The Lion Tells His Side of the (Counter)Story: A Black Male Educator’s Autoethnographic Account

Abstract

While many initiatives have emerged to increase the presence of Black males in schools, there is still little known about our experiences. Through the use of autoethnographic vignettes and counterstorytelling, I highlight the successes and challenges Black male educators may face during the hiring process as well as in the classroom. While this account cannot be generalized for all Black male educators, this study emphasizes the important role they play in the lives of their students. I conclude the article with an argument for the use of counterstorytelling in research as a transformative and therapeutic method for Black male educators and scholars to analyze their experiences and challenge deficit narratives.