He’s helping homeless people for the city of Dothan, and now he’s running for a hot school board spot — Justise Black announced his candidacy for District 2 of the Dothan City School Board of Education.
Black, the Director of Grants and Homelessness Initiatives for Dothan Housing, is running to replace Dr. Franklin Jones.
He’s aiming to increase transparency and community engagement, support educators and prioritize student success.
But this 2013 graduate of what was previously Dothan High School is setting his sights higher — he wants to make sure good people stay in Dothan.
He said he wants to make sure students and educators are staying in Dothan because they’re empowered and cared for, and his passion was evident.
“I believe I can help bring us back to that,” he said. “I bring a spirit of unification that I hope will be transformative to what we currently see with our own school board, and if given the opportunity to execute the duties of the office, I’m confident that we’ll see continued growth.”
He’s already a bastion of public service working for Dothan Housing.
Not only does he have experience helping homeless adults — but he’s familiar with helping people going through hard times in general.
“The families that have students in our school system, that have unfortunate circumstances, house fires or hard times, economics that none of us are really immune from, that can create a strain on what it is to just go to school,” he said.
He’s already been working with officials to help students who may not have access to meals or housing, giving students support while they’re developing.
“I think that unique experience allows me to have perspective on how to improve the process,” he said.
Amid a board with much contention and uncertainty, he takes a position of stability.
“I think the pursuit is not that we’ll all agree or have the same mindsets,” he said. “We don’t want unilateral thinking when it comes to a board. We’re meant to challenge each other, but in doing so, tactfully, respectfully and understanding the appropriate amount of transparency in decision making.
“You have to be professional in how you approach the delicacy of people’s lives… More stability in our board is encouraging more trust in our board.”
But he doesn’t only want to see stability within the board itself — he wants to see collaboration.
“I am extremely enthusiastic about the potential that we have here in the city of Dothan to be able to grow our relationships with our local city school systems, our city municipal government and our private sector in a way that can continue to improve on what we are already successfully doing,” he said.
He’s using what he learned from his teaching at Dothan City Schools to make Dothan a better place to live.
“I believe that my skill set and experience and just the passion and other characteristics that make me who I am (are) largely owed to this building behind me and the hallowed halls of what was Dothan High, that we can continue to see an improvement in our governing body and less divisiveness.”
“I think now is an opportune time for new, emergent leadership to bring fresh perspective to our Board of Education,” he said. “I want to pour back into it the best way that I know how.
“New perspective brings a new opportunity, and I know that I’m relentless in my pursuit of progress, and I bring a youth and tenacity. I’m happy to meet and exchange ideas so that we can not worry about being right, but worry about getting it right for our students.”
It’s currently unclear if Dr. Franklin Jones will be running for reelection.
The election is on August 5. View Black’s website here.
