Meet LeManuel Donaldson, a senior at Rainier Beach High School and member of the Student Leadership Council of the Office of African American Male Achievement (AAMA). In his work on the Student Leadership Council, LeManuel has a seat at the table with district departments and leadership and offers his perspective and guidance to them as they work to make SPS a more welcoming school environment.
Beginning in June 2019, the Alliance for Education led the creation of a $2.3M fund in support of Seattle Public Schools’ Office of African American Male Achievement.
And while most seniors can’t wait to start their next chapter, LeManuel is eager to one day return to SPS as a history teacher. LeManuel has experienced the benefit of AAMA advancing Black male achievement in our local public school system and dreams of extending the support his teachers offered him to his future students.
Joining AAMA’s Student Leadership Council brought LeManuel’s valuable perspective to the district, while at the same time offering him leadership opportunities and community.
He joined the Student Leadership Council in hopes of helping fellow Kings behind him. A 4.0 student, LeManuel has excelled in his academics, and his history teacher, Mr. Curtis Reed, ignited his passion to also become an educator. Mr. Reed’s care and concern for students left a lasting impact on LeManuel.
Inspired by Mr. Reed, LeManuel sees the value of having Black male teachers across the district and is determined to be part of the solution.
He plans to become a history teacher at SPS — but with his own style. As a teacher, he aspires to be a pillar of support for his students by incorporating a fun teaching style that makes learning something students want to do rather than something they have to do. He wants to help students focus their energy on learning the material rather than focusing on just high scores and grades.
Supporting AAMA helps ensure that Black boys and teens like LeManuel have supportive systems and essential resources to achieve their goals and thrive. The Office of African American Male Achievement (AAMA) is a driver of systemic change, not a program. By listening to the experiences and solutions of students and inviting engagement from families and the greater community, AAMA works to dismantle the systemic racism embedded in the public education system. The Alliance works in partnership with SPS and Seattle’s philanthropic community to identify strategies and innovations that would benefit from philanthropic support, and to raise dollars to that end. Learn more here.