Send us Fan Mail

This episode features our conversation with Decoteau J. Irby, which was live-streamed on September 28, 2026.

Dr. Decoteau J. Irby has spent his career fighting for educational justice for Black and Brown students. He began as an educator in Philadelphia, supporting first-generation high school students and their families in pursuing four-year college admission while designing and teaching GED and hip-hop-based education courses for formerly incarcerated youth. These experiences cemented two convictions in him: with the right encouragement, Black and Brown students of all backgrounds can exceed almost any academic demand, and when learning environments improve, aspirations, effort, and performance follow.

A professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, he now teaches in the College of Education’s top-ranked Urban Education Leadership program and co-directs the UIC Center for Urban Education Leadership. His scholarship examines how racial equity–focused school leadership improves Black students’ academic achievement and socio-emotional well-being.

He has published more than forty research articles in leading journals, and his books—including Stuck Improving: Racial Equity and School Leadership (Harvard Education Press, 2021), Dignity-Affirming Education: Cultivating the Somebodiness of Students and Educators (Teachers College Press, 2022), Magical Black Tears: A Protest Story (Derute Consulting, 2021), and Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change (Teachers College Press, 2025, with Dr. Ann Ishimaru)—have been described as field-shifting within the profession.

Beyond his professional work, he is a father who advocates for vibrant public spaces on Chicago’s South Side. A self-taught guitarist, songwriter, and occasional performer, he has released three music projects under the name Decoteau Black, exploring Black love, struggle, and liberation.

During this episode, we talked about his book, Stuck Improving: Racial Equity and School Leadership.

“I have long been a fan of Decoteau Irby’s work in the areas of equity and dignity for communities, families, and students of color. In Stuck Improving, he looks at the other side of equity—that of those who work to ensure it. With tremendous implications on research and practice, Irby offers a useful framework for racial equity improvement for those on the ‘frontlines’ of equity to become ‘unstuck.’”

—Noelle W. Arnold, senior associate dean, The Ohio State University

Purchase your copy of Stuck Improving from our Bookshop.

Find Dr. Irby on Instagram: @decoteaublack

Find Dr. Irby online: https://decoteauirby.com/

Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread

Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/

Buy Us a Coffee (online tip jar): https://buymeacoffee.com/blackwritersread

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@blackwritersread

Support the show