The Symbiosis of Black Male Studies and Black Male Literacy Development: “A Reading of the World and not Just the Words”

The research cannon on Black males must be expanded and balanced. The research is replete with deficiencies and derogatory data; however Black males’ literacy data appears draconian. The purpose of this project was to create a toolkit intended to help educators by way of shedding light on Black Male Studies and its impact on Black male literacy development. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) The Nation’s Report Card (2017), Black males are at the bottom of every reading indicator. However, does this barometer accurately compute the literacy trajectory of Black males? Black Male Studies is a relatively new field of studies and it is the undergirding framework utilized for this project. This project includes a professional development course that offers a Black Male “Lit” Educational Cool-Kit. The title of this educational tool kit is derived from Poet Laurate and Pulitzer Prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks’ We Real Cool. This professional development includes strategies that educators might utilize when planning instruction based on their knowledge, or lack thereof regarding Black male literacy development in relationship to Black Male Studies.