(2016). The Racial Discipline Gap: Critically Examining Policy, Culture, and Leadership in a Struggling Urban District. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, v19 n2 p82-96 Jun. Exclusionary discipline and the implementation of zero-tolerance policies are disproportionately used against African American students and other marginalized groups. This case involves an urban school district with historically high rates of suspension, a low-performing middle school, and a new principal seeking to create a more socially just school. The case draws upon critical race theory and social justice leadership to explore issues related to urban education, discipline policy, racism, deficit thinking, and community engagement. The case raises important questions related to educational policy and principal preparation…. [Direct]
(2016). Undocumented Student Allies and Transformative Resistance: A Ethnographic Case Study. Review of Higher Education, v39 n4 p515-542 Sum. This article examines staff and faculty allies working to help meet the needs of undocumented students at a large research university in the western region of the U.S. Drawing on scholarly work rooted in critical race theory and ethnic studies, the authors highlight forms of transformative resistance. They focus on four key findings: (1) student activism as a catalyst for staff and faculty engagement; (2) confronting contradictions and raising consciousness; (3) developing more supportive policies and programs; and (4) collaborating with organizations and communities beyond the university…. [Direct]
(2016). Rethinking Teaching and Learning Mathematics for Social Justice from a Critical Race Perspective. Journal of Education, v196 n1 p19-29. What is teaching and learning mathematics for social justice (TLMSJ)? How has TLMSJ been taken up in mathematics education–both historically and contemporarily? Along with unpacking these two central questions, this article assesses the current capacity and stance of TLMSJ toward addressing issues of racial injustice. The authors begin with an overview of TLMSJ as an epistemic perspective and introduce an analytical lens based on selected tenets of critical race theory. This lens is then used to examine extant TLMSJ scholarship toward broadening the possibilities of justice-oriented scholarship in mathematics education…. [Direct]
(2017). A Qualitative Analysis of African-American High School Students' Transitioning from Middle School to High School in an Urban Private High School Setting. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Lindenwood University. Research indicated the transition from eighth grade into ninth grade can be a difficult time for students. His Grace High School (HGHS) ninth grade students illustrated this difficulty. The purpose of this study was to examine African American student and parent perceptions regarding the transition process into high school. Currently, all students and parents at HGHS participate in a two-part orientation session to prepare and acclimate to the new school community and learning environments. Orientation sessions are facilitated by predominately African American staff members; however, the premise of the session was developed and implemented by Caucasian staff and faculty. Furthermore, the manner in which the information is developed and shared with the African American students and parents does not consider or address the cultural needs of African American parents and students. Critical Race Theory, CRT, was used to measure inequality in education. According to Hiraldo (1994) scholars… [Direct]
(2018). Dismantling Power and Privilege through Reflexivity: Negotiating Normative Whiteness, the Eurocentric Curriculum and Racial Micro-Aggressions within the Academy. Whiteness and Education, v3 n2 p141-161. The challenging of normative Whiteness is paramount in dismantling the cycle of inequality that permeates society. The persistent and operant nature of Whiteness within the Academy is enduring and depicts faculty of colour as deficient or incapable. The articulation of racialised experiences has become an instrument of empowerment for faculty of colour in an attempt to reclaim power and disrupt the operant tools of Whiteness. This paper employs a Critical Race Theory (CRT) a storytelling method, which operates as a counter-narrative in attempting to conceptualise my own professional experiences of negotiating normative Whiteness, diversifying Eurocentric curricula and conceptualising the racial mirco-aggression. The narratives proffered demonstrate the subtle but powerful ways in racism unfolds within in the Academy and the nuanced, everyday forms of racism that persist against a backdrop of Whiteness. Deconstructing oppressive, racialised structures is central to the belief that… [Direct]
(2021). Finding Academic, Personal, Professional Identities: Phenomenological Study of K-12 Public School Teachers of African Descent. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Northcentral University. Teachers of African descent encounter obstacles such as lack of representation, microaggressions, myths and alienation within their profession and have multifaceted experiences that hinder or advance their identity development. Fifteen teachers of African descent from New York City were interviewed. The conceptual framework used for this study integrated critical race theory (CRT) which illuminated class and race discrepancies highlighting the experiences of racial inequity within the lives of students. NVivo 12 was used to code and analyze the data and explore themes. For professional identity the themes were: robust teaching schedule, microaggressions on the job, future prospects post-teaching, teacher mentorship, and pedagogy empowering Black and Brown students. For academic identity the themes were: academic performance through trauma, microaggressions/structural and institutionalized racism in an academic setting, value of education, provided learning experiences/enrichment, and… [Direct]
(2021). Structural Racism and Immigrant Health in the United States. Health Education & Behavior, v48 n3 p332-341 Jun. Immigration has been historically and contemporarily racialized in the United States. Although each immigrant group has unique histories, current patterns, and specific experiences, racialized immigrant groups such as Latino, Asian, and Arab immigrants all experience health inequities that are not solely due to nativity or years of residence but also influenced by conditional citizenship and subjective sense of belonging or othering. Critical race theory and intersectionality provide a critical lens to consider how structural racism might uniquely impact the health of racialized immigrants, and to understand and intervene on the interlocking systems that shape these shared experiences and health consequences. We build on and synthesize the work of prior scholars to advance how society codifies structural disadvantages for racialized immigrants into governmental and institutional policies and how that affects health via three key pathways that emerged from our review of the… [Direct]
(2021). From the Community College to the Ed.D.: Navigationally Resistant Chicanas. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, San Diego State University. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Chicana community college students who transferred to a four-year institution earning a baccalaureate degree and eventually a doctorate degree of education (Ed.D.). Their stories were viewed using Critical Race Theory (CRT), Latino Critical Theory (LatCrit), and Community Cultural Wealth Theory within a psychosociocultural framework. The literature reviewed indicates that universities espouse educational values that conflict with Chicana cultural values creating a cultural incongruity. At the doctoral level, Latinas have reported challenges navigating a conservative, restrictive, and racist environment. The culmination of these factors may be a reason for their low representation in higher education. Using a phenomenological approach, two semi-structured interviews were conducted online with 10 Chicanas from the southwest on their undergraduate and graduate experiences. Data analysis revealed four emergent themes that capture… [Direct]
(2021). A Three Cord Strand: Three Generations of Black Women's Educational Experiences in Mississippi. Journal of Research in Rural Education, v37 n7 p4-14. This article depicts a qualitative narrative study that reflects on the educational paths followed by three generations of Black women from rural Mississippi. The purpose of this study was to expand the documented footprint of Black women's educational experiences in the rural Deep South by exploring my own educational experiences as a researcher and as a participant as well as the experiences of women in my immediate family. Reflections, connections, and analyses address 20 years of lived experience in Mississippi school systems. The intersectionality of critical race theory (CRT) rooted in Black feminist theory provided the theoretical framework. The research questions addressed were: What are the similarities and differences among three generations of Black women educated in Mississippi? How can this information assist us to better understand the historical and present intersectional struggles of Black education in rural areas? The intersections of gender and race were explored…. [Direct]
(2021). The Scholarship of Critique and Power. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, v9 n1 p279-294. Critique can be defined as disciplinary feedback, analysis, or assessment provided to an individual or within a group, be it a classroom or a team. At a fundamental level, it is an exchange of ideas, impressions, evaluations, opinions, reflections, judgments, speculations, or suggestions to oneself or between two or more participants in a defined context. Scholars describe critique as a signature pedagogy in many disciplines, a cornerstone of the educational experience. There has been scant critical analysis of how critique also represents a performance of power with roots in positions of authority, expertise, or assigned roles. Such power dynamics have been explored in some areas within SoTL, for example in scholarship on assessment, epistemic disobedience, social justice, feminist pedagogies, and critical race theory. However, this has not been the case generally within the scholarship on critique. To better understand the dimensions of power in the context of critique we developed… [PDF]
(2021). Yes, Rural Communities Do Have African American Male School Leaders. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The purpose of my study is to explore the lived experiences, challenges, and opportunities of African American male school leaders leading in rural schools in North Carolina. My study looks at the intersection of identity in which a school leader in a rural community is an African American male. African American males face numerous barriers in education, yet my eight participants overcame obstacles to lead schools and address the unique challenges associated with rural school leadership. Utilizing the theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory, my eight participants from five school districts shared their lived experiences of leading as rural school leaders. Equally, my study participants shared their beliefs regarding the underrepresentation of African American boys in the field of education. Utilizing basic qualitative research with elements of phenomenology, I conducted eight 60- to 90-minute semi-structured, open-ended interviews to create these counternarratives of African… [Direct]
(2015). Nice White Men or Social Justice Allies?: Using Critical Race Theory to Examine How White Male Faculty and Administrators Engage in Ally Work. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v18 n4 p488-514. Numerous scholars have offered definitions and perspectives for White people to be or become social justice allies. The purpose of this study was to examine the complicated realities that social justice allies in higher education face when working on campus. Using a critical interpretivist approach grounded in critical race theory, the authors intepret participants constructions of allies and ally work and draw larger implications for these constructions and their capacity to disrupt and uphold systems of oppression and injustice. In examining the experiences of White male faculty and administrators who shared how they constructed and made meaning of the complexities embedded in ally work, we found that participants situated ally work at individual, rather than institutional levels. Findings also revealed the paradox of engaging in ally work, which involved few risks and sacrifices, but greater rewards for being perceived as "good" people. Finally, ally work was viewed as… [Direct]
(2021). "We Don't Got Time for Grumbling": Toward an Ethic of Radical Care in Urban School Leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, v57 n2 p257-289 Apr. Purpose: This article presents a case study of a successful Black male public urban school principal, offering a counterstory to discourses of failure in urban schools. I build on scholars' work in critical caring, the Black principalship, and radical hope to call for an expansion of narrow frameworks of effective school leadership to include an ethic of "radical care" within urban school leadership. Method: This study represents a counterstory in the tradition of critical race theory, centering the voice and perspectives of a Black male urban school principal. Using ethnographic research methods, this case study was based on prolonged and embedded engagement in the field including observations, informal and formal interviews, and document review. Data were collected and analyzed over a 2-year period. Findings: Five components of effective school leadership emerged from analysis of the data that, taken together, can be described as a "radical care" framework…. [Direct]
(2022). Interrogating Democracy, Education, and Modern White Supremacy: A (Re)Constitution toward Racially Just Democratic Teacher Education. Teachers College Record, v124 n3 p207-236 Mar. Background/Context: Almost 100 years ago, John Dewey advocated for a democratic U.S. educational system, one that echoed the tenets of the U.S. Constitution and achieved an ethical ideal by inviting participation of all students. Yet the U.S. educational system continues to stop short of this goal insofar as students of Color–especially those in urban school districts–disproportionately face obstacles not so encountered by white students. Purpose/Focus of Study: If democracy in the United States is characterized by freedom, equality, and liberty, the inherent question is whether these rights are enjoyed in equivalent degrees among all citizens against the context of white nationalist marches, police brutality, racially targeted mass shootings, and racial bias in education and society. Setting: Despite historical strides in civil rights, today's United States has become increasingly racialized and–some would argue–indicative of a neo-fascist climate wherein whiteness and white… [Direct]
(2022). Pushing Through: Graduate Degree Aspirations for Community College Transfer Students of Color. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles. Enrollment of vertical transfer students across four-year colleges and universities has been increasing over the past decade (Shapiro et al., 2018). From 2012 to 2017, data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) survey showed that White students represented the largest group of transfers to four-year colleges and universities. Racial and ethnic minoritized populations continue to face challenges in successfully transferring to a four-year from a two-year institution due to systemic barriers (Crisp, Potter, Robertson, & Carales, 2020); and students of color who do successfully transfer from a two-year into a four-year face additional barriers that stem from institutional racism and lack of a transfer receptive culture (Jain, Herrera, Bernal, & Solorzano, 2011; Umbach, Tuchmayer, Clayton, & Smith, 2018; Wawrzyski & Sedlacek, 2003). This study aimed to identify factors that shape and sustain the graduate degree aspirations of community college transfer students… [Direct]