Black Teacher Matters

About Black Teacher Matters

Abdel Shakur is a writer and teacher concerned with telling the stories of Black teachers. A Catalyst Chicago Classroom Story Slam winner and a 17 year veteran in the classroom, Abdel and his guests reflect on the power of Black folks engaged in the teaching art. Holler at me @abdelshakur.bsky.social

Publisher

Abdel Shakur

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Nov 2020

Latest episode

8 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

71 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Apr 2026

   Mr. Davis III: Learning to teach from Mom and the importance of capturing student imagination.

   In part three of our interview, my high school teacher Hodari Davis talks about what he learned from being in his mom's class in elementary school, and what educators taught him about the role of the imagination in the classroom. Also features a clip from a KQED feature on Young Gifted and Black (https://youtu.be/6XOm3phBOBY?si=Tk6tNImUk5eqQUKL) #Blackteachermatters #BerkeleyHighSchool #blackmaleteachers

2. 

   25 Oct 2025

   Hodari Davis Part II: When Grief is the Bee in the Classroom

   In part 2 of the @mrdavis510 (https://www.instagram.com/mrdavis510/) interview, I ask about his "bee in the classroom" moment-- , when something uncontrollable thing enters the classroom space. Mr. Davis talks about how he helped his students grieve from the death of a beloved classmate, Yaheem King, and what led him to retire from ETHS. https://youtu.be/_GfIhtOzZss

3. 

   9 Oct 2025

   Black Teacher Matters: Hodari Davis

   Hodari Davis was an icon not just at Berkeley High when I went there, but nationwide after the release of the Frontline documentary Berkeley High: School Colors. In part one of this interview, I talk to Mr. Davis about what it was like to be a young Black teacher in the eye of that storm, doing amazing work. #Blackteachermatters #BerkeleyHighSchool #blackmaleteachers

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

15 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

32

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Black Teacher Matters

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.