My Sneaker Story: Jeremy Gant
Your Favorite Rappers Favorite Teacher
Jeremy Gant is working with Houston-led initiative Reading With a Rapper to bring real change to an antiquated school system, one verse at a time.
Photos: Katie Charlesworth / Graphics: Karis Merritt
If community is a road we seek to travel, the vehicle to get us there is connection. Connection is a form of nourishment that we all need in all phases of life. It empowers us to recognize who we are as we grow and the unlimited potential that lies within us. Many times these types of connections can be traced back to childhood, landing at someone who supported our development by pouring into us through connection. Oftentimes, a teacher can make all the difference. Jeremy Gant is changing the game for her students. Hailing from the great H-town (Houston, Texas), Jeremy is not your traditional 7th grade English Language Arts & Reading Teacher.
She is creating an immersive learning experience through engaging students with joy, true support, and keeping it real. She understands the essential nature of being a teacher but fosters an environment that is much larger than outdated district curriculums. It could be the Teacher of the Year award that speaks to her career success, but more importantly to Jeremy, it’s being an “advocate for the academic and social growth for students regardless of their social class, race, gender” and any other societal labels that may be placed on them.
The journey of a teacher is not an easy blueprint to cover. Over the last few years, educators have become increasingly overworked and underappreciated. Jeremy wears multiple hats in a single room that can include being counselor, data specialist, janitor, and even a surrogate parent. While she drives the point of teachers needing more empathy, Jeremy has a clear understanding of the connection between herself and her students - they just need someone to listen.
Teachers are often met with a crossroads in a child’s learning process that is dependent on many external factors beyond their control. Jeremy nurtures her students through a foundation of building relationships. A special strategy that goes back to the basics of leading through love and disruptive compassion - a phrase we admire and speak to often.
Alongside her daily classroom activities, Jeremy plays an integral role in the Reading With A Rapper movement. Essentially bringing more culture to the classroom, RWAR’s co-founder Jarren Smalls describes the non-profit as a “cultural conduit to understanding Black culture.” The platform has positioned Jeremy to co-create a nationwide curriculum that merges her ELA expertise with the power of rap lyrics. With the synergy of music and learning opportunities, Jeremy’s curriculum remixes the perfect tune of fundamental knowledge to cultivate creative expression in youth.
Through increased engagement and actual results, Jeremy takes pride in helping to build through Reading With A Rapper. The student-centered learning approach is barely scratching the surface and pouring into passionate teachers just the same.
We have often observed how sneakers represent a universal language for connection. For teachers, fly footwear can also break through barriers of communication. Jeremy notes her sneakHER style as uniquely comfy chic and loves how her sneakers make her cool in the classroom. From mixing patterns in her everyday style to rocking a Nike Dunk Low or her custom RWAR x Air Jordan 1 ‘Pollen’, Jeremy can save the world in a clean pair of kicks.
As she continues her mission to elevate the education experience for students and teachers alike, Jeremy’s passion is also rooted in representation. With Reading With A Rapper being founded by Alumni from Historically Black College or Universities (HBCUs), Jeremy proudly notes “I want my students to see me, especially my students with dark beautiful skin and say, “I can do that too because Ms. Gant did”. In creating a heritage story anchored in representation, Jeremy identifies that educators need the same nurturing.
Her advice to other women who work or want to work in education making a difference is pretty clear - don’t forget to take care of YOU and specifically your mental health. “As women in general, we are natural nurturers and givers. We often give until we are empty.” The importance of refilling that cup with whatever creates joy is a key ingredient to wellbeing. The overflow is a beautiful bridge that reaches her students in the most authentic way.
The intersection of learning, music, and sneakers is birthing an innovative new ecosystem in the traditional classroom. Jeremy’s journey is an exciting one because she can see that the vision is so clear. We can all utilize the spaces we’re in to make a difference. A simple sneaker, rap lyric, or book can be a catalyst for impactful change and we are continuously inspired by what local community leaders are doing.
A few books that were game changers throughout Jeremy’s life:
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White made me fall in love with reading in the 1st grade. After that, I had a book in my hand all the time. My teacher Ms. Jank made reading fun and didn’t make us read boring books that were just part of a lesson plan. I take that same direction in my classroom.
The book that made me fall in love with words, Nikki Giovanni’s Love Poems.
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs gave me permission to be fearless and make my ancestors proud
