By Dr. Randy Whetstone, Jr. • Photos Provided
The Black Male EDquity Network (BMEN) came into formation in the spring of 2020. They were a combination of Black men with doctoral degrees and doctoral students. The George Floyd tragedy had just transpired in Minneapolis, MN and social unrest descended upon the United States. Sitting and contemplating the doctoral journey and realizing how lonely the journey can be for Black men, Dr. Douglas Craddock, Jr., Vice President for Community Engagement at the University of Louisville, brought five brothers together in an effort to build support, engagement, and a network of Black men getting their terminal degrees. Those men were Dr. Craddock, Dr. Malcolm Muhammad, Jerron Jones, PhD Candidate, Devonte Carson, EdD student, and me, Dr. Whetstone.
“As an African American doctoral student and faculty member, I observed a significant lack of representation in classrooms and on campuses at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). This observation sparked the idea to create a supportive community to address these disparities. Recognizing that community yields better results than individuality, I shared this vision with a dedicated group of colleagues and supporters,” says Dr. Craddock. “This collaboration resulted in the founding of the Black Male EDquity Network (BMEN) in the spring of 2020. BMEN’s mission is to address and dismantle systemic barriers faced by Black males in education. The organization aims to create equitable opportunities and foster a supportive community for academic and professional success.”
Since then, these men have expanded the network in the Louisville area, region, and states in the south and west coast. Notable national conferences such as the Engaged Scholarship Consortium (ESC), National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE), and the Coalition for Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) have been presentation platforms and BMEN has had the privilege of being the recipients of local grants to serve the Shawnee community.
The men also discussed the need of building a pipeline in K-12 to undergird the success of boys, regardless of race. In three years, 20+ schools have been partners in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), serving close to 500 students in an innovative academic in-school program that includes elementary, middle, and high school students, co-authored (US copyright curriculum) and facilitated by Jonathan Tyes, MD Candidate at the University of Louisville and Jerron Jones, PhD Candidate.
To advance its educational prowess, BMEN has launched its first season of its podcast entitled: Black Male EDquity Network® Podcast.
This is a conversation where you hear from doctors and professionals who have a vast amount of experience and expertise in the fields of education, medicine, law, philosophy, theology, government, human relations, business, and so much more. BMEN seeks to eliminate educational inequities that exist by cultivating Black scholarship that will actively transform communities. The podcast includes everything you want to hear from relationships, the doctoral journey, gender in today’s society, entertainment, music, travel, movies, and the list goes on.
“BMEN transformed my entire doctoral program experience. These guys became my brothers, and they get a ton of credit for getting me to the PhD finish line and putting me in the position I’m in today. I was excited and honored to participate in the podcast because I hope that we can expand our reach and continue to have that same impact on others,” Dr. Muhammad says.
The podcast is streaming on all major media platforms:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
iHeartRadio
Pandora
Deezer
Podcast Index
Listen Notes
For more information about BMEN, check out the following sites:
Website: www.blackedquity.com
Instagram: blackedquity
X: BlackEDquity
YouTube: www.youtube.com/blackedquity