Orlando Hill is used to fielding questions, usually about cooking.
But the one the Buffalo School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management teacher got in May had nothing to do with sautéing vegetables or differentiating cilantro from parsley. This one came from a student who asked whether he would be willing to tie the high schooler's tie before prom.
Hill, 31, pulled the student out of the kitchen in which they were working into a hallway. He said he would absolutely tie the tie, then asked what the student planned to wear to the formal dance June 2. The student, who requested not to be identified, replied that he had found an old black suit, Hill said.Â
So Hill did more than just offer to help with a tie.
"I'd love to get you a new suit," Hill said. The student's smile provided the answer.
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Hill's small act of kindness did more than brighten a young man's day. He shared the prom anecdote on Twitter, where his generous act went viral. The May 22 tweet reached about 2 million users over the next few days, with followers cheering Hill's efforts but also reminiscing about times when a teacher stepped up for them. Hill tweeted his Cash App information and vowed to match any amount contributed. A wave of quote tweets and replies followed, which Hill said emphasized the importance of Black male teachers.
So prom coming up. So one of my black male students asked me could I tie his tie before prom. I said absolutely and then I asked him what color he wearing and he said I’m wearing a old suits. So I told him nah we going shopping. Imma buy him a suit and we gon get it tailored!
— LANDO M.Ed (@LandoSoReal) May 23, 2023
Hill has been teaching at School 355 for five years. Receiving his master's degree last month at SUNY Buffalo State, Hill received the President's Medal for Outstanding Graduate Student and delivered a speech at the School of Education's commencement.
The culinary instructor said he was blessed to come from a two-parent household when many of his friends growing up in Buffalo lacked a father figure.
"That's why I wanted to become an educator," Hill said, adding that he considers himself more of a big brother to his students. He explained that Black male educators can develop "trust in a different level" with students of the same color, and in his own case, shared East Side neighborhoods can also create bonds. District data from earlier this year revealed about 70% of teachers live in the suburbs.
Buffalo Public Schools' teacher demographics do not match its students. A New York State Education Department educator diversity report in 2019 showed Buffalo employs one teacher of color for every 56 students of color. That ratio is slightly worse than Rochester's 1:47 ratio, but far better than Syracuse's 1:102.Â
The district has made strides in its goal of preparing and employing more teachers of color. Growing the diversity, equity and inclusion department is within Superintendent Tonja M. Williams "Five by '25" goals. Partnering with urban teacher residency programs at universities such as University at Buffalo, Canisius College and SUNY Buffalo State is another avenue to not only build the teacher workforce but improve diversity.
Non-white students don’t often have the luxury of learning from – or aspiring to be – a teacher who looks like them. It’s not that they can’t learn from white teachers, but the process is made easier when there is an affinity and cultural connection between student and teacher, according to Micaela Appellaniz, a 17-year-old student at the Emerson
Hill sees the difference a Black male educator can make firsthand in his classroom. He cited statistics from the 2020-2021 National Teacher and Principal Survey where less than 2% of U.S. teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade are Black males and roughly 80% are white women.Â
"Black male teachers can have a huge impact on graduation rates, but also students' (comfort) in the classroom," Hill said.
The impact he had this time was more personal.
The duo went shopping on May 27. Hill, in an interview the day before, said they planned to visit Bureau on Elmwood Avenue and then a few stores at the Walden Galleria in Cheektowaga. His vision was a double-breasted black suit with a white dress shirt and black velvet bow-tie.
Thirteen graduate students are forging a different path into the teaching profession as the inaugural class in a new teacher residency program at the University at Buffalo’s Graduate School of
Hill will be in attendance Friday at Pearl at the Web, a Pearl Street property hosting the junior-senior prom for School 355. The teacher might gauge his style efforts compared to the students' peers, but ultimately he said he will know the difference he made.
"My goal is for him to be the flyest dude at prom," Hill said.Â
Ben Tsujimoto can be reached at btsujimoto@buffnews.com, at (716) 849-6927 or on Twitter at @Tsuj10.