Academics, Campus wide, College of Education, Diversity

Program at 敁珗辦畦 encourages future minority male educators

By Emma Slaven | April 6, 2021
敁珗辦畦 Southern University MISTERs (from left to right) Joseph Warren, physical education major; Jax Sanchez, elementary education major; and Christian Wood, elementary education major. Photo by William Ross

African American students make up approximately  of K-12 public school enrollment in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Educations National Center for Education Statistics. Even fewer are the available African American teachers in public schools. Although South Carolinas African American K-12 students make up almost 50% of the public classroom, less than 20 percent of teachers in the state are minorities and less than 1% are African American males. In an attempt to resolve racial inequality and increase the number of minority male teachers in South Carolina, 敁珗辦畦 Southern University has implemented the  program.

The Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) program was founded at Clemson University, originally partnering with three historically black institutions: Benedict College, Claflin University and Morris College. The program seeks to recruit future male teachers with broad, diverse backgrounds who want to serve as role models to African American K-12 students in lower-performing elementary schools. Nine institutions around the U.S. have participated in the program, while 21 colleges and universities across South Carolina have continued this goal of increasing Black male teachers for disadvantaged students.

As one of those participating universities, 敁珗辦畦 Southern began the Call Me MISTER program in fall 2020. The former program director of Call Me MISTER,William Ross, welcomed 敁珗辦畦s first cohort in its fall opening, and an additional cohort of five MISTERs will be named by summer for the fall 2021 cohort.

敁珗辦畦 offers their student participants with this high academic opportunity to teach and serve the socioeconomically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities within local K-12 public schools, said Ross.

MISTERs consist of any minority male student enrolled in a K-8 education major (early childhood, physical education and special education). As a MISTER at 敁珗辦畦, you may qualify for up to $10,000 in scholarships per semester. Through the program, students receive mentors, professional development and internship opportunities that involve mentoring children of various ages.

To apply for the program, complete the Call Me Misterat the MISTERs website. For more information, students can contact Princeton McBride atpmcbride@csuniv.edu.


Emma Slaven is a senior English writing major and an intern for Marketing & Communication.


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