At a special ceremony at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Joris Ray announced a new initiative geared toward African American Males. The African American Male Empowerment initiative will be a district-wide effort to promote the academic and socio-emotional health of African American boys. The initiative is heavily focused on ensuring access to rigorous instruction and boosting the use of restorative practices but also builds in opportunities for professional learning for district staff. In addition, a major priority is recruiting African American male teachers in K-5.  

As part of the new initiative, the Superintendent is also creating an Equity Office and a Equity Taskforce to guide the work of the initiative and collect feedback from community stakeholders to strengthen the initiative’s work.

Learn more about the initiative by visiting the African American Empowerment website and reading the district's press release.