My teaching is grounded in the belief that learning is a transformative process that shapes personal and societal understanding. As an African American educator, I recognize the historical denial of literacy to my ancestors, and I approach teaching as a responsibility to highlight the importance of Black activism, culture, and literature. In my classrooms, I strive to create engaging, inclusive spaces where students can explore identity, culture, and social justice while developing critical thinking and writing skills.

I teach African American literature and culture using multimodal and interdisciplinary approaches that center texts by Black writers, rappers, and scholar-activists. My instruction emphasizes active engagement with cultural production, including music, literature, film, and youth media. For example, in my course Books that Matter: African American Youth Culture and Literature (ENGL 2011), students read Tupac Shakur’s The Rose That Grew from Concrete, Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give, and Janelle Monáe’s The Memory Librarian. These texts allow students to trace the intergenerational roots of Black activism, connecting the Black Power Movement to contemporary movements such as Black Lives Matter. Through assignments such as poetry composition, textual analysis, and research on historical figures mentioned in the texts, students explore the intersections of literature, music, and activism while developing their critical and creative skills.

In my composition courses, including Foundations in Rhetoric (ENGL 1001), students examine identity, African American English, and code-meshing. Assignments like “Words Matter” challenge students to research and reflect on complex or derogatory terms, fostering critical awareness of language, culture, and power.

I incorporate comparative analyses to highlight connections between cultural forms and political action. For example, students compare Tupac Shakur’s The Code of T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. and the Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Program to explore how hip-hop and activist movements address social, political, and educational needs within Black communities. These exercises demonstrate to students the ongoing evolution of Black resistance and cultural expression.

I strive to create classrooms that are diverse, equitable, and accessible, where students feel a sense of belonging and are encouraged to embrace their identities and voices. I achieve this through discussion, office hours, writing prompts, conferences, and anonymous check-ins to assess students’ understanding and well-being. My teaching philosophy emphasizes mentorship, student-centered learning, and the cultivation of intellectual, creative, and social growth. I continuously refine my teaching through engagement with current scholarship, student feedback, and collaboration with colleagues.