(2024). Toward Disability-Centered, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies in Teacher Education. Critical Studies in Education, v65 n2 p107-127. Teacher education in the United States operates within the same politically polarized and tense contexts as schools. Research predominantly relies on the voices and experiences of scholars and professionals, despite the importance of community-engaged pedagogies and learning approaches. Collective work that bridges the roles of scholars and community activists requires a shift in how teacher education is conceptualized for a new generation of intersectionality-focused anti-racist and anti-ableist teachers and teacher educators. Centering the knowledge of disabled activists, poverty scholars, and community scholars in partnership with educational professionals, we introduce Disability Centered Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies (DCCSPs), a conceptual framework and pedagogical application integrating Disability Critical Race Theory and culturally sustaining pedagogies in teacher education. We outline the critical need for this theory in teacher education in the United States and… [Direct]
(2024). Confronting the Racism Boogeyman: Educational Leaders Make Meaning of the Impact of George Floyd. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, v19 n1 p124-138. Using a Critical Race framework, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews to explore how educational leaders across Texas have made meaning of the impact of George Floyd on their practices. Findings from this study add to the literature by examining administrators' reflections on race, racism, and their impact on their approaches to leadership. The four of the most prominent themes that emerged from this qualitative study, including Increased Critical Self Awareness and Reflection, Critical Awareness Influencing Decision Making, Disconnect Between What is Known, What is said, and What is practiced, and Racial Battle Fatigue. Despite the resolute and rampant backlash against Critical Race Theory, the findings from this study underscore its relevance to education. Implications of these findings beseech educational leaders and policymakers to consider implementing professional development and accountability measures that center race in educational equity…. [Direct]
(2024). "Campus Racial Climate Matters Too": Understanding Black Graduate Students' Perceptions of a President's Response. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), v37 n4 p1210-1228. This qualitative, descriptive single case study examined Black graduate students' perceptions of campus racial climate at a predominantly white institution (PWI) and how they were shaped by a president's response to racialized incidents. A greater understanding of how Black graduate students' narratives reveal how whiteness inhabits the PWI and the president's responses to racism presented. Guided by the Multi-contextual Model for Diverse Learning Environments (MMDLE) and Critical Race Theory, I unpack whether or not Black graduate students are prioritized in presidents' responses to racialized incidents and larger campus racial climate conversations. This study's findings further illustrate the significance of the role of the presidency when addressing issues of race and racism, and how their responses have the power to disrupt or harm both the personal experiences of individuals and the broader campus racial climate for Black graduate students…. [Direct]
(2024). Culturally Responsive Elementary Science Teaching: A Meta-Analysis of Current Science Teaching Studies and Implications. Cultural Studies of Science Education, v19 n4 p553-572. This study utilizes the meta-analysis method described by Timulak (Psychother Res 19(4-5):591-600, 2009) to create a more cohesive understanding of culturally responsive (CR) science teaching for in-service science teachers. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, this study explores two questions: (1) What common themes emerge in studies investigating CR science teachers? (2) Associated with those themes, what are the shared teacher characteristics or pedagogies of CR science teachers? Five themes emerge from the selected studies, and some characteristics or pedagogies of CR science teachers overlap. The five themes that emerged were (1) Academics, (2) Cultural competency, (3) Social inequities, (4) CR learning environment, and (5) Rejections of deficit lens. But, as this study demonstrates, more research on CR science teachers and teaching is needed to explore these themes, teacher characteristics, and pedagogies further…. [Direct]
(2024). "We're Not Anti-Police…We're Anti-Police Brutality": An Exploration of Black College Freshmen's Perception of Police Brutality on Social Media. Journal of Adolescent Research, v39 n4 p1086-1114. Guided by the critical race theory and the social identity theory, the present study aimed to explore the impact that exposure to police brutality on social media has on Black college freshmen's perception of law enforcement and mental wellness. To explore this phenomenon, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 20 Black college freshmen (age range: 18-20). Participant narratives were coded using a thematic analysis. Findings revealed that participants depicted police brutality on social media as racially driven, which yielded behavioral changes and negative psychological responses, such as sleep disturbances, anger, and fear. Further, the oversaturation of police violence in the media significantly altered the participants' views of the police and their practices. Our findings are consistent with previous literature concerned with the vicarious experiences of police brutality among youth and have implications for educators, counselors, and scholars…. [Direct]
(2024). Exploring an Africentric High School Cohort from the Parents' Perspectives. Canadian Journal of Education, v47 n2 p562-590. In Canada, the Black population is the third-largest racially visible group, yet students of African descent continue to face inequities in Canadian school systems. Students of African descent can benefit from learning from an Africentric perspective that cultivates their well-being and achievement while centring their lived experience as a person of African descent. As research demonstrates the significance of parental involvement in Africentric education, the purpose of this study was to explore an Africentric High School Cohort from the perspective of parents of the students of African descent in this Cohort. Based on the conceptual framework of Nguzo Saba, the theoretical framework of Africentric education, and critical race theory, a thematic analysis of the findings was conducted. The findings are discussed under the themes of parental engagement, positive youth development, and addressing challenges. Recommendations are suggested for future Africentric cohorts…. [Direct]
(2024). Beyond the Door Frame: The Role of Educational Policies and Guidelines in (Un)welcoming Black Refugee Students. British Educational Research Journal, v50 n4 p1595-1616. Although present in large numbers, Black refugee students do not necessarily feel welcome in Canadian public schools. In fact, research has long demonstrated that they face all sorts of oppressions from peers and educators, despite the abundance of seemingly welcoming discourses in educational policies and guidelines. Through a critical analysis of six curriculum documents published by the Government of Manitoba, and in light of the tenets of the ethic of hospitality and critical race theory, in this paper I discuss the role played by educational policies and guidelines in (un)welcoming Black refugee students. In the pursuit of 'hospitable education', I explore the strengths and weaknesses found in those documents while observing areas for improvement — with major roadblocks being linked to the pervasiveness of (White) assumptions and expectations as well as a lack of critical self-reflexivity…. [Direct]
(2024). The Interconnection between Community College Hiring and Retention of Faculty of Color. New Directions for Community Colleges, n208 p45-53. This study examined the experiences of faculty of color in community colleges within the context of faculty diversification efforts. Community college students have become more racially and ethnically diverse, yet faculty remain overwhelmingly White. Ten faculty of color from diverse disciplinary fields were interviewed in this phenomenological study. Critical race theory was used as an analytical framework. Participants revealed how their racialized awareness led to their commitment to racial justice. They strongly articulated the important role faculty of color play for student success. Additionally, the participating faculty noted that the current quality of employment included experiencing isolation, microaggressions, and unspoken burdens, which motivated them to create a community with other faculty of color and, by extension, advocating for racial diversity in hiring. Recommendations are provided to address the systemic changes needed to support faculty of color from… [Direct]
(2018). Where Is the Racial Theory in Critical Race Theory?: A Constructive Criticism of the Crits. Review of Higher Education, v42 n1 p209-233 Fall. Critical Race Theory (CRT) from its inception was not intended to be a theoretical framework, but rather a theorizing counterspace for scholars of color to challenge and transform racial oppression. Despite this context, the author demonstrates through a critical literature review that CRT is generally applied as a theoretical framework in higher education scholarship. As a constructive criticism, the author offers a critical theory of racism, hegemonic Whiteness, as an additional tenet of CRT. The author then applies hegemonic Whiteness to CRT, demonstrating how this theory of racism helps CRT work through several of its conceptual tensions…. [Direct]
(2022). Understanding New York State Latino Superintendents through Testimonios. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Fordham University. This study examined how Latino superintendents in New York State advance to the superintendency and how their leadership influences student achievement for Latino students. The qualitative research design was framed by Critical Race Theory and Latino Critical Race Theory; it utilized the process and instrumentation of "testimonios" (personal narratives). The research identified three key themes that influenced Latinos positively and negatively in ascending to the superintendency: (1) identity and leadership practices (worldviews on education, culture as a resource in overcoming barriers, intersectionality of ethnicity and gender), (2) networks of support (structural supports and informal mentoring), and (3) overcoming the impact of racism (discrimination, bias perception, microaggressions, racism discriminatory hiring practices, and willingness to relocate). The superintendents used transformational leadership styles centered in community, equity, and collaboration; trust,… [Direct]
(2022). Towards Critical, Engaged, Antiracist Learning Environments. Adult Learner: The Irish Journal of Adult and Community Education, p163-184. Racism is not an anomaly, rather it is an ordinary feature of our world and is a symptom of white supremacy. This article draws from critical race theory and critical pedagogy to make sense of this assertion and to contemplate possible responses. Using an autoethnographic research paradigm, we draw from our own contrasting experiences and perceptions; for Lilian as a black naturalised Irish educator and for Camilla as a white, indigenous Irish educator, to offer reflections, analyses and concrete examples that might help other adult educators to respond to a topic that many people tend to avoid…. [PDF] [Direct]
(2019). Observing Black Youth Sociopolitical Group Participation and High School Democratic Climate through the Lens of Critical Race Theory. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v22 n3 p410-427. The purpose of this paper was to determine if high school democratic climates influence Black youth participation in sociopolitical groups using critical race theory as a lens. It was hypothesized that Black youth would be less likely to participate in sociopolitical groups due to perceived lack of support. It was also hypothesized that Black and White youth participation in sociopolitical groups is more comparable when the climate at their school is perceived to be more democratic. The hypotheses were only partially supported in that Black youth were more likely than White youth to participate in sociopolitical groups when the high school democratic climate was low. However, Black and White youth participation was found to be comparable when the high school democratic climate was high. This study adds to the literature by showing that high school democratic climates interact with race in a way that motivates sociopolitical group involvement among youth…. [Direct]
(2023). Mills's Account of White Ignorance: Structural or Non-Structural?. Theory and Research in Education, v21 n1 p18-32 Mar. Recent philosophical secondary literature on white ignorance — a concept most famously developed by the late philosopher Charles W. Mills — suggests that white ignorance is, one way or another, a non-structural phenomenon. I analyse two such readings, the agential view and the cognitivist view. I argue that they misinterpret Mills' work by (among other things) committing a kind of structural erasure, and one which implies that Mills' account cannot capture, for example, cases where white ignorance (and white racial domination) involves historical erasure, especially when perpetrated by sociopolitical institutions. This is particularly salient in cases such as the recent movement against anti-racist education, now widely conflated with critical race theory, in the United States and United Kingdom, which I offer as a brief case study…. [Direct]
(2022). Black Girls and Silence: "They Ain't Doing Too Much"…Learning, Valuing, and Understanding Their Use of Silence through Critical Race Theory and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, v18 n2 Fall. This paper works to illustrate how silence, a powerful semiotic tool, was used by a Black middle school girl, Cierra, to negotiate for additional processing time in challenging situations and as a form of protection, for herself and others. Critical race theory, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and social constructionist grounded theory are used to help frame and analyze the work that Cierra and Jason did together as part of a university local school district summer camp for middle school students. The data that was generated and examined in conjunction with Cierra may help teachers and researchers to reconceptualize silence as a powerful tool that students bring to school as an asset instead of as a deficit or something to be corrected or policed…. [PDF]
(2023). Transformative Learning for Racial Justice: Enacting Radical Change through Professional Development. Professional Development in Education, v49 n4 p752-764. Professional development (PD) is a key catalyst for supporting educators' growth and development in education, yet evidence of PD's impact in enacting sustained change over time remains challenging to understand. In the United States context, racial inequities plague all aspects of society and are maintained by the education system. Teachers are part of a collective group that serves on the front lines of societies' efforts to promote equity through education. Thus, identifying strategies to ensure their mindsets and practices are inclusive of all students' identities, specifically their race/ethnicity, is paramount for the field of teacher PD. This critical theoretical paper will explore how Transformative Learning Theory and Critical Race Theory may be integrated to address racial inequities in education through PD…. [Direct]