Dr. Rhoden’s scholarship explores Cultural Trust, educational belonging, institutional life, and the relational conditions that shape student persistence across K–12 and higher education contexts. His work bridges research, public scholarship, and educational practice through journal articles, essays, conference presentations, and community-engaged writing.
Featured Essays & Public Scholarship
Am I the Problem? A public-facing essay blending personal reflection with educational critique, this essay examines Whiteness, belonging, and relational accountability through the lens of parenting, institutional life, and contemporary educational culture.
"Am I the Problem?": A Black Dad and Educator in Suburban School Spaces
Your Environment Made You. A reflection on how institutional culture, community, and lived experience shape identity, belonging, and educational trajectories across schools and universities.
Your Environment Made You. And It's Making Your Students Too
Mindset at 20: Where Do We Go From Here? The first essay in the 2026 Cultural Trust summer series, examining identity, belonging, and the emotional dimensions of persistence during moments of educational and personal transition.
Mindset at 20: Where Do We Go From Here?
When Trauma Returns: Why Cultural Trust Matters More Than Ever. A reflection on trauma, institutional trust, and the emotional dimensions of educational recovery across schools, universities, and learning communities.
When Trauma Returns: Why Cultural Trust Matters More Than Ever
Research & Publications
Books
Rhoden, S. (2018) Building Trust and Resilience among Black Male High School Students: Boys to Men. New York, NY: Routledge.
Rhoden, S. (Forthcoming, 2026) From Failure to Flourishing: Cultural Trust and Trauma-Informed Practice in Education New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Rhoden, S. (2017) Trust Me, You Are Going to College: How Trust Influences Academic Achievement in Black Males. The Journal of Negro Education, 86(1), 52-64.
Rhoden, S. (Forthcoming, 2026) "From Relational Trust to Cultural Trust: Advancing Equity Through the Narratives of Black Male Educators." Journal of Equity and Social Justice in Education
Selected Presentations & Public Engagement
Dr. Rhoden has presented nationally on Cultural Trust, educational belonging, institutional life, student persistence, and educational equity across academic, institutional, and public-facing contexts.
Academic Presentations
Public Engagement & Facilitation
Recognition & Engagement
Dr. Rhoden’s work has been recognized for its commitment to student-centered learning, educational belonging, and community engagement across K–12 and higher education settings. In 2000, he received an honorary degree from students at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools in recognition of his educational and community impact, followed by a Community Star Award in 2002 for volunteer work with the Cabrini Green Youth Program in Chicago. In 2007, he was recognized as Teacher of the Year at Alain Locke High School in Los Angeles. He later received the Academic Success Program Service to the Community Award at Arizona State University (2017) and the Professor of Impact Award from ASU’s Watts College (2023).
Dr. Rhoden continues to engage schools, universities, and educational communities through workshops, public scholarship, and facilitated dialogue grounded in the Cultural Trust framework.
Am I the Problem? A public-facing essay blending personal reflection with educational critique, this essay examines Whiteness, belonging, and relational accountability through the lens of parenting, institutional life, and contemporary educational culture.
"Am I the Problem?": A Black Dad and Educator in Suburban School Spaces
Your Environment Made You. A reflection on how institutional culture, community, and lived experience shape identity, belonging, and educational trajectories across schools and universities.
Your Environment Made You. And It's Making Your Students Too
Mindset at 20: Where Do We Go From Here? The first essay in the 2026 Cultural Trust summer series, examining identity, belonging, and the emotional dimensions of persistence during moments of educational and personal transition.
Mindset at 20: Where Do We Go From Here?
When Trauma Returns: Why Cultural Trust Matters More Than Ever. A reflection on trauma, institutional trust, and the emotional dimensions of educational recovery across schools, universities, and learning communities.
When Trauma Returns: Why Cultural Trust Matters More Than Ever
Research & Publications
Books
Rhoden, S. (2018) Building Trust and Resilience among Black Male High School Students: Boys to Men. New York, NY: Routledge.
Rhoden, S. (Forthcoming, 2026) From Failure to Flourishing: Cultural Trust and Trauma-Informed Practice in Education New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Rhoden, S. (2017) Trust Me, You Are Going to College: How Trust Influences Academic Achievement in Black Males. The Journal of Negro Education, 86(1), 52-64.
Rhoden, S. (Forthcoming, 2026) "From Relational Trust to Cultural Trust: Advancing Equity Through the Narratives of Black Male Educators." Journal of Equity and Social Justice in Education
Selected Presentations & Public Engagement
Dr. Rhoden has presented nationally on Cultural Trust, educational belonging, institutional life, student persistence, and educational equity across academic, institutional, and public-facing contexts.
Academic Presentations
- American Educational Research Association (AERA), 2024–2026
- American Sociological Association (ASA)
- International Conference on Urban Education (ICUE)
Public Engagement & Facilitation
- Moderated community conversations on educational belonging, identity, and institutional trust
- Arizona State University workshops on student persistence, anti-bias education, relational accountability, and Cultural Trust
Recognition & Engagement
Dr. Rhoden’s work has been recognized for its commitment to student-centered learning, educational belonging, and community engagement across K–12 and higher education settings. In 2000, he received an honorary degree from students at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools in recognition of his educational and community impact, followed by a Community Star Award in 2002 for volunteer work with the Cabrini Green Youth Program in Chicago. In 2007, he was recognized as Teacher of the Year at Alain Locke High School in Los Angeles. He later received the Academic Success Program Service to the Community Award at Arizona State University (2017) and the Professor of Impact Award from ASU’s Watts College (2023).
Dr. Rhoden continues to engage schools, universities, and educational communities through workshops, public scholarship, and facilitated dialogue grounded in the Cultural Trust framework.