#63 | Real Men Teach, Retaining Male Educators, & Strong Friends Still Need Help w/ Curtis Valentine

What does it cost to always be seen as the strong one?In this conversation, Curtis Valentine, founder of Real Men Teach and founder in residence with the American Institute for Boys and Men, joins Ashanti to talk about what it takes to recruit, support, and retain men of color in education. They explore the stereotype that men of color should always be the strong ones, how Real Men Teach grew from a local school board effort into a national movement, why male educators leave classrooms, and what schools can do to create the kind of support that helps them stay.Listen and apply these takeaways to your life and leadership:Strong friends still need help. The expectation that men of color should always carry pressure quietly can make support harder to ask for and harder to receive.Representation matters, but recruitment is only the beginning. If schools want men of color to stay, they need real community, care, and systems of support.Movements can start with something simple. Real Men Teach began as a local effort and grew through outreach, relationships, and shared purpose.Men don’t just leave classrooms because they stop caring. They leave when the conditions around them make it difficult to sustain the work.School change takes partnership. This episode is a reminder that improving schools requires people to bring their ideas, their networks, and their willingness to build with others.Everyone can do a little bit. Whether it’s joining a movement, supporting educators, or collaborating with mission-driven organizations, meaningful change grows through collective action.00:48 Welcome to Unmasking with Male Educators02:25 Meet Curtis Valentine03:17 Curtis’ background + the mission behind Real Men Teach07:17 How Real Men Teach started: 100 texts, 100 yeses11:51 The “strong friend” mask and why support still matters13:02 Why male educators need to model honesty15:36 The mask question: what students see vs. what they do not16:50 Curtis on confidence, preparation, and insecurity in teaching20:19 A story from teaching abroad: learning while leading24:11 Why great educators stay open to learning from students27:34 Why more men do not enter or stay in teaching33:25 Curtis’ classroom story: underprepared, unsupported, and thrown in35:50 The real barriers facing men of color in education38:13 Men need purpose, accountability, and clear roles41:06 Letting male educators teach in authentic ways43:09 Why boys learn differently and schools need to respond45:47 The cost of being “the exception”47:49 How to support Curtis and Real Men Teach49:06 Closing reflections and outroConnect with Curtis ValentineReal Men TeachAmerican Institute for Boys and MenJoin/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.orgJoin our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas, Email us: [email protected] your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/Connect with Ashanti BranchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaksX: https://x.com/BranchSpeaksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/Support the Podcast & Ever Forward ClubHelp us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/supportConnect with Ever Forward ClubInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclubFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclubX: https://x.com/everforwardclubLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/#unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #MaleEducators #RealMenTeach #CurtisValentine #MenInEducation #BlackMaleEducators