My Very Own Library

Black Educators Matter: Project 500 Podcast

“You get an experience…”

Dr. Duane Davis

Executive Director, K-12 Initiatives, University of Chicago, Edpreneur

My Very Own Library

Youtube: My Very Own Library

“Seeing yourself… We are who we waiting for… we all we got.”

With 28 years under his belt and after wearing many different hats, Dr. Duane Davis takes us to school on the nuances and context of the P-20 landscape, school choice, and the grand experiment of education. As a Black male educator that’s taught just about everything, he’s learned the value of time, and the power educators have to make their students feel seen. With deep roots in Chicago, he reflects on doing time at Catholic school, “Teachers for Chicago”, and how being a lover of stories led him into his dream job.

“We put a lot of pressure on schools to be the social safety net…”

“We in trouble…”... But… how did we get here? Dr. Davis breaks down the impact of Brown V. Board of Education, the problematic rhetoric regarding the pandemic, and the critical services that schools provide to the community. In spite of the challenges, Duane finds joy in connecting students with books, celebrating graduations (including his own! #MamaIMadeIt!!), establishing collaborative partnerships and advocating for every single human that walks into the building. He’s Cultivating Genius (one of his recommended texts) and focusing on joy, and is encouraging everybody, but especially Black men in education, to create space to do the same.