Journal of a Black Teacher

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...

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...

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...

While sweeping the garage one day, I found myself instinctively starting from each corner, pushing the pill of ‘stuff’ toward the center. Seemingly such an act of meaninglessness, it brought into view a brilliant observation of leadership and organizational dynamics that I would later conceptualize as the Theory of Corners. Just as dust usually accumulates and is never cleaned out from the corners of a space, so too are blind spots in organizations, those areas where inefficiencies, inequities, and unspoken truths reside. I realized then that nuanced leadership means venturing into the metaphorical corners, addressing the hidden challenges, and moving them toward the center for systemic growth and transformation. This theory shaped my leadership philosophy. By Don Allen, for Journal of A Black Teacher (2025) Nuanced leadership is an art form often drowned out by loud voices, rigid hierarchies, and unwavering allegiance to the status quo. These are the leaders who dare to dwell in the ...

Note to Readers : Courageous Conversation protocols are used in this reflection.  By Don Allen (Journal of A Black Teacher) REAL-LIFE FICTION In my second year teaching 7th-grade English to a predominantly Black middle school, I was making a difference. My classroom hummed with purpose as students turned ideas into action. They put out a monthly newspaper filled with their voice, stories, and dreams. We organized clothing drives to give back to the community, teaching the value of service and empathy. They knew their voices counted, not just with me but with the middle school. Many of them, for the first time, felt seen. By the end of that year, I was asked to move up with my students to teach 8th-grade English. The decision of the administration felt like a validation of the relational trust and curricular rigor I had established. However, the optimism I carried into my new role was quickly tempered when a new White teacher took over my 7th-grade classroom. Fresh out of a special...