Beyond Resilience: Moving from Survival to Belonging

We need to talk about a word that shows up far too often in conversations about Black boys in education: Resilience.

It is usually meant as a compliment. But over the years, I have become more cautious about how we use it. Too often, when we praise resilience, what we are really doing is asking young people to endure conditions that adults should be working to change.

We applaud the Black boy who:

- Pushes through low expectations

- Navigates constant misunderstanding

- Keeps showing up in systems that do not consistently show up for him

While that strength is real, we have to ask a harder question: Why are we building systems that require so much resilience in the first place?

Our responsibility as educators is not to admire survival. It is to create schools where Black boys experience belonging, dignity, and rigorous learning from the moment they walk through the door. Places where they do not have to spend their energy navigating harm before they can engage with the work.

So today, I ask leaders and educators: Where in your system are Black boys being asked to be resilient instead of being protected, supported, and challenged as scholars?

Want to learn how to better support your black students, check out our crowns curriculum, a college-prep elective designed to address a critical gap in education. It supports Black male achievement through culturally grounded instruction and real-world learning. Crowns curriculum equips educators with academically rigorous, culturally responsive materials that engage students as readers, thinkers, and leaders. 

Interested in bringing Crowns to your school? Now is the perfect time to look into it for your schools 2027 school year. 

Learn more about Crown's Curriculum: https://lnkd.in/g5ke2Zq9

Learn more about Kingmakers of Oakland: https://lnkd.in/gjjYdP8e

Peace,

Matin