Black women often feel they are not growing in the teaching profession, says Deidra Fogarty, M.Ed., founder and CEO of Black Girls Teach – based in Capitol Heights, Maryland.

“Sometimes they’re feeling like they’re being labeled as negative or aggressive or things like that – and not always being able to know how to navigate that,” says Fogarty. “What happens is some of them end up leaving the profession or leaving a school that they may love just because they feel like they can’t show up as their authentic self.”

She adds, “A lot of educators … haven’t always been getting the professional development within their school, period. Many of them are turning to other places to be developed. They’re turning to online communities, they’re turning to membership communities, they’re turning to conferences, things like this, because they have needs that need to be met.”

Fogarty joined WorkingNation’s editor-in-chief Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation Overheard at SXSW EDU 2024 in Austin.

Fogarty explains what led her to start Black Girls Teach. “I found that when I was an educator, I was oftentimes just needing additional mentorship. I would gravitate toward the other Black women who were in my building, but sometimes there would be just one here, another one here.

“It grew from having a conference to being able to provide wraparound support for Black women educators as well as helping leaders.”

Learn more about Black Girls Teach.