‘I wish my sons had a space like this:’ School for Black boys coming to North City
By Melanie Johnson
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ST. LOUIS, Missouri (KMOV) — A school catered to Black boys is coming to north St. Louis.
“For me, this school in North St. Louis will be a safe haven for boys,” says Cortagia Collins, founder of Good Shepherd Academy for Boys. “There is somebody that still believes in them.”
Studies show African American males face harsher penalties in school and test lower in reading compared to every other subgroup.
Collins founded Good Shepherd for Early Learning more than a decade ago while raising two Black sons. She tells News 4 that after the killing of Michael Brown, she decided to open a new space for Black boys to thrive.
“This will be a place where Black boys can be visible, valued, validated and loved holistically,” Collins says. “An olive branch to a mother that feels like she doesn’t have any help.”
“The most frustrating thing for me to see as far as Black males was the lack of ability to read and how other teachers dealt with that,” says long-time educator Julius Anthony. “When a Black child, a Black male, never gets to see himself in the learning process, essentially a message is sent to him. That he’s not valued.”
The Good Shepherd Academy for Boys will be one of the first Black boy pre-schools of its kind in the nation. The goal is to add an additional grade every year to focus on the cultural education and responsive needs of Black and brown kids.
A vacant building and lot located near Amherst and Page will be home to the school that is set to open in the 2024-2025 academic year.
“I believe the Good Shepherd Academy for Boys is a long-term solution to some of the problems that we are seeing in our city,” she says.
“It will change the trajectory of Black males and what they can become and the possibilities for them in this city. That’s what’s so significant about what she’s doing,” says Anthony.
Albert Sanders has taught Pre-K for St. Louis Public Schools for 24 years and believes the all-boys academy is vital to turning around the state of Black men in St. Louis.
“Seeing a Black male every day in a positive light instead of just on the news makes a big difference,” says Sanders. “I see the impact that me being a male Black teacher has on Black males.”
“When I see mugshots, when I see the negative depiction of boys, all I see are missed opportunities,” says Collins.
“I guarantee you are going to see this new possibility for Black males here in St. Louis,” Anthony says.
Good Shepherd Academy for Boys is looking for educators, volunteers, and donations. Anyone interested in helping is asked to call 314-863-9056.
“Even if I’ve never seen him and I don’t know his name, I love your Black son”, says Collins.
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