Kurt Russell has been named the 2022 National Teacher of the Year.

Teaching history and African American history for over 25 years at Oberlin High School in Ohio, Russell was named the winning finalist out of four by the non-profit Council of Chief State School Officers on Tuesday.

Russell revealed to USA Today that his parents and kindergarten teacher inspired his love for history.

His parents, Jerry and Retta, who grew up in the civil rights movement, attended segregated Alabama schools. The Russell family moved to Oberlin during the late 1960s for work and to leave behind the barricades of the Jim Crow South.

His mother, Retta, marched with Dr. Martin Luther King as a high school student in Alabama.

“That’s how I fell in love with history, by hearing those stories,” Russell said.

His teacher, Francine Toss, introduced him to familiar faces while reading a picture book about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

“She had the audacity to introduce literature that was culturally relevant,” Russell said. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a guy who looks like me.'”

Russell emphasizes cultural representation through his classes by introducing his students to challenging discourse and difficult conversations.

“He’s enthusiastic and relates his curriculum to real-world experiences,” Nia Mitchell, Oberlin High School Senior, said.

“Students have been able to handle discourse a little bit better [and have] tough conversations with respect,” Russell told Education Week. “This is a country that is made up of so many great different individuals, so many different cultures and races and religions. And what I try to bring into my classroom are those different aspects—making sure that the narratives of others are being told through stories.”

“He does a really good job of fostering conversations where everyone can have a perspective,” another student said.

After graduating from the College of Wooster in 1994, Russell landed his childhood “dream job” of teaching in Oberlin.

During his time at Oberlin, He has assisted in developing an African American history course at Oberlin High School in his first year there.

As National Teacher of the Year, Russell plans to advocate for culturally inclusive curricula and a more extensive range of diversity in the teaching profession. According to Education Week, Only 20 percent of teachers are of color, with 2 percent of educators being Black men.

“If I could be just a small part of a larger change, it would mean so much to me,” Russell said.