Bernard, you are a change-maker in education who works collaboratively to solve some of the toughest issues in education and social justice. What is your personal story and what led you to this mission?
I am a first-generation student from Chicago, Illinois who grew up with a lack of financial resources but a wealth of love and support. Despite the fact that every statistic would predict as a black male growing up in neighborhoods filled with gangs and poverty that I would either end up in jail or dead by the age of twenty like so many other friends and family member including my brother. My brother is a hero in my eyes, his 20 years of incarceration was spent improving his education and helping other improve theirs, within a week of his release he was on a college campus obtaining certifications to become a mechanic. I so desperately want to create a system which bright young people like my brother don’t have to take a twenty-year detour to realize their dreams.
God surrounded me with a network of support in many different forms, including family, community members, churches, school personnel, and community-based organization who invested in my success. As I now reflect, I understand that a lot of people navigating the everyday struggles and complexities of poverty, neglect, and racism gave the very best of themselves to me each and every time I needed it. The unintentional collaboration of all these people and entities changed my life and has given me the vision that the intentional collaboration and alignment of our educational and social ecosystem can improve the life outcomes for all students.
You recently lost your dear father to COVID. What legacy will you carry on for him and what foundation did he give you as the leader you are today?
I will carry on a legacy of excellence which my father demonstrated for me through out his 75 years on this earth. My parents were born in a small town in Mississippi and took the bold step of leaving the only life they had known to forge a better life for themselves and eventually their children. Both my parents have instilled in me a strong work ethic, a love of the Lord and the responsibility of service.
My father understood that everyone was “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God and had a way of making everyone feel special, I hope that it is a part of his legacy that I can continue. I strive to make my parents proud of me each and every day, my mom here on earth and my dad in heaven.
What is the most rewarding part of your work for our readers who are educators or those who are considering a career as an educator?
I have the privilege of being Senior Executive Director for the Office of Career and College Success in Denver Public Schools. This is a really long title but simply means that I get to build system and structures within the district and city to help students and families fulfill their academic and career goals. It is especially rewarding to watch students uncover and realize their brilliance as they are exposed to new academic concepts and career and college options. There is no greater gift that you can give than an education because it the light in the darkness that changes world.
What challenges in the work you do, does the world need to know about so that we can solve these challenges to close the equity gap?
The term “equity gap” encapsulates a number of gaps in this country including the opportunity gap. So many of students are denied the opportunities to demonstrate their brilliance through rigorous academic work or challenging experiential learning experiences. We need to ensure that the student experience includes rigorous course work and experiences that accelerate interest and learning.
There is also a gap in how we define excellence which is not inclusive of all the many ways that students of color demonstrate brilliance. We need to expand how we define excellence and focus on the assets our students as we strengthen their areas of growth.
The other prevalent gap is that of educator mindsets, every educator has to have the fundamentally belief that all students are capable of success.
You are married to a remarkable woman and are blessed with a beautiful family. What do all men need to know to be married to strong women and to raise strong women?
This is a great question, I am blessed to surrounded by strong African American women in my home, including my wife Dr. Plashan McCune founder of the African American Young Ladies Summit and author of Trauma and Postsecondary Success. Being married to a strong woman is such an asset because in marriage the “two become one”; her strength increases our strength as a couple and a family. I always tell people she is my better 3/4ths. A strong spouse will only make you a stronger and better man.
We have tried to instill in our daughters the knowledge that they can accomplish any goal through their hard work, dedication, faith, and belief. They can see this manifested in their home and all over the world by countless other women who have overcome many barriers so unfairly placed on women to lead and change their homes, communities, companies, cities, countries, and frankly the world.
