Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael A. Woodward Jr.
Michael, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I understood from the very beginning that a phenomenal education, hard work and ambition would help me accomplish anything in life. These three elements combined together would make success within arm’s reach. Thankfully, my father was a consistent figure in my life who constantly reminded me of all the “special” things that made me a dynamic young black man growing up in a low-income community. After witnessing him, firsthand, attend classes at Florida A&M University (FAMU), I’d been given the formula on how to succeed socially and academically and battle through life’s hardships. I learned at a young age that you must believe in yourself first in order to achieve your goals despite adversities that may come along the way. Winning is the easy part, but getting up after a loss is what defines us.
Upon graduating from high school, like my father, I too attended FAMU. My matriculation through college changed my entire life and made me the man I am today. My experience at one of the leading HBCU’s inspired me to become a campus leader and join the Beta Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc., to name a few. I went on to become an elementary school teacher in Las Vegas, NV and then was hired by Teach For America, an organization that creates an equitable education for all scholars regardless of their race. This is where I was able to see the disparities in education that plague children of color throughout low-income communities. I was quickly reminded of how “special” I was, as my dad would say, the more I encountered young scholars during my years as a teacher.
As a Black male educator, I repeatedly stood in as a father figure of sorts to countless bright students and I relished every in opportunity. I never hesitated to inspire them. I used the culturally responsive teaching method to garner more information on the areas they lived in and the dynamics of their households to help them achieve academic success even if it didn’t align with the school’s curriculum. I mastered this approach to ensure they had an optimal classroom experience by building on their foundational and cultural knowledge. Between my upbringing in urban areas of Miami, my father and my first-hand experience in the classroom as a Black male teacher, I ignited my desire to tell stories from the lense of children of color. From there, the world of King Monte was born and I published my first book, “King Monte Are You My P.E. Teacher?.” It tells the story of a talented African American male child named Monte and his struggle to find the right role models, conquer self-doubt, and change not just his own life but the lives of the people he loves.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road to becoming a storyteller and author has been interesting. I’ve had to balance having a full-time job, being a Ph.D. student, running a small business and proudly serving as the father of three incredible boys. I learned early on that I couldn’t do everything at once and to take it a moment at a time which forced me to get organized and streamline my focus. As I started to develop and write, “King Monte Are You My P.E. Teacher?” I’d jot down editorial notes on my iPhone and before I knew it, I had 20 chapters. I stitched each one together and my book was born. From there, I found the confidence to keep going and keep writing things that could inspire the masses.
I’ve really had to fight the daily urge of giving up. Everytime I picked up my phone/iPad to write down a new idea. I’d have to revisit what I’d originally written to build the confidence to push through and keep trying. The fond memories I had of working as a teacher and one-on-one interactions with my former students really inspired King Monte and was my fuel to keep going. In the process, I realized that acting as a father figure, Black man and teacher to children was monumental because it could change the entire trajectory of their lives. And I’m also grateful for the dynamic people in my life who pushed me to keep moving forward even when I didn’t think I could.
One of my most vivid childhood memories was with a substitute teacher. He was the first black male teacher I’d ever had, quite similarly like the lead character in King Monte. I was intrigued and excited to see someone teaching a class that looked like me. Most of my teachers up until that point were mostly White women, with a few Black women teachers sprinkled in along the way. His name was Mr. Smith and he led the class in a way that had never connected with me before. He sounded like me and I saw myself in him. At the time, I didn’t know that this short-lived experience of having a Black male teacher was something few, far and in between for thousands of children of color across the nation.
However, throughout my time as a Teach For America Corps Member, I realized that this was much more than a nightmare for our students, but more so their reality. I’d see them struggle to find books with characters that not only looked like them but ones they could relate to on a social and racial level. Creating King Monte was rooted in allowing my students and kids of color all over the world to feel accepted and included. My personal experiences as a teacher and growing up in an urban area fueled my desire to build a more inclusive community of academia for my black and brown scholars.
Please tell us about Inspire The Masses.
My best friend, Trey Causely and I started Inspire The Masses, LLC, to promote inspiration to all. Our company is broken into a few subsets that target people in several ways. Initially, we came together to sell custom apparel deeply rooted in our beloved alma mater. We’ve done pretty well and have used a portion of the profits to sponsor an ongoing scholarship for students majoring in education to help them pay for their teaching certification in an attempt to increase the number of Black male teachers. This is also the third year that we’ve partnered with one of my close friends, Iman Sandifer and his organization Manhood On The Go, which provides an outlet for scholars to receive thousands of dollars to ease the financial burden of school at FAMU. Recently, we pushed our #GirlDad initiative to commemorate the late Kobe Bryant, where we donated all of the proceeds to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation.
Inspire The Masses has also opened up another avenue for me to become a self-published children’s author. One of my biggest goals was to bridge the gap between the amount of books and literature featuring black and brown kids on the cover. I knew this was non-existent in most libraries and I wanted to fill the void. In the coming weeks, I’ll be publishing three short storybooks that are currently in the illustration phase, including: “There’s Something About Mommy,” “Forever A Scholar,” and “Father, Father.” I’m also proud to announce that “King Monte Are You My P.E. Teacher? Two” will be released in August.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Some of the most important people in my life that deserve credit are my dad, mom, stepmother, fiancé, three sons and a host of friends and family.
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