream were fulfilled. As social media sparks a boycott against Target for scaling back these initiatives, it's crucial to pause and confront a more significant question: what does authentic DEI look like, and who bears the responsibility for i...
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Location: Minnesota, USA
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DEI in Black Minnesota Was Only Window Dressing

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If you’re convinced by CNN that President Donald Trump is the bogeyman, think again: DEI has always been our bogeyman. By Don Allen, Journal of A Black Teacher (2025) Nuance leaders, not afraid of looking in the blind spots from the beginning, knew that DEI efforts were nothing but folly. Today, in light of President Donald Trump’s executive order against diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, major companies and organizations have killed their DEI rollouts. In recent years, the buzzwords “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)” have been plastered across mission statements, websites, and glossy brochures throughout Minnesota. In the wake of Black men and women being murdered by law enforcement, institutions scrambled to position themselves on the “right side of history,” pledging their unwavering commitment to dismantling systemic racism and fostering inclusion. Yet, as the dust settles, and you look only at the data, it’s becoming increasingly evident that for many organizations...
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Location: 3901 Stevens Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409, USA
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Rediscovering the Algorithms of Cultivating Courage (Book section review)

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A book review of Cultivating Courage - Innovative Strategies for Developing a Critical Equity Leadership Identity by Dr. Lanise S. Block and Dr. Naomi R. Taylor. APA Citation : Block, L.S. & Taylor, N.R. (2025). Cultivating courage - Innovative strategies for developing a critical equity leadership identity . MindStir Media. www.mindstirmedia.com . ISBN-13: 978-1-963844-56-6. By Don Allen, Ed. S., M. A. Ed., MAT - Doctoral Candidate (Ed.D.) Hamline University (2025), Superintendent Licensure (2024); Principal Licensure (3/2025)      In C ultivating Courage-Innovative Strategies for Developing a Critical Equity Leadership Identity (2025), Dr. Lanise S. Block and Dr. Naomi R. Taylor bring the needed framework of equity-focused leadership; Gervase R. Bushe brings a very fine thread of connection between themes through Clear Leadership  (2010); and Michael Fullan and Joanne Quinn connect with this thought even further in The Drivers: Transforming Learning for Stude...
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Location: Minnesota, USA
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