The Power of Education
#MyPLTIStory
My name is Marcus A. Smothers: Husband, proud father of four daughters, three god-daughters, and a lifelong educator born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. I have greatly benefited from NPLI’s training, support, and work to advance family civics and engagement through PLTI. I credit this experience for transforming my life and giving me a new sense of purpose and direction.
Even though I have worked in education for 20 years, it wasn’t until PLTI that I recognized how much power and influence I have as a parent and community leader.
The power of the 2021 training I attended led to a key question: When did you have a male, black teacher in your education journey? The answer for me is never. I have never in my academic career had a black male teacher. Neither had many of my peers and students. I wanted to change that reality and inspire more men of color to pursue teaching as a profession. I had defined a community problem, and my PLTI experience inspired me to learn and take action.
Teaching is My Choice
I applied my weekly PLTI learnings in a civics project I called Teaching is My Choice, a campaign to attract and support more black and brown male educators in Jacksonville. My project caught the attention of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, which was launching a similar initiative called “1000 by 2025” to increase the number of black and brown male educators in Duval County by 1,000 by 2025. I’m honored to now serve on the steering committee of this initiative. We are full partners in an active effort to reach this ambitious recruitment goal.
My involvement in “1000 by 25” opened up new opportunities both personally and professionally. Through the initiative, I met the executive director of City Year, a nonprofit that provides mentors and tutors to students in high-need schools and was offered a job with City Year as an Impact Director. I will also be launching a podcast soon to share my insights and experiences as a black male educator and advocate.
from education to advocacy
My journey from education to advocacy broadened through PLTI. I discovered that I had a voice and a responsibility to speak up for the issues that affect my neighborhood. For example, one day, I noticed that all of the playground equipment was gone from our local park. I decided to take action and find out what was happening. I reached out to the city’s parks and recreation department and asked for information about the park’s plans and status. I made it clear to them that I was not going away and that they had to take responsibility for the park. I was met with many excuses and delays along the way, but I didn’t give up. With my involvement and input, the park was soon transformed into a vibrant and inviting space for children and families, with new equipment, facilities, and amenities.
help sustain parent leadership
I credit PLTI for transforming my life and giving me a new sense of purpose and direction. Everything I have done in the past three years is directly connected to my participation in the training. The classes taught me that I have a voice and how I can use it effectively, and I also learned that I have a right to know and influence what happens in my community. Through PLTI, I have connected with people and resources that have helped me make a difference in my community and beyond.
When you support NPLI, you are supporting thousands of parent leaders like myself to become more effective and engaged civic leaders who are committed to improving the well-being of our families and communities. I urge you to make a donation today and help NPLI continue this important work.
I thank you for your generosity and your belief in the power of parents.
Marcus A. Smothers
Parent Leader
Jacksonville, Florida
Help Sustain Parent Leadership
Your Support Makes A Difference
If you feel moved or inspired by this story, consider making a donation of $50, $100, $250, or even more.
We welcome any donation you can afford. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the generosity of donors like you to sustain and expand our work. All donations are tax-deductible, and your support directly fuels our initiatives like PLTI and our system capacity work, helping parents like Marcus become effective leaders in their communities. Every contribution, regardless of size, plays a crucial role in creating positive change.
