(2021). Because We Know: Toward a Pedagogical Insistence on Black Mattering. Journal of Effective Teaching in Higher Education, v4 n2 p1-10. Black mattering is contested terrain. As we write this, more than 25 states and municipalities have proposed or passed legislation banning critical race theory (CRT) and the incorporation of material(s) that upset the normative curricular and pedagogical conditions of whiteness. Against this backdrop, "what is mattering for Black people?" This essay interrogates the formations and utilizations of educational pedagogies and curriculum. It raises questions about the implicit intent of these mechanisms on and for the lives of Black people, with specific attention to the notion of mattering. Plainly, pedagogies and curriculum that have failed to center or theorize the ways anti-Blackness facilitates projects of unmattering have engendered a set of conditions that reproduce anti-Black racism in and beyond the educational context. To address these conditions, we conceptually trouble the notion of mattering by meditating on a set of priorities urgently embodied by Black passage… [PDF]
(2021). Remembering Tamir Rice and Other Black Boy Victims: Imagining "Black Playcrit Literacies" inside and outside Urban Literacy Education. Urban Education, v56 n5 p744-771 Jun. Building on Critical Race Theory, Black Critical Theory in education (BlackCrit), and Black Male Studies (BMS), the author theorizes what he terms "Black PlayCrit" and, by extension, "Black PlayCrit Literacies." Black PlayCrit brings attention to the specificity of Blackness and anti-Black misandric violence in the play experiences of Black boys, including Tamir Rice, who was murdered by two police officers while playing with a toy gun in a public park in Cleveland, Ohio. "Black PlayCrit Literacies" serves as a conceptual and pedagogical tool to challenge anti-Black misandry in Black boys' play experiences. Given that the play experiences of Black boys (and other children of Color) are racialized and gendered, yet undertheorized in extant literature, specific recommendations are provided for urban literacy education research and practice to acknowledge and protect Black boys from the anti-Black misandric violence they face during boyhood play…. [Direct]
(2021). Towards MusCrit: Counter-Narratives of Muslim American Students. High School Journal, v104 n4 p203-207 Sum. The reflections of female Muslim American youth provides a glimpse into their lived reality as they navigate their hyphenated identities in spaces that systemically other (Sirin & Fine, 2008). The creative piece shared here is a silhouette of a woman featuring statements signifying that very experience. Noor Ali conducted a narrative inquiry into the lives of Muslim American women. The conversations accumulated hours' worth of data and anecdotal evidence with 15 participants ranging between the ages of 18 and 22 sharing deeply resonating stories of being. This paper seeks to highlight the phrases and statements made by female Muslim American youth as they speak of their lives. The paper situates that conversation in the theory and practice of Critical Race Theory, using it as a framework but also as a methodology. Furthermore, the paper invites readers to explore the author's work on the creation of a micro-theoretical framework that is particular to this demographic and honors… [Direct]
(2022). Counter-Storytelling: A Form of Resistance and a Tool to Reimagine More Inclusive Early Childhood Education Spaces. in education, v28 n1b p116-125 Aut. In this essay, I reflect on my lived experiences as a girl child growing up in my home country of Botswana, and also as a mother in a foreign country, Canada. I am experimenting with my personal essay and making connections with academic articles that will help me understand my behaviors, attitudes, and responses to challenging situations that seemed unfair and unjust. I believe sharing my experiences not only gives me a platform to reflect, but also renders an opportunity to unearth hidden ideologies that perpetuate dominant discourses that continue to undesirably affect early childhood education. Sharing the unfortunate events for me brings healing and comfort. My essay is guided by critical race theory that provokes and challenges the normalized practices in education that continue to marginalize the minority community. Also, my inspiration for this piece was drawn from Wallace and Lewis's (2020) book, which described humans as narrative creatures who need stories/narratives to… [PDF]
(2023). Pragmatist Thinking for a Populist Moment: Democratic Contingency and Racial Re-Valuing in Education Governance. Democracy & Education, v31 n1 Article 3. We examine school governance in populist era, using contemporary readings of pragmatist philosophy. We are in a "populist moment," a time of uprisings and movements of the "demos" making political claims (Mouffe, 2018). School officials in the U.S. are subject to an array of political demands in the form of protests and campaigns. We focus on the struggles around critical race theory in K-12 schools. Glaude (2017) has advocated pragmatism's use in light of racial revaluing and democratic struggle. Rogers' work (2009) has highlighted inquiry, founded on contingency, in the face of disagreement and power struggles. These scholars show us educational governance's dual task in this moment: a revaluing of racialized Others in educational institutions done while simultaneously crafting conditions for deliberative judgment and meaningful policymaking in the face of political contingency. In light of this racial reckoning, we argue that populism presents a democratic… [Direct]
(2016). (Re)defining "Good Teaching": Teacher Performance Assessments and Critical Race Theory in Early Childhood Teacher Education. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, v17 n4 p442-446 Dec. Using three tenents of Critical Race Theory, this study examines the influence of edTPAs on diverse early childhood pre-service teachers in a graduate program. Findings suggest that (1) Color-blind admissions policy and practice were at odds with edTPA's perceived academic language demands; (2) A tension emerged between financial demands of edTPA and the constraints of immigrant and linguistically diverse students; and (3) edTPA rubrics and requirements required students of color to write and rewrite their teaching selves to match the external standard…. [Direct]
(2023). "Young, Gifted, and Black": Understanding the Complex Experiences of High-Achieving Black Students in AP Classes at a Diverse Suburban High School. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, DePaul University. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the social and academic experiences of Black students in AP English classes at a diverse suburban high school. This study aimed to illuminate their experiences, while giving voice to this traditionally marginalized group. Students provided recommendations for increasing academic success and belonging for future students as schools continually work toward gender and racial equity in the AP classroom. In this Critical Race Theory (CRT) oriented study, I sought to understand the essence of the Black experience in predominantly White academic spaces through a phenomenological methodology. I analyzed the significant moments and statements that the participants shared about their experiences with the curriculum, grading, and social interactions in the classroom. The presence and absence of belonging are fundamentally related to the students' racial identity and to students' academic success. The participants revealed the hardships… [Direct]
(2023). Tackling Racial Equity in U.S. Schools: A Critical Policy Analysis of Enacted State Legislation (2020-2022). Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, v21 n1 p133-163 Apr. Over the past few years (2020-present), the United States has experienced a period of racial unrest, which has led to heated debates about school curriculum and policy. Considering the current sociopolitical context, this critical policy analysis traces the trends in statelevel education legislation related to race/ethnicity that was both introduced and enacted between 2020 and 2022. Informed by critical race theory, we analyzed 61 legislative documents spanning 33 states to determine 1) whether the policy promoted or inhibited progress toward racial equity; 2) area(s) of racial equity the policy addressed; and 3) how the policy aimed to address those areas. We observed five key areas of equity the legislation addressed: racial/ethnic knowledge, anti-racism and social justice, disparities, representation, and discrimination. Although the majority of policies (n = 44) promoted progress toward racial/ethnic equity, some of these policies may result in more symbolic action rather than… [PDF]
(2023). Reflections on Consultation: Applying a Discrit and Equitable Implementation Lens to Help School Psychologists Disrupt Disparities. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, v33 n1 p10-44. School psychologists can engage in consultation to address inequities in educational opportunities to support multiply marginalized students. This critical work is codified in the NASP 2020 Practice Model, which outlines professional and organizational principles to facilitate school psychologists' engagement in equitable, effective supports to students, schools, and families. However, the legacy of historical beliefs about race and ability, based on white supremacy, have become intertwined in complex ways that are evident within and across multiple school ecologies, including consultation. In this paper, we apply DisCrit, a theoretical framework that incorporates a dual analysis of race and ability through an integration of critical race theory and disability studies, to provide a conceptual review of problem-solving consultation structure, roles, and purpose. Next, we highlight the potential of embedding equitable implementation, an emerging perspective from implementation science,… [Direct]
(2023). Dialogue, Ideology and Convivencia: Dialogic Explorations of Cultural Humility When Co-Designing a Culturally Sustaining SEL Curriculum. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Colorado at Boulder. This dissertation investigates secondary educators' participation in a community of practice to determine how educators' discourse reveals a discerning stance of cultural humility and an understanding of culturally sustaining pedagogy. Applying critical race theory and Chicana feminist framework to a qualitative auto-ethnographic study, the author explores how educators' beliefs and ideologies emerge when engaging in dialogic exploration around transformative social emotional learning (SEL) and culturally sustaining pedagogy. Findings in this study illustrate that educators employed various dialogic maneuvers when co-designing transformative SEL curriculum and experiencing moments of tensions. The author categorizes these dialogic maneuvers as tactics of whiteness and tactics of culturally sustaining pedagogy and examines how dialogic clashes in ideologies fracture a community of practice. Additional findings show that restorative practices and critical design principles supported… [Direct]
(2024). From Creamy Crack to Locs: The Oppression and Liberation of Black Women Educators through Black Hair Identity. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of San Francisco. This study investigated the experiences of seven Black women educators by exploring how they navigate the complex intersections of Black hair identity and the institution of education through collective healing circles. It aims to add dimension to the conversations around intersectionality by including hair and education as they are both vital to the way Black women's worlds are animated. By foregrounding hair as a pivotal component of Black women's intersectional identities, I aim to uncover how it impacts both pedagogy and praxis. Rooted in critical race theory, Black feminist thought, BlackCrit, and critical pedagogy, this work challenges conventional research paradigms by centering healing and restoration and challenging the dearth of literature on the pedagogies of Black women educators. The findings of this study explore the way Black women process messages around their identity through hair and race, how they rescript trauma through what I call post-traumatic hair subversion,… [Direct]
(2023). Dance Majors in California Community Colleges: Their Steps to What's Next. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, California State University, Long Beach. This qualitative case study of a Southern California community college dance program explored structural/administrative and social/cultural barriers faced by faculty and students who plan to transfer to university dance programs that require an audition for admission. Interviews with faculty (n = 4) and recent alumni (n = 6) were analyzed with program documents through lenses of culturally relevant pedagogy and critical race theory. In the academic study of dance, Eurocentric dance forms are privileged and pedagogical practices are based on Whiteness. Most community college dance majors in the study were People of Color who felt the program honored their cultures and cultivated their passion for a career in dance; however, when they transferred to university dance programs, they felt like outsiders and lacked proper dance technique. Another finding was that structural and cultural barriers threatened the viability of the dance major in the community college. Faculty and students were… [Direct]
(2024). Exploring School Counselors' Use of School Racial Climate Data as a Benchmark for Developing and Delivering Culturally Responsive School Counseling Programs. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of West Georgia. Many school systems have developed climate rating surveys to gather school perception data; however, research suggests that there are few states where this data is both disaggregated by race and used by school counselors. This study explores school counselors' use of school racial climate data as a benchmark for developing and delivering culturally responsive school counseling programs. Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) was the method of data analysis with Critical Race Theory (CRT) as the theoretical foundation and the Multicultural Social Justice Counseling Competencies Leadership Framework as the conceptual framework. The participants for the study included thirteen middle and high school counselors. Four domains emerged from the data in response to the research question. The findings suggest that school counselors often overlook the potential benefits of using racial climate data in creating culturally responsive school counseling programs. However, research also revealed… [Direct]
(2023). Civic Sovereignty: Indigenous Civic Constructs in Public School Spaces. Teachers College Record, v125 n9 p166-197. Context: This study examines how urban American Indian high school students negotiate their civic identities within the settler colonial structures of urban American public schools. Research Question: How do urban American Indian students negotiate civic identities in spaces where civic concepts are taught, such as American history classes in an urban public high school and a Native Youth Council (Native YC)? Research Design: This critical participatory ethnographic study examines the negotiation of civic identity by 11 urban Indigenous students in social studies classes, a Native YC, and a school in Washington State, where the STI curriculum is taught. Safety zone theory and tribal critical race theory were used to understand students' experiences and their stories from observations, participant interviews, and focus groups, which were employed as data. Conclusions/Recommendations: The study found that the social studies classes and Native YC were zones of sovereignty (ZoS),… [Direct]
(2024). "We Are That Resilience": Building Cultural Capital through Family Child Care. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, v25 n2 p202-222. Family child care professionals are a critical sector of the early care and education workforce. Utilizing critical race theory and Yosso's Community Cultural Wealth model, the current study seeks to examine the strengths and assets that family child care professionals of color bring to their early care and education work and to the children and families in their programs. The authors identified evidence of four types of cultural capital (aspirational, familial, navigational, and resistant) in the focus group narratives of family child care professionals of color across four regions in the USA. Their narratives describe an orientation to caring for children and families that counters exclusionary and biased systems. The family child care professionals of color envision themselves as educators and supporters of community advancement in opposition to racialized stereotypes of home-based child care work as babysitting (aspirational capital); they leverage the home as a place for racial… [Direct]