The Turnaround
"Black educators matter because they can be essential role models for Black students, and not just Black students but all races." Mr. Kevin Blackmon Band and Chorus Teacher "Those [HBCU] experiences molded me into who I am today." Born and raised in Columbus, GA, Kevin Blackmon had many Black teachers throughout elementary and high school. However, retention was always a problem. He began a singing group with his siblings at the age of 5 and joined the band in middle school. In high school, he had to deal with having good grades and struggling with standardized testing (AKA the graduation test). In spite of the challenges, music and teaching were always his goals. He attended Alabama State, majoring in Music Education, joining the marching band and band fraternity. A first generation college student, he wasn't sure of himself but proved to be stronger than he thought. "[Our] people are learning their history. That's the beautiful thing about our culture, we are learning each day and we're standing up to it [White supremacy] like we're not going to tolerate this…" Kevin began teaching back home in a rough school. The students tested him, but once they saw he was committed, they began learning and growing in music. As Kevin grew close to his students and tragedy befell one of his drum majors, he questioned if he was in the right profession. Again, he resolved within himself that he was made for this and would be there for the students' highs and lows.