Initiatives promoting thinking and awareness, responsibility and action
DARYL HOWARD, PH.D.
Education and Equity Thought Leader
Daryl Howard, Ph.D is an equity instructional specialist whose work and research interests include race and cultural proficiency, social emotional learning, and the triumphs and challenges of African American male students. As chair of Maryland’s State Department of Education’s Advisory Council on Equity and Excellence for Black Boys, he researches and recommends policy and practice to disrupt harmful narratives, decrease disproportionality and elevate achievement.
Dr. Howard is instrumental in the work of the Building our Network of Diversity (BOND) Project, where he leads initiatives focused on the recruitment, development and retention of male educators of color, as well as empowerment of underserved male students. Howard lectures on the topics of race, sociology, and education at McDaniel and Prince George’s Community College and is the author of Complex People: Insights at the Intersection of Black Culture and American Social Life. Lastly, Dr. Howard is part of the NEA Foundation’s Educators’ Table. The program seeks to uplift the voices of outstanding educators on key issues, including equity, educational justice, workforce diversity and more.
Areas of Focus
Engaging Race and Culture
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are the new buzzwords in every organization and workplace across the country. It appears that many professions have recognized that now is the time to promote awareness and pursue a better understanding of the impact of culture on employees and how they engage with those they serve. Is your organization ready for an introduction to conversations about race and culture? Dr. Howard facilitates workshops and seminars that equip individuals to interact, engage, and understand the lived experiences of people of different races and cultures. Exploration of content can range from implicit bias and cultural competency to antiracism and social justice. These sessions are ideal for educators, youth workers, and change agents, or can be tailored for your professional environment.
Reaching and Teaching Black Boys
Reaching and Teaching Black Boys is a professional development seminar catered to the needs of those who have interest in improving outcomes for their African-American male students. As an academic and author, from schoolhouse to summer camps, Dr. Howard has countless experiences that are used as the foundation for his professional development and programming around young men. These seminars are designed to teach educators and guardians of black boys how to best instruct and engage this particular demographic. This learning experience will allow participants to consider new ways of engaging black boys and strategizing for success; explore the stages of development, brain differences, and cultural patterns of African-American male students, and examine the societal bias in the perceptions of black boys that impact their outcomes.
“Dr. Howard definitely crafted an ensemble of thought-provoking moments.”
Complex People: Insights at the Intersection of Black Culture and American Social Life
Complex People is an insightful set of essays focused on various aspects of contemporary black culture. By analyzing several racial and cultural ideas, Dr. Howard provides an understanding of how American society is organized, not only based on merit, but also on the perceived strengths or weaknesses of certain groups. Unyielding in his challenge of ideas and patterns of behavior that support inequality, Howard gives considerable attention to mainstream education, symbolic imagery, misconceptions about black boys, and the suppression of women’s worth in society. Debunking myths and revealing truths, these essays give context to various individual, family, and social dynamics in the black community. For the curious reader — regardless of race, class, or age — Complex People gives the necessary ingredients for a useful understanding of the unique and layered complexity of black life.
Ideas in Ink
Culture Drives Equity
Culture is the most important force for creating and maintaining equity- centered schools. By definition, culture is the aggregation of beliefs, attitudes, habits, values, and practices that form a...
What Boys can learn from Will: How to Reset.
While the rest of the world talked about Will Smith from the lens of a celebrity meltdown, I’m reflecting on what our young boys are taking away from this situation. If you are unclear of the...
Tis the Season’ for advocacy, belonging, and culturally responsive teaching.
I recently had an interesting experience while doing professional development with a group of educators. As I entered the zoom platform, the group was talking about their holiday traditions and many...
Humanize and Educate | 3 principles educators should follow to ensure that every Black boy can perform well
I’ve focused on the ongoing disproportionality in Black boys’ outcomes throughout my more than 20-year career. And I am still making calls for Black boys to be seen—and humanized—in educational...
Do you consider yourself a culturally responsive educator? You’re needed now more than ever.
To say that 2020 has been quite a year would be an understatement. We can try to deny it but in every home and virtual space across America, people have intense feelings about the socio-political...
Stop Talking in Code: Call Them Black Boys
My life’s work in education has been broad. Yet one particular focus has held a priority over others: the education of Black boys. I read, write, research, organize, train, execute and pray, all so...