A Black teacher in Richmond, Virginia, was named the 2019 National Teacher of the Year after beating out three other finalists.

Rodney Robinson, who teaches history at Virgie Binford Education Center inside the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center, appeared on CBS “This Morning” right after they made the announcement.

"My students are so amazing and their story doesn't get told. And so a lot of times, it's just a great opportunity to tell my students that sometimes a temporary setback could be what you need in order to succeed in life," Robinson told CBS.

In his Teacher of the Year application, Robinson said his mission is to empower the students in the juvenile system to be engaging forces in their communities.

All of Robinson’s students are registered to vote upon graduation. He’s also gone as far as teaching his students how to restore their rights to vote if they lose them due to felony convictions.

“I want to create lifelong scholars who use the lessons and skills learned to foster positive change,” Robinson wrote in his application. “The majority of my lessons focus on overcoming long odds to succeed.

“My lessons always contain a local reference or connection to inspire my students to change their surroundings and themselves. My most important duty to students is to inform them of their legal rights and responsibilities. One of the proudest moments is when my students are able to legally advocate for themselves, resulting in a positive outcome in their legal case,” he added.

Robinson said his mother, who struggled to receive a proper education during segregation, inspired him to become a teacher.

"She always taught us that every child deserves the proper amount of love to get where he or she needs, and that was my first lesson in equity," he said on CBS. "And so I try to treat my students with whatever they need to be successful. Some need more, some need less. But I'm going to be there to give you what you need."

Robinson, who earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Virginia State University and a master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, was praised by the Richmond Public Schools System for winning the prestigious award.

"Words cannot express how proud we are of Mr. Robinson and how thrilled we are to have him represent Richmond Public Schools (RPS) and the entire United States teaching profession," a Richmond Public Schools spokesperson said in a statement to WTVR.

"Rodney teaches and leads with love – love for his students and their families, love for his colleagues, and love for his community. He sees the hope, promise, and potential in every single one of the young people he teaches and gives his entire self to them, in and out of the classroom. He represents everything we stand for: boundless love for our students, a fierce commitment to equity, and an unyielding pursuit of excellence.”