For Shamia Truitt, teaching is far more than a career, it is a calling rooted in service, creativity, and a steadfast commitment to equity. Throughout her more than two decades in the classroom, Truitt has championed a holistic, student-centered philosophy that honors the complexity of her students’ lives.
Today, as a 7th grade teacher at Carrington Middle School and an instructor with , Truitt continues to push the boundaries of traditional education. Her vision is shaped by a rich tapestry of life experiences: studying the performing arts, absorbing a “village” mentality of community care, and blending her own talents in music, theater, and dance into dynamic, culturally responsive teaching.
Prior to her teaching career, Truitt attended Boston University on a scholarship to study the performing arts and education. Her love for music, acting, and dance came from her father and uncles’ heavy participation in the music scene. “I can’t separate education and be a teacher without having that artistic part,” she says. “Just as much as I am a teacher, I’m an artist.”
After graduating from Boston University, she decided to attended Georgia State University for a master’s in education. There she was a part of Project Healthy Grandparents at GSU, a program that provides multidimensional support for grandparents raising their grandchildren. From this experience, Truitt was able to see the inequities children faced and it informed her approach to teaching students in Atlanta.
“Ever since I was little,” Truitt reflects, “it was instilled in me that you give back. You go beyond the call of duty for children because they are our future.” That early lesson has been her North Star, guiding her through decades of work in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms across Georgia and North Carolina.
Equity, Truitt says, is the bedrock of her work. Growing up with a mother who fought for fair treatment in healthcare, she learned early on about systemic inequities, and how communities can resist them. As a teacher, she takes this charge seriously, designing lessons that expose students to stories of empowerment, resilience, and excellence. Her commitment to equity has been lifelong, much like her approach to learning—constantly taking fellowships, trainings, and professional development to refine her practice. “You must learn like you are going to live forever,” she says, echoing Gandhi, “because everything is always changing.” That philosophy has kept her nimble in a political climate when speaking honestly about history can come with risks. Rather than retreat, she leans into learning and analyzing perspectives so she can adapt without compromising her students’ growth.
Some professional development opportunities have allowed Truitt to make a direct impact on her students. From 2023 to 2024, she was a curriculum writer with The 1619 Project’s Education Materials Collection through the Pultizer Center. Led by DPS’s Bull City Scholars, she and others contributed to a virtual walking tour of Durham’s Black Wall Street and curricular resources that teachers can use. “The reason why I was so into Durham’s Black Wall Street is because that is an empowerment story,” she says, “We need to do more to empower people and empower our students to know that they come from a rich history in Durham.” As students participated and reflected, Truitt was reaffirmed in the importance of giving students a deeper sense of belonging through history.
This spirit of creativity and intentionality carries through her instructing with the Aaron Young Scholars, making sure students know they have perspectives worth sharing. She recalls watching one student who entered the program shy and unsure of her voice transform into a confident researcher, presenting her research to an audience of peers, family, and community members in the capstone event. “Sometimes students just need someone to see their potential before they see it themselves,” Truitt reflects. She also points to the alumni who return as mentors and instructors as proof of the program’s generational impact.
“What I love,” she says, “is how this program cultivates our students like diamonds, polishing them so their brilliance shows.” For Truitt, the program is a force for shifting the narrative about what giftedness looks like, especially for students of color who have too often been overlooked.
“They are our future,” she reminds us, a phrase that is more than a slogan in her classroom. It is a promise she honors every day to help every student shine.