(2020). Latinx Teacher Advocates Engaged in Social Justice Agendas: A LatCrit Perspective. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Kansas State University. Working with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) students has been a challenge for many years. Classroom teachers and certified English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers struggle staying current with the pedagogical approaches and strategies to work with this student population. In order to help CLD students succeed in the classroom, teachers may implement effective teaching strategies. Additionally, teaching without knowing the students' background knowledge can be problematic to all students. This study explored (a) how teachers who graduated from a federally funded bilingual and bicultural education program engage in justice agendas for their CLD students (b) the things these in-service teachers attribute as barriers and support systems in their social justice work (c) the educational strategies the in-service Latinx teachers value in their role as advocates in their social justice work. In order to examine the participants' experiences regarding social justice, I used… [Direct]
(2014). A Plea for Critical Race Theory Counterstory: Stock Story versus Counterstory Dialogues Concerning Alejandra's "Fit" in the Academy. Composition Studies, v42 n2 p33-55 Fall. This essay in counterstory suggests a method by which to incorporate critical race theory (CRT) in rhetoric and composition, as a contribution of other(ed) perspectives toward an ongoing conversation in the field about narrative, dominant ideology, and their intersecting influence on programmatic and curricular standards and practices. As a narrative form, counterstory functions as a method for marginalized people to intervene in research methods that would form master narratives based on ignorance and on assumptions about minoritized peoples like Chican@s. Through the formation of counterstories, or those stories that document the persistence of racism and other forms of subordination, voices from the margins become the voices of authority in the researching and relating of our own experiences. Counterstory serves as a natural extension of inquiry for theorists whose research recognizes and incorporates, as data, lived and embodied experiences of people of color. This essay argues… [Direct]
(2018). Latino Males: The Journey toward Doctoral Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of California, Davis. This qualitative, phenomenological study focused on exploring the supportive influences of Latino male doctoral students during their graduate and doctoral work. Research indicates that Latino males who do not feel engaged or supported are more likely to leave an educational institution (Figueroa, 2016; Gloria et al., 2009; Saenz et al., 2016; Solorzano, 1998). I used Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) as analytical frameworks to assess inequity in the educational experiences of Latino males. CRT and LatCrit also served to better understand the internal and external factors impacting Latino males, giving insight on how they overcame challenges and obstacles related to prejudice and discrimination. Scholars have jointly used CRT and LatCrit as two theories that have helped challenge other traditional methodologies and to investigate the experiences of Latino/a students in undergraduate and graduate programs (Lincoln, 1993; Solorzano, 1998; Solorzano… [Direct]
(2012). The Illusion of Inclusion: A Critical Race Theory Textual Analysis of Race and Standards. Harvard Educational Review, v82 n3 p403-424 Fall. In this article, Julian Vasquez Heilig, Keffrelyn Brown, and Anthony Brown offer findings from a close textual analysis of how the Texas social studies standards address race, racism, and communities of color. Using the lens of critical race theory, the authors uncover the sometimes subtle ways that the standards can appear to adequately address race while at the same time marginalizing it–the "illusion of inclusion." Their study offers insight into the mechanisms of marginalization in standards and a model of how to closely analyze such standards, which, the authors argue, is increasingly important as the standards and accountability movements continue to grow in influence. (Contains 2 notes and 2 tables.)… [Direct]
(2017). Exploring Racial Bias within Clinical Supervisory Relationships: The Experiences of Supervisees of Color. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Northern Illinois University. Critical race theory has often been described as a lens in which to see and understand how racism can impact or affect people of color. This lens makes room for a deeper consideration of ones lived experiences as a direct result of racial bias. Sometime in the mid 1970's, Derrick Bell, Alan Freeman, and Richard Delgado acted in response to the lack of acceptable forward movement with regards to civil rights during the 1960's. Critical race theory was viewed as a direct call to action. This theory takes on a multidisciplinary approach, has the capacity to provide insight between relationships and power, and considers the impact that power may unintentionally have on relationships. A sound theoretical paradigm is a vital component in understanding racial bias between clinical counseling supervisors and supervisees of color. This proposal outlines a qualitative research study that aspires to process how supervisees of color experience a personal understanding and resolution of racial… [Direct]
(2019). Thinking through the Flesh: A Critical Autoethnography of Racial Body Politics in Urban Teacher Education. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v22 n2 p250-268. Although the ubiquitous nature of whiteness has been scrutinized in research on teacher preparation in the United States, scholarship on how this concept impinges upon the field's overall culture, as well as on pedagogy, is scarce. Thus, I perform a critical autoethnographic study on the relationships among whiteness, pedagogy, and urban teacher education. The inquiry threads Critical Race Theory and feminist theorizing on (Black) bodies, affects, and assemblages, and extends from extant literature illustrating that the dichotomous thinking characteristic of whiteness undergirds the disembodied approaches to teaching and learning prevalent in teacher education programs. This, I discover, leaves one White pre-service teacher ill-equipped to discern and disrupt the materialization of whiteness in an (inter)corporeal encounter with a Black youth in an urban classroom. Additionally, a pedagogy of disembodiment hinders this pre-service teacher from developing robust understandings of how… [Direct]
(2019). An Examination of the Religious and Spiritual Experiences of Black Male College Athletes Attending Predominantly White Institutions: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Northeastern University. This study examined how Black male college athletes experience religion and spirituality as a form of support while attending a predominantly White institution (PWI). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants that self-identified with religion and spirituality as it relates to its influence on student success in college. The research site was a public research institution in the Southeast region of the United States. Transcripts were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to identify themes. Six superordinate themes emerged: (a) trusting in the viability of a transcendent source, (b) manifesting presence through prayer, (c) transcendent source for struggle, hope, and resilience, (d) opportunities for growth, (e) making sense of a developing identity, and (f) other sources of encouragement and aid. These findings were considered in light of the extant literature and Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Faith Development Theory (FDT) frameworks…. [Direct]
(2019). A Qualitative Analysis of Black Identity Development in Relation to School Tracking. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This dissertation is a qualitative investigation of influences of school tracking on the Black identity development of high school students. This dissertation begins with a Critical Race Theory analysis of school tracking processes. After exploring how tracking was designed, and how it continues to obstruct the potential for optimal Black student schooling experiences, this text proceeds into its principal aim of examining how these experiences may influence students' Black identity. Twenty Black eleventh- and twelfth-grade students in tracked, racially diverse Southeastern high schools were asked in individual interviews to describe their experiences in these schools and their attitudes regarding their Black identity. Student responses regarding their Black identity were studied particularly according to prominent Black identity models developed by scholars across decades. Student responses indicated certain differences in attitudes among student groups, with students on the lowest… [Direct]
(2019). Portraits of Whiteness: Examining Fragility and the Practices That Perpetuate and Disrupt Whiteness among White Pre-Service Teachers. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Colorado State University. National data indicated approximately 80 percent of the teaching force is white while the student population continues to become increasingly racially diverse. Teacher education programs continue to graduate and recommend for licensure a disproportionate number of white teachers. Research indicates overwhelmingly pre-service teachers suffer from a collective experience enculturating their miseducation as it relates to deconstructing and disrupting whiteness. Using Critical Race Theory and Critical whiteness Studies, this study utilized portraiture and narrative inquiry to understand how seven white pre-service teachers are engaging or not engaging with their whiteness. In particular the portraits (APPENDIX A) enhance a deeper understanding of the factors contributing to the participant's ability and willingness to engage on race and disrupt whiteness. Through thematic analysis of the portraits, five themes emerged which provide a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to… [Direct]
(2019). An Urban-Defined School Implements a Grassroots Oral History Course and Study Abroad Program for Social Justice Equity, Social Consciousness, and Student Advocacy. Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, v3 n2 spec iss 2 Sum. This paper conceptualizes the practices of one urban-defined school's development of two uniquely designed student-led advocacy and research initiatives to promote social consciousness and student advocacy among the school's faculty, staff and community. This paper considers urban-defined to be any school, system, or teaching force that operates in a suburban populated city or area that carries the socially constructed and political descriptor of "urban" because the school demographics are characterized as including a majority of children of color (Black and Brown) and/or children with low socioeconomic/high poverty status. Two tenets of Critical Race Theory as a theoretical framework are identified: (1) racism as an invisible norm and (2) the use of counter narratives to provide voice to historically marginalized groups. In addition, the grassroots frameworks for African American educational lobbyists to enact African American legislative voice (Griffen, 2015, 2017, 2018)… [PDF]
(2019). Mapping the Evolution of an After-School STEM Club for African American Girls Using Activity Theory. Cultural Studies of Science Education, v14 n4 p981-1010 Dec. Research has shown that African American girls are interested in science but not as likely to pursue science-related careers as their white or male peers. Although out of school time (OST) science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs have been presented as means to address this discrepancy and support scientific identity development in girls and students of color, programs specifically for African American girls have not been studied in detail. Additionally, the challenges associated with creating and sustaining OST STEM programs have not been examined. This study explores the evolution of one OST STEM program for African American, middle school girls over the course of three semesters. Using a combined framework of activity theory, communities of practice, and critical race theory, the contradictions within each stage of the program were identified and viewed as opportunities for expansion of the activity system. Results indicated that a consideration of dominant… [Direct]
(2019). Reconstituting Youth Space in New Mexico: The Space Youth Occupy. Education Policy. Clarity. Association of Mexican American Educators Journal, v13 n3 p139-169. Because of the funding decisions being made in New Mexico related to public education, working as an educator has become physically, psychically, and spiritually demanding for the lead author, Trujillo Ellis. The lead author seeks clarity in understanding New Mexico youth space, or the conditions of New Mexico youths' lives, that better equips her, as a reflective practitioner, to "make decisions about teaching and learning based upon moral and political implications" (Olan, 2019, p. 173). New Mexican youth space is contextualized in terms of demographics, outcomes related to well-being, the fiscal landscape of the state, and the policies that govern public education. The lead author utilizes the first four tenets of critical race theory (CRT): 1) Racism is normal, 2) Interest convergence or material determinism, 3) Social construction of race, and 4) Intersectionality and anti-essentialism to support reflection and analysis of her experiences as an educator and… [Direct]
(2020). From Salvation to Inquiry: Preservice Teachers' Conceptions of Race. Global Studies of Childhood, v10 n4 p368-384 Dec. Race is a marker hiding more complex narratives. Children identify the social cues that continue to segregate based on race, yet too often teachers fail to provide support for making sense of these worlds. Current critical scholarship highlights the importance of addressing issues of race, culture, and social justice with future teachers. The timing of this work is urgent as health, social and civil unrest due to systemic racism in the U.S. raise critiques and also open possibilities to reimagine early childhood education. Classroom teachers feel pressure to standardize pedagogy and outcomes yet meet myriad student needs and talents in complex settings. This study builds on the current literature as it uses one case study to explore institutional messages and student perceptions in a future teacher education program that centers race, culture, identity, and social justice. Teaching as a caring profession is explored to illuminate the impact authentic, aesthetic, and rhetorical care… [Direct]
(2017). The Experiences and Academic Successes of African American Post-9/11 Veterans at Martin R. Delaney State University (Pseudonym of an Actual Historically Black University). ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The purpose of this study is to examine the academic experiences of veterans attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Following World War II, enrollment at HBCUs was as high as 35%. Broader access at traditional colleges and the proliferation of for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs) have led to a decline in African American veteran enrollment at HBCUs (Gasman, Baez, Sotello, & Turner, 2008). Many veterans are choosing FPCUs, but they are not receiving the quality education they were promised (Dynarski, 2016). This qualitative case study explored the following: the reasons African American veterans are choosing to attend HBCUs; the challenges they face as student veterans; and the various factors that contribute to their academic success. The theory that guided the study was Critical Race Resilience Theory which draws from Critical Race Theory and Resilience Theory. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with five male and two female African… [Direct]
(2024). Through the Voices of 12 Sister Scholars: Their Ascension to Senior Level Positions in the Higher Education C-Suite. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Fielding Graduate University. This study examines the ascension of women of color (WOC) to senior leadership roles in the higher education C-suite (senior-level executives in an organization). WOC earn 16% of PhDs and only 2% of senior leadership positions at higher education institutions. Increasingly, the higher education pipeline has diverse women ready and capable of stepping into senior leadership roles at colleges and universities. Despite WOC's presence in college and university roles that would traditionally advance to senior leadership, they lag representation beyond midmanagement and lack access and opportunity to advance to the C-suite. This research is a means to raise the visibility of WOC in higher education leadership and amplify their experiences through the identification, collection, and analysis of their voices. The question is, Are women of color the catalyst to disrupt or decolonize the intersectional oppression of the higher education C-suite? Through the intersecting lenses of critical race… [Direct]