Black Male Educators Wanted

Black men are largely underrepresented in the education industry, and that needs to change.

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By Donnell Suggs, The Atlanta Voice, Word in Black 

Ken Kemp walked down the stairs of the College Park Library to greet his guest. A groundskeeper ignored the two men and continued to cut the grass with a riding mower. The noise made it hard for a conversation to take place. Kemp, a professional school counselor at a metro Atlanta charter school, is used to talking in extreme circumstances. He is the only Black male counselor at his school and spends a lot of time communicating with young Black men and women on how to block out the background noise and focus on the mission at hand.

“I just want to be a safe space and a representation for the students,” said Kemp, 37. He sees the disparity in his profession as a problem that can be solved, but it’s going to take some work.