How to Overcome Racism in High School and Become a Model Educator: One Teacher’s Story

Last month, we had the great pleasure of interviewing Vishaun Ezell for our article, “We Need More Programs that Encourage and Acknowledge Teachers of Color.” Following that interview, Vishaun emailed me a story that left me stunned:

“I started my journey as a school aged child in a predominantly African American community and school district. My mom decided that she wanted something better for me, so during the second semester of my 8th grade year, we moved to a district where the people were predominantly white.

“I hated being there, and they hated me being there. It was a daily struggle. There were about 15-20 of us (minority students) who had to stick together in order to survive the hatred by classmates and teachers and to protect each other from the threats and fights. 

“We were not given adequate graduation information or allowed to participate in academic activities until someone from the outside, who looked like us, came in and demanded our participation. We were smart, on the honor roll, and in honors classes, but that was not good enough.” 

I shared Vishaun’s email with the ELP team. We all found it truly remarkable that she became a teacher after such a harrowing experience (she is a CTE-certified career and educational business teacher at a middle school in Michigan). The support she and her classmates finally received reminded us of why we started ELP in the first place. Knowing someone has your back and is advocating for you can give you the confidence - and even the courage - to keep going. 

We asked Vishaun to share the rest of her story, including what kind of support she received in high school and college, what motivated her to become a teacher, and how she’s supporting her students. It has been edited for length and clarity.  

Discrimination was alive and well in 1980s Michigan

At my middle and then high school, we were discriminated against by students, the staff, and the teachers. You could tell that the teachers didn’t want us minorities there by the things they would say and do. For Martin Luther King Day, they would give tests, and we were told that we couldn’t miss school, because they wouldn’t give us a make-up test.

The students called us all sorts of racial slurs. They would burn crosses in the athletic fields. 

Support in high school and college came from people who looked like Vishaun 

There was a lady, Lenore Croudy, who ran a program for minorities called Black Scholars. They’d have this assembly/awards program for seniors. You’d get a $50 savings bond, a nice dinner, and a nice plaque. She came to the district one year, and she said all minority students would participate in her program. She gave us information about college and access to resources so we could learn more on our own.

The school never provided us with college information. I don’t remember anything about college visits, and I don’t remember a guidance counselor saying, ‘This college would be a good fit for you.’ We heard about things on our own.  

When Ms. Croudy came in, we thought, ‘Finally, someone is getting us! Finally someone understands that we don’t have anyone to look up to.’ It was so enlightening. 

I went to the University of Michigan - Flint. I received a lot of support from my friends, but not from the teachers. We had instructors who would talk and erase the board at the same time. I had to buy a tape recorder so I could keep up.

The road to teaching was not a straight path

After college, I worked in Job Corps for two years. I taught basic math and reading to kids who wanted to get their GED. A white teacher next door started adding social-emotional learning to her curriculum, way before it was a thing. She let them throw chairs to get their anger out - it was so loud and disruptive. At the end of the year, she got a large bonus. And here I was, working with GED kids, and they said, ‘Well, we’ll see how it goes.’

This experience deterred me from teaching, so I got a job at a bank. I started subbing, and I could see that minority kids would get in trouble a lot. I thought, ‘I want my own class so I can teach the children who look like me how to get what they need in life. No one’s going to give it to them.’ 

The minority staff loved me - they knew I was going to take care of the kids. I started getting called every day to sub. When I found out it would only take me one year to get my teaching certificate, I did - and here we are. I have been teaching full-time for 23 years. I really love what I do. 

Vishaun provides her students with life skills and encouragement

Here at the middle school, I’m trying to provide my students with life skills. I want them to learn how to be financially stable, and I want them to develop resilience so they can tough out a job they might not love. I even talk to them about social-emotional skills, like what I do to get myself under control. 

I also want them to know someone cares about them and that they get a new chance every day - it doesn’t matter what happened yesterday. Today I said to my class, ‘I don’t know if anyone has told you this today, but I’m glad you’re here.’ They looked at me like, ‘What is wrong with her?’ 

Vishaun’s advice to teachers who aren’t sure they’re supporting their students enough or in the right way

Just talking to a student, complimenting them, giving them a high five, or letting them talk to you for a few minutes is a great start. Be real with them. 

Give them a new opportunity every day to do their best. They might mess up five days in a row, but you still have to show that you care about them even as you’re telling them the consequences of their behavior.

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Have you received vital support to overcome racism, discrimination or other roadblocks to become an educator? We would love to share your story. Please reach out at info@educatorsleadingtheprofession.org.