By Camry Wilborn-Mercer

Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity

RALEIGH (November 27, 2024) – If North Carolina is serious about creating an education system that serves all students, then building a diverse, representative teacher workforce must be a central priority.

Research, history, and lived experience show that teacher diversity enhances academic success while fostering a sense of belonging and connection essential for student development. And yet, despite the clear benefits, our teaching force remains overwhelmingly homogenous, disconnected from the rich diversity of our state’s classrooms.

On October 31, the DRIVE Coalition, facilitated by the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity, took an ambitious step forward by establishing regional committees across North Carolina to elevate the importance of teacher diversity in a tangible way. These committees bring community stakeholders together to address the urgent need for a workforce that reflects and respects the experiences of all students. This local, community-driven model is not just policy—it’s an acknowledgment of the profound role representation plays in education.

Charlotte Hawkins Brown, a pioneer in North Carolina education, understood the transformative power of education. She believed that “the end of all education is to teach one to live completely,” emphasizing the development of the whole person.

Brown also stated, “My philosophy is that position or place can never segregate mind or soul. I sit in the Jim Crow car, but my mind keeps company with the kings and queens I have known,” highlighting her resilience against systemic oppression. Her legacy reminds us that education is more than a matter of curriculum and testing; it’s about cultivating justice, identity, and empowerment. A diverse teacher workforce is not simply a matter of optics or inclusion; it’s a radical move toward equity and progress.

Our schools are becoming more diverse every year, and the absence of teachers who understand the unique backgrounds and experiences of their students is a disservice to everyone. Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous students are underrepresented in the very spaces that should be encouraging their growth. Without diverse teachers, students are deprived of role models who can bridge cultural gaps, address biases, and help reimagine a future with them in it.

If we’re to honor the legacy of leaders like Charlotte Hawkins Brown and move toward a North Carolina that sees every student, then it’s time for action. We need every community, every policymaker, and every leader invested in an education system that embodies the principles of equity and inclusion. The DRIVE Coalition’s regional committees are the beginning of that mission, but we need every hand on deck to build a teaching force that reflects the beauty and breadth of our student body.

A sound and basic education for every student in NC must include a diverse well-qualified educator workforce. The final report and recommendations provided by the DRIVE Task Force, reaffirms research on the benefits of a diverse educator workforce for every student in North Carolina. The state has the chance to lead, to build an education system where every child can look to the front of the room and see a future they can believe in. The opportunity is here; let’s rise to it.

Camry Wilborn Mercer serves as the Equity Coach at the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity.

Camry earned a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and a Master of Arts from The University of Chicago. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education: Opportunity, Equity, and Justice at NC State University. She is a qualified administrator for Intercultural Development Inventory, and a licensed facilitator for Change Style Indicator/ Navigator.

Prior to her current role, Camry served as Associate Director of Inclusive Excellence at Wake Forest University, where she developed strategic initiatives to enhance diversity and foster belonging.