The Power Transformation Podcast

83. Nurturing Critical Thinkers: The Power of Diversity in Education with Dr. Sean Miller

• Alethea Felton • Season 2 • Episode 83

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What drives someone to leave a successful corporate career to become a groundbreaking educator? Join me as I reconnect with Dr. Sean Miller, a childhood friend whose passion for teaching has transformed countless lives. His story is a testament to how authenticity and resilience can pave a new path - even when initial hesitation clouds the way.

Join Us As Dr. Sean:

  • Shares his remarkable journey from corporate America to the classroom;
  • Unravels the unique challenges he faced as a Black male educator, a demographic that makes up a mere 1.7% of the teaching workforce; 
  • Discusses his ambitious efforts in pioneering and teaching an Advanced Placement African American Studies course in a Virginia high school — a revolutionary step gaining national attention; and
  • Explains the broader role of educators in nurturing critical thinking and the need for diverse, passionate voices in educational leadership.


Connect with Dr. Sean:


Episode 83's Affirmation:
I am boldly and courageously changing the world for the better one day at a time. 


Click here to connect with Alethea Felton

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Alethea Felton:

My guest today and I go all the way back to childhood. Yes, we grew up together, went to school together, graduated high school and attended the same college together, but it just didn't stop there. Later on in his life, this person became a teacher and I too, am a former educator, and therefore it just warmed my heart to know that this is what he wanted to do. But Dr Sean Miller is more than just a teacher. He is a change agent, he is a trailblazer and so much more, and he's done something absolutely incredible that is changing the face of our nation when it comes to his passion and commitment for students. You'll hear about that and more on this episode of the Power Transformation Podcast. Hey y'all, welcome back to another episode of the Power Transformation Podcast. I am your host, alethea Felton, and I'm so excited to have each and every one of you listening today. I'm glad that you've joined me and if you're new to this podcast, welcome, welcome, welcome. Be sure to subscribe and follow, give it a five-star rating and review and, for those of you who have been with me since the beginning, I am so grateful to have you Y'all. A lot of great things are happening here on the power transformation podcast as well as in my own life. I just did a keynote speech recently, on this past Sunday. This episode is being released in June, of course, june 5th, but on Sunday, June 2nd, I had the opportunity to do a keynote speech at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, maryland, where I spoke to gastroenterology fellows who were graduating from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Y'all this was definitely so surreal to me and such an honor because of the fact, as you all know, I live with Crohn's disease and to be invited to speak by my own gastroenterologist, dr Mark Mattar, on my journey and resilience and hope, and to speak in front of physicians, a room full of doctors and other medical professionals. And I share this because I want all of you out there to know that you too have some type of incredible skill or gift or talent that you can share with the world and that don't let obstacles or your challenges be that defining factor to not do things in your life. Let it be that factor where you can beat the odds and do incredible, remarkable things. And I share that because this is what our guest, dr Sean Miller, is all about. He went against the status quo to really do something life-changing, remarkable, innovative and transformative for not only his students, but for other educators, teachers, just people in general by what he's doing, and that is what this episode is all about An incredible man who is really changing the course of history as we know it.

Alethea Felton:

So we're going to jump right into his interview, but what I'd like to always do first is begin with an affirmation. I'm going to say the affirmation once and then you repeat it. I am boldly and courageously changing the world for the better, one day at a time. For the better, one day at a time. I am so thrilled today to have this gentleman here with us. I have known him for many years. I can't even count how long it's been. I know that you know. As I said earlier, we went to high school together, we went to undergrad together. We even went to the same grad school I don't think we went at the exact same time at Regent but the fact is I've known him for many, many years and he has always been just a really wonderful person, and I am so honored to have him up here. It is none other than Sean Miller. Dr Sean Miller, excuse me he has earned that.

Alethea Felton:

Yes, you have earned that. Excuse me, Dr Sean Miller. Sean, welcome to the Power Transformation Podcast.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Hey, hey, what's up how you doing family.

Alethea Felton:

I'm doing great and I'm doing even better now that I have you up here, Y'all. This is a remarkable man and this is going to be a wonderful interview. He's a husband, a father and so much more, and he's a teacher.

Alethea Felton:

And that is just a huge thing. You all know how I feel about educators I was one for 20 years in the trenches in a lot of different roles and to see Sean where he is now and what he is doing to really change the game of public school education across the country, and I mean that. But before we dive into that, I always like to ask a random icebreaker question, just to have fun, so that we can get to know you better. And so, sean, this is it. It's a bit creative, think outside of the box. But this is the question, sean if you had the opportunity to travel to any other planet, real or fictional, where do you think you would go and why?

Dr. Sean Miller:

Oh man, that's the first time I've ever been asked that question. So a fictional or real planet I could travel to if I had a choice, I'm going to call it the planet of getting rich and quitting. That's a planet where I don't have to work. I can kick it. It's kind of like a contemporary gardener eating. You know what I'm saying.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I'm just relaxing. Everything that I need has already been taken care of. I have all the provision I need. I got my feet kicked up. I don't have no hair, but if I had hair, that joint would be blowing in the wind. You know what I'm saying. I think it's the natural state of humanity, and I think it's the natural state of humanity that does work. But there's also freedom and liberty and peace that comes with that. So I tell my students all the time and they know this verbatim that my retirement plan is to get rich and quit, and they tell me that sometimes. So if I had a planet where that is my 100 percent existence, I'm in a good spot.

Alethea Felton:

Yes, and it's almost like a utopia of sense also. So, ok, I like that and I like that answer. It was really outside the box. So, y'all, if Sean is already off the gate, starting off answering questions like that, can you imagine if you were a student in his class how just amazing that would be? But anyway, we are going to talk all about that. But, sean, the next question is pretty standard, but you answer it any way that you want. Who is Dr Sean Miller?

Dr. Sean Miller:

I would just start by saying myself I think I'm a unique cat, for lack of a better descriptor. I'm a creator, lifetime artist a little less now as I get older, but always been an artist, fine in performance arts. How about passion? As you mentioned before education, that is a newer passion over the last decade. That's not something I've always been into, but I'm into impacting lives.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I think I'm a motivator, somebody that just tries to get people to see that there's something bigger and better than them, and sometimes that takes a little bit of maneuvering and a little bit of coaching maneuvering and a little bit of coaching. But, yeah, definitely, as you mentioned before, husband, dad, reverend, you know, writer a lot of things myself, I think being true to myself and I was having this conversation even before I hopped on the podcast it's just, um, I've always thought about who I am and I want to be and how that evolves, and then kind of reverse engineering my decisions to make sure that I stay true to who I am but also, uh, get some degree of success while doing it. So I never, never, I want to look in the mirror and be like oh sean, you're not you, you know, I'm saying.

Alethea Felton:

Yeah.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Not going to compromise that, but I'm myself and I think you know and this is not bragging, but you know I consider myself and others have as well as the Renaissance man. I do a lot of things Well, thank God, I think I do relatively well, but, yeah, I like to get it in. I like to stay busy, but I like to do things that are passionate to me.

Alethea Felton:

Mm-hmm, and I will just say straight up and I mean this and I don't think I've ever told you this, but listeners, audience, I can say honestly is that Sean's character has always been intact. There is no one example that I can think of where, even growing up, where people said something bad about Sean. He was just always. Sean always stayed in his lane, made sure that and what I mean by that Sean didn't start no drama, he didn't try to get into stuff, he was just a genuine person and that was always consistent from what I saw and experienced. And we had a few classes here and there in high school, but Sean wasn't about the nonsense and his character has always been impeccable. And even when we went to college and many years ago now God, over 20 years ago- Woo.

Alethea Felton:

But anyway, even in college. You know to really see Sean come into his own in college and he was a huge man on campus in college yet still had a sense of wanting to help out any and everybody. It wasn't pride, arrogance, he was never cocky and I can honestly say that, just a standup person. So for anybody listening who has met Sean since then, I'm telling you as a person who has known him since childhood, he has always been solid and I think that's what our youth nowadays need. And you went from literally starting off your career in the corporate world and transitioning into education. And I remember when you were contemplating that I think you had done a post about it and I was like, hey, I'm all for it, but, Sean, what inspired your transition from the corporate world to teaching and how did you make that change?

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, it was an interesting story. For me. It was not a traditional route. To be honest, being an educator was the last thing I wanted to do. I had a short list of things. I would never be Teacher was like top one Because in college-.

Alethea Felton:

I was the same way straight up.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Uh-huh, I was fine with no bad kids, I'm good. I don't want to deal with no bad kids, I'm good. But no, it happened like this. So I was in corporate America. I was at a financial institution, a director of marketing. So I had my own department that I was responsible for.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I wanted to live the American dream. I wanted a corner office. I had a corner office, I had a window and it ended up being and I won't call it chance or coincidence, but we used to have to establish student run credit union branches in DC public schools. So I would go out to some of the schools and after a while of going, I would just see the young people you know how they maneuver, how they interact and I was like, oh, I think I could really have some impact here.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I think this is something that I could do. That's kind of how I phrased it in my mind. I could do this, but at the same time, just the presence of I got to put money in my pocket and I wanted the American dream and I'm getting closer to it. I still kind of put it on the back burner, but what happened was I had a colleague that went on a lot of these ventures with me and she said hey, sean, you're going to be a teacher one day. Because she could see the spark even before I saw it and for me it was kind of fleeting, but for her I think it was like tangible.

Dr. Sean Miller:

So she told me that back at the office and at first I was like nah, that's not gonna happen exactly then, eventually, I think the environment that I was in in corporate USA it was, I'll say this I felt like it was killing me slowly and you know, and I would wake up you sweats in the middle of the night like just thinking about my job and how I hated it, but I felt like it was a necessary evil.

Dr. Sean Miller:

But I ended up just kind of giving up to the call. I said, yeah, I'm going to be a teacher one day. And then I had a fateful day when I walked away from corporate America with no backup plan other than being a teacher. I didn't even know how to be a teacher. I was just like I'm going to do this because I want to impact young people and that's that's the reason why I've been able to sustain it, because that's the main thing is. Like you know, there's things that come with education, but ultimately, if I could walk in a classroom or in a building and inspire or motivate somebody beyond just what I'm teaching, then to me that's a good day. So that's kind of what's kept me around.

Alethea Felton:

And so when you decided to make this transition because anybody who chooses to leave one field and go into teaching, I think personally that that is really something that they've been led and called to do, because it's just not a decision that is made lightly. Now I did the opposite. I started straight out of college, but it is common for people to be career switchers. That is not uncommon. But how did you decide what exactly you wanted to teach and what led you to that content area?

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, first off the bat art. When I become a teacher, I'm going to be an art teacher. So I've been doing art as a main passion since second grade. I knew in elementary school I was going to be an artist, specifically a comic book artist. That was my career goal in elementary school. So by the time I transitioned to education I was like, hey, I got to be an art teacher, let me figure out how to do that. And I got my teaching license in art and and then I started to think OK, what's the program to start cutting first in schools.

Alethea Felton:

And then I started to think OK, what's the program to start cutting?

Dr. Sean Miller:

first in schools, the arts, that's true, I like to stay gainfully employed. So, ok, let me figure out some core content areas to pursue. So I ended up getting a license in special education. After that, then I got a license in social studies, then I got a license in English. You were just getting everything. I'm like I need a job. I got to eat. So therefore, you know so. And specifically English and social studies.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Because even in high school, even far back as middle school, in high school, even far back as middle school, the humanities is where I thrived. I was never great at science, I was never. I was horrible at math most of my life, even back in elementary school. But something about the ability to write, especially creative writing, was my wheelhouse and the ability to find arts. Those are things I wanted to do. But in terms of core areas, humanities and social studies kind of are in the same bag for me. Not a natural historian, but I do value history. That's something I kind of had to develop my own methodology over the years. But those two areas I was just relatively good at them in school. I was like there are interesting topics and interesting things that I can teach young people about. So that led me there. So I'm actually haven't looked back on being an art teacher. I got swooped up into history and then here I am. I haven't looked back.

Alethea Felton:

Exactly, and you've been an educator for 10 years. Now, right, 10 or 11 years?

Dr. Sean Miller:

10 now 10 now.

Alethea Felton:

Yeah, wow, that decade was bad.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, because really I remember I was in corporate America for eight years. I got an education. I was like I wonder what it's going to feel like when I reach eight years in education and I hit eight.

Alethea Felton:

You passed it. No, I'm a 10.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I don't even consider, because it was like this tension I had for a while. I'm still partly corporate, but once I surpassed that eight year mark, I'm an educator for real now year mark.

Alethea Felton:

I'm an educator for real now, yeah, and I use the term educator not to take away from you as a teacher, but I use that term especially for people who do far more than just in the classroom. And again, I'm not taking away from what teachers do, because that is a really challenging job and I was in the classroom for many years. But educator also, sean, because not only have you got your master's doctorate, but recently you also have decided to get more licensure, and could you share with us that road that you just recently obtained?

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, I guess this means I'm a glutton for punishment. I just got my licensure for being an administrator.

Alethea Felton:

Yes.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Washington, dc, maryland and Virginia. That's right, virginia one just hit last week, so triple threat, that's right. I gotta eat. I need a job, you know, yeah, and you will get one.

Alethea Felton:

Yes, yes, and so you know, I think it's important to note, and there's already a teacher shortage, but I also know that you, being a black man teacher, a black male teacher, what are some of those unique challenges or experiences that you faced in the education system and how have you learned to kind of navigate those?

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, I always put it like this. Well, we're unicorns first and foremost. They make up 1.7 percent of the American teaching force, so it's very difficult to find us anywhere. And generally when a Black man vacates a teaching position, like you mentioned in the short answer, you're going to be very hard pressed to replace them with another Black man. So it's very difficult. One of the challenges I've noticed particularly early in my career everybody thinks we're Joe Clark.

Alethea Felton:

Oh, and for some context, y'all, joe Clark, lean on me. If you don't know that, google it. But I get it. Wow, I never considered that.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah. So when it comes down to particularly disciplining students of color, it's almost as if we're viewed as the disciplinarian, the father figure, the club bouncer, the club security, like we're that. For a lot of teachers, and especially for those that you know just haven't interacted with a lot of black men, there is a preconception that comes with that we're like OK, particularly if you're relatively tall like me. Ok, well, it's the big black guy this is kind of how it plays out. The big black guy, something's happening, let's go get the big black man. And so early in my career, and I hadn't considered that. But then I realized that every time something was happening, black people were running to me. This got nothing to do with me, this is not my students, this is not my class, I'm like running across the hallway coming to get me.

Dr. Sean Miller:

So that's a challenge is the perception of men, and black men specifically. It's a microcosm of what we see in society and sometimes that's viewed as a threat and sometimes it's seen as a commodity to be used. So it's just learning how to teach in a way that's engaging. I think that's one of the biggest challenges.

Dr. Sean Miller:

One thing that I will say benefited me from being in marketing early in my career is that it allowed me to see education not necessarily as a product, but you do have to convince students why they should want to learn. It's them, why they should invest their time and their attention to what you have to say. So I've kind of used that leverage to say, ok, yeah, I got to give you a real life reason why you should even pay attention to my class. I got a real life reason why you should even respect me, because I'm going to be honest and, alethea, you probably didn't know this in school, but quite frankly, I don't really respect most of the teachers. Honest and Alethea, you probably didn't know this in school, but quite frankly, I didn't really respect most of the teachers. I kind of I honestly probably only remember about four or five of my teachers.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I got you yeah, okay, yeah, and that was an internal thing and I was like you know. So I know that I have to sell education. I have to sell respect. I have to sell these things for a young mind, for them to say, yo, yeah, this is worth my time, my future's on the line. This is why I have to maintain positive relationships. This is why I got to have some kind of work ethic. But it's got to be about them. So I have to convince them to find their own why, as opposed to me telling them 100% what my why is. Who's that for leverage? But I'm selling a product. I'm marketing a product. Teachers have to do that in some way, shape or form, because you've got to convince them. I don't believe that when someone walks in my classroom, they're going to respect me just because I'm an authority.

Dr. Sean Miller:

That's right, yeah, I don't gel with that. So I got to get them captivated in the moment and I got to put on a show. If I have to, I have to get all the bells and whistles and smoking mirrors, whatever.

Alethea Felton:

That's right.

Dr. Sean Miller:

To get them engaged to say OK, ok, now let's talk government, let's talk African-American history, let's talk English. Now I got them, so I got to hook them first and I got to maintain their attention so that they never take their eye off the prize.

Alethea Felton:

Especially with this generation of students too. And you know I can only speak for me, but I will always tell people personally I always did well with the students. Always tell people personally, I always did well with the students. Of course you have your challenges, but sometimes people who aren't in the field automatically think oh my goodness, how can y'all work with all those terrible kids and the kids? To me that was the fun part.

Alethea Felton:

It was always tougher working with the adults. Once you got into leadership, that was harder working with the adults but really working with the kids. That's where the excitement came alive and I always wanted to. Whole educational experience that I can remember were really innovative, captivating teachers. That really brought out a spark in me and so you know that was my experience and I think it's important to note having a teacher like you, even from things I've seen posted, I always said, dang, I wish I got to observe Sean in the classroom just to have a brain break, meaning just to walk away from a lot of distress and heavy burdens and just the responsibilities that you know I had in other roles.

Alethea Felton:

Teachers like you make the field extraordinary and exceptional, but sometimes being extraordinary can come with a cost and I'm saying that about you because I know good, solid teaching when I see it. And that can come with a cost. And you, sean, and that can come with a cost. And you, sean, took a risk on something major that has literally brought national attention and that is when you had the audacity to say I want to have this advanced placement program course, but just not any course. Tell us about that course that has landed you even in USA Today.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, yeah, Thank you. It's AP, African American Studies, which has been for many people. You may know all over the news and controversial stories and headlines, and I want to take a little bit back down the timeline. Prior to AP, In my current school district, you know I was sitting around for a few years wondering why we didn't have African American history in general, and you know A lot of school systems don't.

Dr. Sean Miller:

They don't, and so I really you know a lot of school systems don't they don't, and so I really you know, sometimes the phrase you don't know what you don't know prompts action. And for me, after a few years of wondering why there wasn't this course, I just said I don't know who to talk to. So I'm going straight to the superintendent. Never met the superintendent, had never conversed with him via any kind of communication, I said I'm just going to keep Hold on.

Alethea Felton:

Sean, Wait a minute. You didn't even talk to your principal first.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I didn't talk to anybody other than the superintendent. Wow, I went straight. I said look, I don't even know what to talk to you. I'm like let me go ahead to the person that makes decisions around here. Wow, head to the person that makes decisions around here. Wow, I sat in my classroom and I drafted an email directly to the superintendent and I said hey, I had a question.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I was wondering what's the feasibility of having African-American history classes in the school district. You know, this is something I've been thinking about and I didn't think I was going to get a response. And I think it was probably like nine minutes later I got a response from them and it was sent from their iPhone. They said that's a good question and they said, okay, I'm going to kind of reach out to some folks and I'll get back with you. And within probably two to three weeks we had a committee in the school district to explore developing an African-American history course. So we had begun working on that just for our school district, and so we had a crew from central office, we had teachers and what I found out, there was a couple of other like minded teachers that they roped into the process as well. So we started developing curriculum and then the state of Virginia came up with a framework for a statewide course, so they kind of beat us to it.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I had to change our focus to say, ok, well, since this course is coming down the pipeline, how do we prepare teachers to teach this course? Pipeline how do we prepare teachers to teach this course? And it was what we call an academy class entitled African-American History and Culture for Educators. So we started, as you mentioned, working with adults, focused on the adult learners about African culture and some of the themes that they may come across in this class. So it started with that standard course. So I had a two-year head start before AP African-American Studies. Well, really three-year head start before that course came into realization. So with the AP course, they were piloting it throughout different states.

Alethea Felton:

Okay.

Dr. Sean Miller:

And this was the second year pilot, so they had reached out to different schools and my principal was interested in it and he touched base with me and I said, hey, I would love to be a part of this. And then we went through the application process and then we were selected to be a pilot course for this school year.

Alethea Felton:

So what was it that gained Because? What was it that gained? Because something has highlighted you and your school. It could be God's favor, it could be a lot of things, especially since other schools piloted it, but but what is the reason you think that you, and your school specifically, really gained so much national attention from this?

Dr. Sean Miller:

specifically really gained so much national attention from this? Yeah, I think it goes back to what I said before. Being true to myself, I'm going to be honest. I used to sit and it doesn't sound good now in retrospect, but I would tell myself I'll never be a teacher of the year because I'm too much of me myself. I'll never be a teacher of the year because I'm too much of me, you know. I'll never get accolades because I'm too much of me. Like, I have a certain way of doing things that's authentically me. I thought it was just flying over people's head. It was never gonna get recognized. So, uh, I stuck to my guns with that.

Dr. Sean Miller:

So, when it comes to the AP course and other courses, I'll take the framework that they provide us with the curriculum, the pacing, the topics, the essential knowledge, but it's got to have some of me in it. I'll take it, deconstruct it, add the creative flair to it, add the conversation to it, add things that the curriculum may not cover in a way that will grasp students attention. So it's a little bit of that. So it kind of turned around to where people started to recognize, uh, what was going on in the classroom, and you know seeing what was going on.

Dr. Sean Miller:

So I think it became just a bit, it was a bit of curiosity from the school district. They were like, ok, we have this course and we want to interview, or you know, understand what's going on, particularly when media outlets would reach out to the school district. And because I had been one of those individuals that was writing curriculum and assisting three years prior, I had some background knowledge on the history of this content. So, and and that's all it was you said, you said it great, it's a lot of God's favor and it's and it's really just being me within the classroom space, tell me what's happened. I've had a number over the last three years, a lot of media from NBC, from Fox, wtop, npr, wusa, american University, usa. Today.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I've had a lot of folks inside the classroom, but what they get is a healthy dose of how my classroom looks every day.

Alethea Felton:

That's right.

Dr. Sean Miller:

You are not putting on a show at all Yep, get a dose of reality, yeah, where it's like okay, where I'm not just simply lecturing kids to death um which I could, because there's enough content to do so, but the creative projects that that I think would get kids engaged, the current events, conversations, the cultural conversations, the things that they develop and create. So they're walking into a space where, even if you compare it to other teachers and there's a lot of wonderful teachers all over the country- that's right and I just think they're going to get something unique.

Dr. Sean Miller:

So I think that appeals to people. There's the quote unquote controversial topic of African-American history and African-American studies, but when media outlets and people from the school district come in that represent media, they see something unique and engaging and when they walk in the classroom, they're transformed into being students as well. So, like you said, like you know, remembering two teachers that were impactful, that's one of the things that many of the people come in. They say, wow, I wish I was in your class or where were you when I was in high school. These are the things that, quite frankly, they interest me. So the things that happen in my classroom interest me first and foremost, and I'm also like, how do I translate that to young people of a different generation to kind of get them captivated in the moment and to enjoy their learning, but then also walk away with some jewels that like, ok, apply to life outside of history, and I think that's how I get them. It's like, hey, this is real life stuff here.

Alethea Felton:

Yeah, yeah. And, and I think it begs the question, suppose a person says, oh my goodness African-American studies, oh my goodness African-American studies. Slavery was so long ago, or why do we still have to talk about that? Or it's so exclusive, meaning it is excluding other people, it's critical race theory, it's anti this, it separates us. How do you answer and respond the critics? How do you respond to the critics? And Sean, what is the why? Why does it matter to really still teach this?

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, it's simple to me. I think we've made it so complex, but the simple answer is it's the human story. For me to devalue or establish a hierarchy of what's important about the human story, it's just irresponsible. I teach history from a lens of empathy, so I tell students hey, you may not understand these cultures, you may not understand these localities, you may not understand these ethnicities, these socioeconomic variances. However, I want you to imagine if you were in any of these individuals or group shoes. How would you feel? That's all I wanted to think about. Like, how would you feel, irregardless of culture?

Dr. Sean Miller:

Now, the critics would have to ignore the human story for it to be problematic.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I would have to ignore the human story for it to be problematic, which means, if I'm willing to ignore the human story, that means I have established some form of caste system or I have established some kind of social hierarchy to where one group of the society is more important than the other group for me to make that a rational argument.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Because if I say, OK, african-american history is not important, and you said the question, what is the why? My question is the same for them. Well, why is it not important? It's the question that's not been answered. That's right. Yeah, answers are steeped in, and I'll try to paraphrase is more of a fear of a couple of things, a fear that Idolized heroes are going to be diminished, and if they're diminished, and that reflects something about me, and if they're diminished, then that reflects something about me. Potentially, then also on the flip side, if another segment of the population, in this case African-Americans, if they're uplifted, that is a threat to me somehow, which a person can rationalize in their mind how that's a threat. But they're also going to have to explain that Now unfortunately everybody in society is not expected to explain themselves.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Mm, hmm, yeah, I have to explain myself why I have to teach about African-American culture, african-american culture. No one has to explain themselves of these many generations of American history, why we learn so many people, places and things that were deemed important for everybody at the expense of other aspects of our beautiful human existence. So if I, if I don't think one segment of the population is important, I would rather people just say that. So at least I know exactly what you mean. But there's a lot of coded counter arguments of you. All are demonizing the heroes of old and I don't think it's even that. I think it's like any person's character Once you put a mirror in front of them and everything's exposed and everything's laid bare. You're going to find good ugly, indifferent, and people fear that if my idol gets torn down, some people believe that's a reflection of them. Also, if there's a segment of the population that I believe is a lesser than if they are empowered, then that also makes me have to reflect on myself. Because what if this population that is minoritized responded in kind and how they have been treated throughout their time here in the United States? And so people are threatened.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I've been writing and reading and there was a thought from a leader at UVA many years ago where he believed that if African-Americans achieved an education, that was an act of war, because it was a threat to white Americans. Oh, wow, be educated an act of war? Yeah, yeah, because it would. And his argument was it would give them political power, because they didn't understand the politics for the betterment of African Americans. And back to thinking it was a threat. That's the same thing we're dealing with in education now. It's a threat for people to be in power, just like it's a threat for an enslaved African to learn to read and write, because if you get knowledge, then you're able to activate and motivate and advocate for so many different things that's right, and liberation and self-actualization, and the human agency that has been stripped of you organization and the human agency that has been stripped of you.

Dr. Sean Miller:

So for me, the why I teach it is because it is part of the human story. The same way, when I, when I taught US history and world history too, I didn't stray away from the human story. I didn't say I'm not going to talk about these other ethnicities or other nationalities. I had no fear of it, cause it was part of the story.

Alethea Felton:

And I think it's so critical for people to understand that learning is an active process and if we could empower one another to think that is so important. Oftentimes, what I'm finding, especially what's portrayed in media people spewing off at the mouth without thinking about what they're really saying and about not really having the knowledge on what they're speaking of, but just speaking from emotion and not even being open into thinking about their thinking and that is what I could even tell from your answer and the complexity of it. Yet it's so simple to me because I get it is that the very way that you've explained it ever so clearly is the way that you're teaching your students on how to think, because maybe you had a student coming in there a bit closed-minded but yet still willing to take the chance to say I'm going to learn and see what this is all about and think for myself. And the feedback has been absolutely positive from the kids, because I've been keeping up with all of the articles and things of that nature. But also I think that this generation, in spite of issues with TikTok and everything else, for the most part this generation I've seen they're hungry for truth, they're hungry for people cutting out the BS. They want true authenticity. They want you to show up as who you are and I think you as a teacher, you being your authentic self and we use that often nowadays, but I mean it your authenticity shines through and that will get any student to eat right out of your hand.

Alethea Felton:

So, as you're going through this process of teaching and I know that we don't have a lot of time left, but I want to get to this big because I think it speaks volumes. Here you are navigating this course, navigating grad school, navigating new licensure a lot of other things. Right, sean? How did you still find the strength within yourself to show up every day, to pour into these students when you still had your own personal life, personal things going on, some really tough challenges that maybe people outside of your personal circle may not even know about, of your personal circle may not even know about? Tell us about what caused you, every day, to put forth your best effort, even when there was a season of your life when so much was happening to you personally and you just didn't even know how you were going to get through day to day.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, that's an excellent question. It requires a lot of stamina. You mentioned the why, and it's interesting. I literally had this conversation today. It really stems from childhood, to be honest, just the ability to kind of stick to things now. Just the ability to kind of stick to things now because, um, I grew up in some interesting environments and one thing that struck me very early and often was this can't be all there is to the world, this can't be it, uh. So sometimes I was surrounded by madness and insanity. I've seen a lot of things, I've had a colorful life, and a lot of people don't know it, um, but at a young age I said look, um, I know my life is going to be bigger and greater than this. So therefore, the decisions I make have to point me wherever that's going to be. So as I've grown throughout the years, I've kind of kept the main thing, the main thing.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I grew up struggling. I grew up in what was poverty, but I didn't think about it very much. My mom didn't mention the word poverty until I was like 40. Like I knew, but I was just like all right, I'm going to make it so as an adult. I just try to foster that in a professional environment. I still got goals, I still got dreams and I want that to be contagious to the young people. I'm like, look, I clock in every day and go so hard because I can't afford not to, because I know the result of letting off the gas, I know the result of potentially losing everything for having an off day. And I have off days, um, but it's just that, um, that mentality as a young person. And then you know, having my mom support me so much and she, she gave me so much foundation, um, and I learned so much from her. But then I had to fill in the gaps for the things she couldn't teach me. So I had to figure that out on my own, but she had given me such a firm foundation to work with that I filled in the gaps and started thinking my way through.

Dr. Sean Miller:

So, as an adult and as a teacher, I come in because I can't have my students feeling like they can't make it. So I'm gonna walk in the classroom. I tell them straight up from the beginning of the day look, I'm not having a good day today, I just want y'all to know. And then they see me push through it. So it's like they may have come in the room with some nonsense that happened at home or out in the community, or maybe just their previous class. So me having some transparency and some vulnerability and saying like, look, hey, I don't have it together today.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I tell them what my struggles are in school. I told them when I failed my first class, my first semester in college that's the first time I failed a class. I tell them, like you're going to have failures, you got to bounce back. So for me it's like being tenacious and persevering through things. Last year was probably one of the bottom three. So my life like hands down.

Dr. Sean Miller:

There's so many things that happen that some people know about and there's even more than what I even published to happen. I had to fight through. But at the end of the day, if we take life by the reins and say, look, I wanted to be better, I wanted to be greater, there's costs that come with that. There's going to be days that it's not shining outside. There's going to be days where the storms are more prevalent than the sunlight. But I got to be somebody that's like I'm going to stand 10 toes down. Yeah, I'm going to struggle some days. I'm going to fight it, I'm going to bounce. I'm going to bounce back and I want people to see that.

Dr. Sean Miller:

So when I accomplish things and I don't always know how people perceive it it's like do people think I'm bragging More of it's just to show God's glory? It's like look, all this stuff is happening. Yes, I think I'm telling it. Yes, I think I'm smart. However, it's God's grace that sustains me through all of this stuff and I want people to really understand like hey, no, you can make it, because literally I've been called polished before. I found that funny one time when I told you one of my childhood stories or something, and I tell some stories where people don't even think it's the same person. I'm glad you said the beginning, but I got some stories.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I'm sure we all do. I got some crazy stories, but stretch, am I building something? Am I building character? Am I building perseverance? Am I building strength? Am I building something to where that reason why I live is? Able to come back to the forefront. It's able to come back to the forefront, and I think that's what people got to understand. Like, once you know that you're great, once you know that you have something big to accomplish in life, doesn't mean that it's going to be super easy, that's right.

Dr. Sean Miller:

So don't forget it. So don't forget it, you don't. You don't let anybody take it from you and, most importantly for me, you can't let yourself take it from you. Sometimes we rob ourselves of who we really are because we get locked up into the negativity. So for me, as an adult now, it's like no, I got to, I got to get it. And some days I'm going to be like, hey, I ain't quite get it today. Yeah, the next day I'm coming back harder than I did before.

Alethea Felton:

Wow, oh my gosh, I could keep talking with you.

Dr. Sean Miller:

I want to be respectful of your time, but I just have one or two more questions, sean what are your hopes for just not only this African-American studies course, but also what are your hopes for your future, as you continue to build this American dream? Yeah, for African-American studies. My hope for that is that we just stop having the controversial label on it. To me, african American Studies, ethnic Studies courses, women's Studies courses, lbgtqia plus courses, those are all a part of the human experience. Yes, and for me, I would love to see society uh, I'm a realist here, but I would love to see society get to a point where some of these things aren't taboo to have a discussion. Because, as you mentioned, uh and I believe this wholeheartedly educators job is to equip students to be able to think, and thinking critically doesn't mean you think lesser of something, it just means that you're. Your job is to equip students to be able to think, and thinking critically doesn't mean you think lesser of something, it just means that you're able to analyze something and then come up with a system of understanding things, space where we can have these varieties of courses to, where they're not overly politicized or in a way that we rob students of the opportunity to learn about the human experience. Because what I find is this if a student doesn't learn it within a teaching and learning environment, they're going to learn about it somehow, some way. The question would be is it handled responsibly or is it handled irresponsibly? Is it handled in the context of a classroom or a random chat room where anybody said anything? Is it handled in a schoolhouse? Is it handled on the internet, where they can hear things that are far worse than anything that any of us teachers have to offer? So, and for me, I think my goal ultimately is just to impact education at a higher level. Whether it be a school building administrator, I do want to get into the superintendency like an assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction you better.

Dr. Sean Miller:

One thing I learned is policy controls everything. So at the end of the day, even though I said not one thing to be politicized, we got to be real here. School systems are a function of government Before policy controls everything. So when you have people that are passionate, that understand, young people also understand this whole, you know enterprise of education, making decisions that truly impact the system and students in a new, progressive way. I think that's very important. So I think that, particularly as a Black man and when I was in corporate America, often in meetings I was the only Black man when I got into education. Often in meetings I was the only Black man, only.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Black man, no difference. There's a demographic.

Alethea Felton:

In that wild.

Dr. Sean Miller:

So often I'm a one-on-one, a one-of-three, a one-of-four in meetings. So I think being people say at the table, but not just being at the table, but leaving the impact at the table, that's right. Having something to say that's just not regurgitating. You know generations of things that may not have worked. No, bringing new ideas, creativity, cultural sensibilities. I don't use the word swag, no more. But if I was going to time machine, bring some swag to the table. Yeah, bring something to the table that's really going to leave a lasting impact. So that's ultimately my goal, whatever that looks like. If I'm in a position, I'm in now, if I'm in a higher position, quote, unquote the goal is to leave an impact and leave a legacy.

Alethea Felton:

I love that and I could definitely see you in that superintendency realm. As a matter of fact, two of my black male cousins that come to mind off of the gate have reached up to the top like that. One of my cousins you may have heard of he has worked at Regent for many years, dr Herman Clark, and he did principalship superintendency. And then I have a cousin in the DC area also who has worked his way up the ranks for the superintendency and we definitely need more of that. Really, Sean, if a person wanted to just learn more about you, connect with you, what is the best way? Is it LinkedIn? Is it Instagram? Do you have a website, anything like that?

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, yeah, my website is wwwSeanLMillercom, so wwwSeanLMillercom. Same thing on Instagram Sean L Miller. Yeah, you can check me out there. Linkedin yeah, find me. I'm always working on LinkedIn, definitely, talking about happenings in my life, and particularly in education, always dropping new information there. So, yeah, definitely.

Alethea Felton:

Also this just dawned on me Is your book still in publication, your coloring book, I think?

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, yeah the Bible, yeah the Bible. In black coloring book.

Alethea Felton:

Tell us, how can we get that, please?

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, amazon, if you go to amazoncom, check the Bible in black coloring book and that is. I drew different biblical concepts and characters with an urban flair. And, yeah, a to Z, a disease, and you get to see some. And I did this in the middle of the pandemic. It's just a story behind how that happened. But, yeah, definitely check that book out.

Alethea Felton:

Yes, indeed, because I got one and I love it and I will have that in the show notes as well. And, sean, as we come to a close, what would you say to a teacher, perhaps, that may have lost his or her spark? Tired, exhausted. By the time this airs, it's going to be end of the school year. Some schools are already on leave vacation, so to speak. Although teachers work never stops over the summer. It's a myth, y'all, to think that teachers are off over the summers. I'm going to just put it out there like that. People tell me that and although I'm no longer in public school education, I will always advocate and stand up and say that is a myth. And stand up and say that is a myth. But, sean, say, if you're talking to someone who is tired, burnt out, maybe teetering along, quitting, now, when I left, I left on top, so I wasn't disgruntled. But there are a lot of people who are bitter, disgruntled, burnt out. What is a word of encouragement you would give them to just keep on going?

Dr. Sean Miller:

Yeah, no doubt, I think. I think this your teaching space has to be 100 percent you. And what I mean is this From the aesthetic To the vibe of your class, it's got to reflect you. And so my classroom is a reflection of me. It looks like how my house would look, it looks like how my man cave would look, because it's a constant reminder of who you are. And so we walk in that space. Yes, it's for the students, but it's for you too. And sometimes we walk in that space yes, it's for the students, but it's for you too.

Dr. Sean Miller:

And sometimes we forget that we sterilize so many things and we lose ourselves in becoming teachers and, and you know, sometimes we forget why we got into it. For, yes, we want to serve young people and that's what we're going to do until we clock out. But we got to be mentally well ourselves. We have to be in a space that we want to be in. So when I walk in my room and I see comic books all over the place, I see Funko Pops all over the place, I see posters, I see colors all over the place, when I walk in there, it feels like home, feels like a place I even want to be. So I think, from an aesthetic standpoint, people just have to create the space they want to be in.

Dr. Sean Miller:

So and remember that like, look, some days are going to get tough, but at the end of the day, did you impact even one student? Going to be days where class is just like it feels like a wreck today, yeah, but then did you impart something that could potentially change someone's life forever? And I think that's what it comes down to. We have to kind of dig into our own well to provide students with something that no one else can give them. We all have something to offer and I think in the classroom and school environment and school environment, we ought to be willing to kind of pull back the layers of the onion of ourselves and be willing to share that with students, because that may be the greatest thing they ever get.

Dr. Sean Miller:

And I think for teachers that are struggling, hey, like I said, be yourself and be willing to put that on front street. Not everything, because kids are kids, but enough authenticity and narratives and experiences that you've been through and say, no matter what, if I can impact a single student to where their life changes forever, even if it has nothing to do with my content area, then I've done my job. And I think one of the and, just as an aside, one of the greatest moments I've had as a teacher and this was early in my career, probably year two or three um, I had a student who had disappeared for a while, um, and had gotten pregnant, and you know, and I remember she came back and she said mr miller, um, if it wasn't for your history class, I would have dropped out of high school.

Alethea Felton:

Wow.

Dr. Sean Miller:

And I was like this is what matters. I don't even know if she remembers anything about US history, but the fact she was able to stick it through all because of a history class and because of the vibe, the environment, authenticity, a welcome space and willing to serve the students I think that makes it all worth it.

Alethea Felton:

Much respect, much love, many blessings to you. Your beautiful wife, your adorable girls, your family is everything Y'all. Yes, he loves students, he loves people, but his wife and girls and his mom are everything, and you know. Blessings to all of you, sean. Thank you so much for gracing our presence today, and I continue to hope and pray nothing but the best and abundance for you and keep changing lives one day at a time.

Dr. Sean Miller:

Thank you. Blessings to you as well. Thank you for having me.

Alethea Felton:

It has been such an honor having Sean Dr Sean up here on the Power Transformation podcast and y'all, please support all of his projects and get a copy of his coloring book it is the absolute best and read the articles that have been written about what he is doing and show support. Show support is that. Just know that learning about these things it's not a bad thing. Just know that learning about these things it's not a bad thing. It helps to make our nation and our world so much vibrant, richer. If only we could put aside our differences to understand each other and to work for the common good. Wow, can you imagine what a world it would be? It's possible and it begins with people like Dr Sean Miller and everyday people like you making small changes that can grow into something huge and tremendous, more than what you could ever ever dream.

Alethea Felton:

So join me again for another episode of the Power Transformation Podcast. New episodes are released every Wednesday. Let others know about it, but we'll close with this affirmation Say it like you mean it. I am boldly and courageously changing the world for the better, one day at a time. If you enjoyed today's show, then you don't want to miss an episode. So follow the Power Transformation Podcast on Apple Podcasts, spotify or wherever you usually listen, and remember to rate and review. I also invite you to connect with me on social media at Alethea Felton. That's at A-L-E-T-H-E-A-F-E-L-T-O-N. Until next time, remember to be good to yourself and to others.