(2020). Socially Relevant Curriculum: Cultural Otherness, Racism and Religion. New Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work, v17 n1-2 p10-26. Socially relevant curriculum and the importance of opening up spaces for negotiation and 'meaning making' to occur are increasingly common ideas in my academic writing. In this article, I argue that cultural otherness, anti-racism, spirituality and religion are fundamental to contemporary socially relevant curricula. In it, I report how student teachers made meaning in an asynchronous online discussion forum in the aftermath of the terrorist massacre at Christchurch mosques in Aotearoa New Zealand in March 2019. Dominant discourses and critical questions are highlighted for teachers in early childhood and tertiary education settings about religion, racism and cultural otherness. The central argument is that these issues are highly pertinent to all: they speak to the things that matter at this time. This article makes an original and timely contribution to understandings of how teachers, including preservice teachers, and children and their families can be supported to make sense of… [PDF]
(2019). Interrogating Disability Epistemologies: Towards Collective Dis/Ability Intersectional Emotional, Affective and Spiritual Autoethnographies for Healing. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), v32 n3 p243-262. Special education labeling ignores historical, emotional, spiritual, sociocultural effects of labeling Black and Brown students with disabilities. Utilizing critical disability studies, critical race theory and spiritual paradigm, we interrogate construction and expression of differences of Learning Disability and Speech and Language Impairment. We asked: "How does being labeled with a special education disability category, as Black and Brown people impact emotional, affective, and spiritual development in and around schools?" Reminded about our disability labels relationship to (re)production of racism and ableism, our counter-narratives deconstruct the normativity of racism and ableism in and around schools. Our findings illuminated how emotion, affect and spirituality played a role in our intersectional oppressions and non-normative construction of our differences. We call for collective emotional, affective and spiritual autoethnographies for change at the nexus of… [Direct]
(2021). Educational Aspirations and Experiences of Refugee-Background African Youth in Australia: A Case Study. International Journal of Inclusive Education, v25 n8 p877-895. Access to educational opportunities is instrumental for social integration of refugee youth. This paper reports on a qualitative case study of educational aspirations and experiences of refugee-background African youth (RAY) in Melbourne, Australia. Guided by a capability approach to social justice, in-depth interviews were conducted with two groups of RAY: those who have transitioned to higher education (HE), and those who have not transitioned to HE after completing high school. The findings show that: (a) RAY share a firm belief in the value of HE; (b) but they are differently positioned to convert opportunities into achievements — e.g. only the refugee youth with high levels of navigational capacity take advantage of the available flexible pathways to HE; (c) the stress of racism pervades the educational experiences of both groups; and (d) some African refugee youth have shown a considerable level of resilience in that, despite the challenges of racism, a history of disrupted… [Direct]
(2022). "It's My Time to . . . Fight Some of These Battles": The Life History of an Exemplary African American PETE Faculty Member. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, v41 n4 p650-659 Oct. Purpose: To construct the life history of an exemplary veteran African American physical education teacher education faculty member. Method: The participant was Dr. Andrew Lewis, a retired professor from the College of Charleston. Data were collected through formal semistructured interviews, informal interviews, and documents and artifacts. They were analyzed using analytic induction and constant comparison. Findings: Key findings were that Lewis experienced a significant amount of marginalization throughout his life and career. In addition, he was subjected to different forms of microaggression and stereotype threat. Lewis dealt with these forms of racism by emulating several of his teachers and professors, working hard, and performing to a high level. In addition, he altered the pedagogy he employed. Conclusion: Lewis's counter-story has the potential to influence other African American physical education teacher education faculty members, administrators, and those who perpetuate… [Direct]
(2023). Borderlands: (Un)Covering the Narratives of Teacher Candidates of Color in a PDS Context. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of South Florida. This research aims to uncover the narratives of teacher candidates of color and their experiences with race and racism while learning to teach in a PDS context, develop an understanding of how state and local policies manifest within these experiences, and explore the roles of platicas as a context for critical conversations. This research study captured the stories of three teacher candidates of color, Ms. L, Susan, and Amerie, learning to teach in a PDS context. I used the transformative framework of Critical Race Methodologies in conjunction with case study methods to uncover the experiences of the study contributors and illuminate the influence of state and local policies within the context of their learning. This research is unwavering in its commitment to ensure study contributors and their communities benefit from their participation. I employed various methods, including interviews, platicas, visual interpretations, reflective journaling, and policy-related documents, to… [Direct]
(2020). The Normalcy of Racism in the School Experience of Students of Colour: "The Times When It Hurts". Scottish Educational Review, v52 n2 p26-47. This paper focuses on racism in Scottish schools drawing on data from focus groups with secondary students of colour. The study explores racial inequity in schools through students' reflections on enactments of bias and privilege. Findings demonstrate that: (1) students of colour experience racism but race is being ignored or deflected in their interactions in schools; (2) students feel discriminated against due to race; and (3) they do not feel that they are heard and supported by their school. Employing a Critical Race Theory perspective, the article argues for the necessity of race talk in schools and the need for student voice. The study concludes with implications for teachers, research, and education policy, and suggestions for more explicit focus on race in the classrooms, curriculum and policies. [Note: The volume number (51) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct citation for this article is v52 n2.]… [PDF]
(2023). Analyzing the Retention of Latine Students from a Public Health Lens. Journal of Student Affairs, New York University, v19 p26-38. Students of color continuously face systemic barriers, racism, and additional unique challenges as they try to navigate the U.S. educational system. Due to this, it is important to retain students of color within the higher education system to lower health discrepancies and quality of life barriers. This literature review will focus on the retention of students of color, particularly Latine students, in the U.S. higher education system. The focus on Latine students is to see how ethnicity and culture may influence a student's ability to complete college, which is particularly relevant as the 2021 "Persistence and Retention" report found that the Latine retention rate has declined the most out of all racial groups examined in their 2019 cohort (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2021). Education is one small piece in the collective system of moving up within society and having the chance of a high quality of life. In this literature review, the author will… [PDF]
(2024). Reconceptualizing Quality Early Care and Education with Equity at the Center. Occasional Paper Series 51. Bank Street College of Education Issue 51 of the Bank Street Occasional Papers Series "Reconceptualizing Quality Early Care and Education with Equity at the Center" is a response to Gunilla Dahlberg, Peter Moss, and Alan Pence's 25-year interrogation of the concept of quality in early childhood education (ECE) (Dahlberg et al., 1999, 2013, 2023). Their groundbreaking work has called early childhood educators to question deeply held assumptions about the universality of childhood and how these shape the standardization of practices in early childhood settings around the world. While quality is typically conceived of as existing primarily in classrooms, the authors in Issue 51 remind readers that the small world of ECE exists within oppressive systems imbued with intersecting racism, classism, sexism, and ableism, and that, therefore, a beyond quality praxis requires nurturing and supporting educators through partnerships (recognizing that resilience is social), developing political commitments and… [PDF]
(2024). Anti-Asian Racism and the Critical Identity Development of Asian American College Students during COVID-19. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Minnesota. Asian Americans have long been targeted and blamed for problems in social, political, and educational realms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this racial bigotry contributed to hostile environments for Asian American college students. While previous research has discussed the negative impacts of racism on this population, my study explores how Asian American students understood themselves in relation to racism. Specifically, I investigate how racial identity is shaped by social relationships, college environments, and sociopolitical contexts. With an antioppressive approach in mind, I used narrative inquiry guided by Museus and Iftikar's (2013) Asian Critical Theory to center students' lived experiences and voices throughout this research. Twelve Asian American college students from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities participated in two interviews, which were used as primary data sources for this study. The findings are presented in two components–written student narratives and… [Direct]
(2020). How Senior Institutional Research Leaders Interpret Graduation Outcomes Split by Race Category. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Oakland University. Most White people have learned to ignore the way that the social construct of race benefits them or harms people of Color, myself included. In this way, people take for granted that race is not real, but rather the invention of White supremacists. Moreover, researchers who are responsible for generating knowledge far too often depend on color-blind ideologies wherein they attribute disparate outcomes to factors unrelated to racism. When we cannot name and blame systemic racism, there lies no hope for change. In the role as Institutional Researcher (IR) in higher education, there exists an opportunity to disrupt or to reinforce color-blind racism, but does it happen? This study asked IR leaders to provide interpretations of race category data. The results showed that they too often used color-blind ideologies, but some were more sensitive to the intricacies of race category data when they were presented with common interpretations, both valid and invalid. Ultimately, government and… [Direct]
(2019). White Teachers, Racial Privilege, and the Sociological Imagination. Urban Education, v54 n10 p1462-1488 Dec. The author draws from critical Whiteness studies and the sociological imagination to show how three White preservice teachers in an urban education program used personal experiences with racial privilege to understand structural racism. These stories depart from portrayals of race-evasive White teachers who struggle to engage with critical perspectives on race and racism. The participants' stories–which openly critique meritocracy and color blindness–not only demonstrate possibility, but they also raise concerns about the use of personal experience by dominant groups and note how considerations of White privilege do not necessarily lead to an understanding of how one is complicit in the reproduction of White supremacy…. [Direct]
(2019). (En)Gauging Self: Toward a Practical Framework for Race Talk. Adult Learning, v30 n1 p4-14 Feb. Adult educators in higher education settings often facilitate topics that stir difficult dialogues on race and racism. In the United States, an increased population of racially diverse individuals set against the backdrop of our current sociopolitical climate, suggests the need for authentic conversations surrounding race remain critical. By extension, the need for skillful facilitators can only be expected to increase. At the same time, however, many instructors avoid or fear race talk because of its potential to become emotionally charged. This article proposes a practical, reflective framework that might be used by instructors to build "emotive capacity"–an important complement to instructional strategies when talking about race and racism…. [Direct]
(2018). They Have "Verve": Preservice Teachers' Perceptions about Culturally Relevant/Responsive Pedagogy. New Educator, v14 n2 p153-170. Based on concerns about the permanence of racism in our society and its impact on opportunities for children's equitable education, this empirical study used narrative inquiry to explore four preservice teachers' developing dispositions as they studied and implemented culturally relevant/responsive pedagogy (CR/RP) in an early literacy education course framed by critical race theory. Whereas the majority of publications based on this study's findings have focused on preservice teachers' problematic white racial discourse showcasing narrative profiles, this article focuses on a finding that opportunities to study race and CR/RP led the preservice teachers to new perceptions about culturally relevant/responsive pedagogy, race, and racism. Yet, within these purported learnings, preservice teachers' continued use of white racial discourse points to the need for teacher educators to engage preservice teachers in contextualized discussions about the social, political, economic, and… [Direct]
(2007). Multicultural Education Policies in Canada and the United States. University of British Columbia Press "Multicultural Education Policies in Canada and the United States" uses a dialogical approach to examine responses to increasing cultural and racial diversity in both countries. It compares and contrasts foundational myths and highlights the sociopolitical contexts that affect the conditions of citizenship, access to education, and inclusion of diverse cultural knowledge and languages in educational systems. This will interest readers in the areas of multiculturalism, education, public policy, and ethnic studies, and will be valuable to policy developers and activists in the fields of equity and diversity. Following an Introduction: Cross-Border Dialogue and Multicultural Policy Webs (Lauri Johnson and Reva Joshee), the book is divided into 6 parts. Part 1: Historical Context, contains: (1) Past Crossings: US Influences on the Development of Canadian Multicultural Education Policy (Reva Joshee and Susan Winton); (2) Diversity Policies in American Schools: A Legacy of… [Direct]
(2022). New Juan Crow Education as a Context for Institutional Microaggressions: Latina/o/x Students Maintaining College Aspirations. Urban Education, v57 n8 p1358-1386 Oct. Latina/o/x students aspire to earn a college degree but given that they likely attend urban high schools with inadequate educational opportunities and high-discipline environments, more research is needed to examine the influence of institutional racism on aspirations. This case study was guided by the frameworks of New Juan Crow in Education and racial microaggressions. Using ethnographic data from observations, semi-structured interviews with educators, and oral history interviews with Latina/o/x students, this study examined the experiences of student participants with institutional microaggressions and the influence on college-going aspirations. Implications address the cumulative effects of microaggressions and inform asset-based research, policies, and practices…. [Direct]