Journal of a Black Teacher

It is not a call for censorship or moral policing. It is a hypocritical argument. By Don Allen, (Journal Of A Black Teacher) 2025 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs have been in the crosshairs over the past two years, excised from corporate boardrooms, government agencies, and academia with surgical precision. What was once a drive toward greater representation and fairness in hiring has been recharacterized as an overreach, a misguided attempt at social engineering. Executives and politicians have publicly bragged that hiring must be done on the basis of "merit," as though the existence of DEI was a handout and not a response to two centuries of exclusion. These programs were too radical, too risky, and too threatening to the natural order of work. Yet in this newest crusade against equity, fairness, and human capital workgroup cultures, one industry has been conspicuously untouched: pornography. It’s fascinating, really. The very voices that shouted that DEI wa...

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...

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 ...

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...