James Earl Davis, the Bernard C. Watson Endowed Chair in Urban Education at Temple, was recently elected to the National Academy of Education. The academy recognizes top education leaders and scholars in the country from a wide range of expertise in education research and policy.  

Davis has published research on education pathways, gender and race, and postsecondary opportunities for more than 25 years. His research has led to a better understanding of the unique role and character of Black boys and young men in schools, including the challenges that they may face. As a pioneering contributor to research in Black male studies in education, he paved the way for the next generation of scholars and researchers to expand his work. 

“It is an honor to be recognized by the National Academy of Education,” said Davis. “In my career I always wanted to stay engaged and committed to advancing education opportunities and options for the next generation.”  

Much of Davis’ advocacy work includes mentoring undergraduate students, doctoral students, and emerging researchers and scholars. Previously, he received a national mentoring award from the Association for the Study of Higher Education, as well as the Distinguished Research Career Award from the Center for Research and Mentoring of Black Male Students and Teachers.  

Through his work, he ushered in a more specified discussion of Black male students and theorized around the intersection of race and gender. His research led to new insights into how social contexts of education inform racial and gender experiences and expressions, particularly for Black boys and emerging adult men.  

In Davis’ early studies, he noticed that the scholarship on Black boys was primarily “raced” and did not focus on their unique gender experience, so he incorporated a more nuanced gendered approach to the understanding of Black boys in school within his scholarly work.   

“Particularly in urban schools that are underresourced, we noticed that Black boys faced more severe negative effects,” he said. “Often the experience of boys at a young age becomes an indicator of what’s to come.” 

In 2013, he cowrote Educating African American Males: Contexts for Consideration, Possibilities for Practice, a groundbreaking book that focuses on improving the contexts and outcomes of African American males in educational settings.  

“The practice and program implications are that educators, including leaders, teachers and counselors, have to be more intentional about their work with Black boys and young men,” said Davis. “For example, Black boys are eager and exited early learners, but too many become disinterested and disengaged over time. There is something about the schooling experience, including low expectations and stereotypes, that unfortunately alienates these students. Paying closer attention to their unique social and cultural experiences they bring to school is an important start.”  

Davis’ early contributions led him to become the first man to win the American Education Research Association’s Distinguished Contributions to Gender Equity in Education Research Award for his work on gender and race in education in 2015. 

“I made early arguments about the need to focus exclusively on the population of Black boys, as opposed to using comparative frameworks,” he added. “We were unearthing the academic and social differences of Black boys in schools. We created spaces and worked with educators to cultivate zones of development for Black boys to lean into their interests and identity.”  

At Temple, he co-founded the Urban Youth Leadership Academy, a mentoring program for middle school students of color to make the connection between furthering schooling and increasing possibilities for success by partnering with Black professionals who were role models of academic achievement and career advancement.  

Davis’ most recent work is connected to learning about the relationships between communities and higher education institutions and the role of urban universities, like Temple, in community development. This work is informed by more than a decade of engagement in in North Philadelphia neighborhoods, specifically the Norris community that borders Main Campus.  

In 2022, he received an Excellence in Education award at the Truth Awards, a ceremony that honors those who have made an impact on popular culture, politics and the arts and who provide scholarships to LGBTQ+ youth, and thanks those called ally.