“I don’t want to sit at everyone’s table. There are somes tables we just need to create for ourselves.”

Kevin Simpson

Edpreneur, Educator, Mentor

www.kdslglobal.com

www.aieloc.org – Association of International Educators & Leaders of Color

“When I think of why Black Educators matter,… I think about representation, …voice, … those that are challenging a system, the revolutionaries that will call out and call in to whoever’s writing curriculum and doing all of that work.”

Born and raised in Flint, MI, Kevin Simpson is very familiar with the Tale of Two Flints. When his family moved to a white part of town, he experienced more diversity amongst students and was exposed to a plethora of opportunities throughout the city. From an early age, his mom taught him to advocate for himself. He recalls finding out some students with lower scores were enrolled in Algebra. When he went to enroll, a teacher told him that he couldn’t do math. After being exposed to education through a student coordinator position, he went on to double major at Michigan State in Social Policy and Elementary Education. He was later certified to teach math. Well done for someone who can’t do math.

“When we talk about TikTok and Snapchat, are they bringing that data in?… That’s something that should be included in planning. They [the students] should see themselves in plans.”

Kevin is all about representation, exposure and advocacy. When it’s said Black students aren’t doing well in literature, math and science, he wants to know who’s in front of our scholars? Are they seeing themselves reflected in the material? When it’s said there’s a shortage of Black men in education, he wants to know what are their experiences that make them not want to teach? With exposure to the opportunities in international employment, Kevin stepped out, taught and created a business overseas, and has advocated for Black educators around the globe. The Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color is dedicated to amplifying the work and honing in on advocacy, learning and research.

You can learn more about Kevin’s company, KDSL Global, at www.kdslglobal.com, on Twitter @globalkdsl, and on Facebook at KDSL Global. You can learn more about The Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color at www.aieloc.org and on Facebook at AIELOC.