“Unfortunately, being a teacher and being in education is one of the most bullied professions in America, in terms of pay and in terms of respectability, and I want to change that narrative.”

By Valeria Vera-Crespo

In Episode 42 of Unsugarcoated with Aalia, Aalia Lanius discusses the importance of education and the waves of change an educator can create with guest Amen Rahh, also known as Principal Rahh, a current leader revolutionizing the culture of American education. He has built and founded “The U,” a distinguished urban public school in South Central Los Angeles that has been regarded as a model school for restorative communities and has been the recipient of many educational, professional, and community awards.

Prior to becoming Principal of The U, Rahh was a middle school teacher in Watts, CA where he devoted his time to helping his students achieve self-actualization. Here, he was selected as the turnaround teacher. His passion for his work and deep connection to his students ultimately led him to become the dean of students, to now, Principal of The U where he continues to create an equitable educational environment for his students. 

The American education system has been criticized by many for its disparities in measures of educational performance among subgroups of students, especially groups defined by socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and gender. Rahh recognizes this and shares “that there is an academic achievement gap, specifically for Black male students” and that it has worsened and widened over the last 30 years. 

Rahh is a dedicated educator who has made it their mission to tackle the academic achievement gap to promote equity in and outside of the education system and has not even let a global pandemic get in the way. Rahh expresses “that energy we provide, that love we provide, it provides you with living and learning off that energy that is so profound even COVID won’t disrupt it.” Rahh and his coworkers do their best to alleviate their students from stress by not placing any direct blame on his students for their academic performance since he recognizes that there is a transition period with education during COVID-19. 

However, that does not mean that it has been a smooth road for students and educators. There has always been some hardships educators experience when trying to connect with students, but those hardships have been amplified, especially now with the transition to remote online learning as a result of COVID-19. Rahh explains that as an educator, it is their mission “to bring awareness to the inequitable system while also peeling back the layers of the inequities that exist within the system, one of them being around standardized testing, and also how colleges accept students and what industries consider success.” Although the fight to combat these disparities has not stopped, it has become increasingly difficult. Despite these hardships, Rahh inspires and reminds his students and peers that “It’s not just about what you become, it’s about what you do,” in hopes to inspire others to help end the cycle of oppression faced by minorities.

Aalia asks Rahh what his call to action is given the disparities in American education; he encourages curiosity and asks that we question the structures around us and take action. He tells us to “be hungry enough to learn these type of things, to learn this information and sacred knowledge, […] and to understand the dynamics that exist with interpersonal relationships and those that exist within a system. And when you do that, you achieve consciousness, and the evidence of consciousness is your application. Consciousness is priceless. When you apply this consciousness within young people, you will begin to unlock their treasure and their purpose.”  

Tune in below to the full episode to hear more about Principal Rahh and the candid discussion that stays Unsugarcoated!

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