(2018). Disability Critical Race Theory: Exploring the Intersectional Lineage, Emergence, and Potential Futures of DisCrit in Education. Review of Research in Education, v42 n1 p46-71 Mar. In this review, we explore how intersectionality has been engaged with through the lens of disability critical race theory (DisCrit) to produce new knowledge. In this chapter, we (1) trace the intellectual lineage for developing DisCrit, (2) review the body of interdisciplinary scholarship incorporating DisCrit to date, and (3) propose the future trajectories of DisCrit, noting challenges and tensions that have arisen. Providing new opportunities to investigate how patterns of oppression uniquely intersect to target students at the margins of Whiteness and ability, DisCrit has been taken up by scholars to expose and dismantle entrenched inequities in education…. [Direct]
(2023). A Call for Change: Disrupting White Supremacy Culture in Dispositional Expectations of Teacher Candidates. Teacher Educators' Journal, v16 n1 p149-171 Spr. Today, in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement and an increased focus on antiracism, P-12 and higher education institutions are engaged in studying practices and resources from an (in)equity lens. This study explores disposition expectations for teacher candidates noted in the form of a rubric drawing on Critical Race Theory (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995). Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture (Okun, 2021) also grounded the study and were used as themes determined a priori. Researchers engaged in document analysis to analyze and code the rubric (Bowen, 2009; Corbin & Strauss, 2007). Findings show evidence of white supremacy culture in dispositional expectations. These findings reveal the need to challenge current expectations for teacher candidates to disrupt the white supremacy culture that permeates teacher education. Implications provide ideas for future research and practices that are flexible, collaborative, and critical…. [PDF]
(2023). We Will Greet Our Enemy with Rifles and Roses: Charles Mills and the Perpetual Impact of the Racial Contract. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v26 n4 p426-435. The following article positions the work of Charles Mills (1951-2021) as seminal to the development of critical race theory (CRT) in education. His groundbreaking contribution, The Racial Contract, has served as the foundation for understanding the myriad ways that white supremacy is central in the social contract championed by scholars of the Western European Enlightenment period. It is a 'rifle' in that it offers an unapologetically Black interruption to the necessity of refusal and resistance. The 'rose' of Dr. Mills' work is always represented in his humor and commitment to joy in the face of violence and extreme hostility. The article names the genesis of my relationship with Dr. Mills as a newly hired professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and through his mentorship of founding members of the Critical Race Studies in Education Association (CRSEA)…. [Direct]
(2023). Midwest Black, Indigenous, People of Color Leaders Serving in White Spaces. Alabama Journal of Educational Leadership, v10 p143-163. The narrative inquiry correlates to the Leadership in a Time of Change theme by examining the stories of 10 Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) school leaders serving in White suburban schools. The research study explores the experiences of eight Black and two Latinx school leaders that serve in K-12 school districts after the racial reckoning of 2020 when elevated racial tensions were significant. Limited research has been explored related to BIPOC school leaders' experiences in predominately White school institutions where they are underrepresented among educational stakeholder groups. The inquiry analyzes the data through the Critical Race Theory from Delgado and Stefancic (2017). The stories of the 10 BIPOC school leaders revealed three themes: racism, microaggressions, and pressure plus. The study is relevant to predominately White school district leaders attempting to hire and retain diverse school leaders…. [PDF]
(2022). (Neo)-Racism among International Students. International Research and Review, v12 n1 p52-64 Fall. Experiences with neo-racism, i.e., discrimination based on the combination of conceptualizations around race, culture, and nationality, towards international students on U.S. campuses have been well documented. In recent years, more research has been conducted extrapolating how instances of neo-racism affect different groups of international students in terms of their racial identity. However, there is a dearth of research looking at international students' awareness of how these neo-racist instances towards international students play out differently based on international students' racial identity. This critical autoethnography of a white international student from Germany offers an initial insight into this gap through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT) infused with the concept of neo-racism…. [PDF]
(2023). "Out of My Element": The Experiences of Black Art Students in Critique. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, v16 n1 p40-52 Feb. Utilizing critical race theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012), this exploratory study examined the lived experiences of 19 Black art students as they navigated critique spaces at institutions of art and design. Critique (or "crit") is the primary evaluative tool used in art schools with the purpose of providing constructive, generative feedback to students (Costantino, 2015). Findings from this thematic analysis revealed how the subjective nature of critique often allowed for racially biased responses by faculty and peers. Participants noted four prevalent interactions during critique: Cultural incompetence, silence, superficial praise, and a focus on form. Interviewees also described the psychological impact of critique and the coping skills they employed. This study offers implications for administrators, faculty, and staff as they address institutional inequities in assessment practices at colleges of art and design and within other performance-based majors and… [Direct]
(2023). My Journey to This Place Called the RAC: Reflections on a Movement in Critical Race Thought and Critical Race Hope in Higher Education. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), v36 n1 p87-98. This chapter recounts the story of how I came to design a Research Apprenticeship Course at UCLA–what we call the RAC. I lay out the origin story of the RAC dating back to early collaborations with Arturo Madrid of the Tomas Rivera Policy Research Center and the Ford Foundation Family of Fellows in the mid to late 1980s. These collaborations helped me establish the blueprint for the RAC as an academic counterspace–a space centered on identifying, analyzing, and challenging race and racism in education. We did this by extending Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the Law to the fields of Education, Race and Ethnic Studies, Women of Color Feminist Theories, and Freirean Critical Theory. My journey weaves in the stories of former students and their relationship to the RAC and how the RAC impacted their research, teaching, and service…. [Direct]
(2023). "My Curriculum Has No Soul!": A Case Study of the Experiences of Black Women Science Teachers Working at Charter Schools. Journal of Science Teacher Education, v34 n1 p86-103. This qualitative case study examines the experiences of three Black female science teachers who experienced and participated in the triumphs and failings of today's charter school system while teaching Black and Brown students. Using Critical Race Theory and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy as frameworks, the findings of the study revealed that the teachers explained the rationale behind how and why they teach science to Black and Brown students, the actions that define their thinking (both positive and negative), and the personal and professional repercussions for being a Black woman science teacher working at a Charter Management Organization (CMO). Based on these findings, we suggest that science teacher educators encourage teachers to take risks by engaging in socio-political consciousness through curriculum redesign. Disrupting the White status quo requires science teacher educators to practice culturally relevant teaching themselves…. [Direct]
(2016). Disrupting Postsecondary Prose: Toward a Critical Race Theory of Higher Education. Urban Education, v51 n3 p315-342 Mar. Ladson-Billings and Tate ushered critical race theory (CRT) into education and challenged racial inequities in schooling contexts. In this article, I consider the role CRT can play in disrupting postsecondary prose, or the ordinary, predictable, and taken for granted ways in which the academy has functioned for centuries as a bastion of racism and White supremacy. I disrupt racelessness in education, but focus primarily on postsecondary contexts related to history, access, curriculum, policy, and research. The purpose of this article is to commemorate and extend Ladson-Billings and Tate's work toward a CRT of higher education…. [Direct]
(2023). 'They Go above and Beyond': Challenging Racism and Whiteness: Critical Race Counterstories about an 'Underperforming' High School. Whiteness and Education, v8 n2 p248-264. What does it mean for a school to be failing? Too often, answers to this question do not include insights from students of colour, their families, or teachers. In fact, schools, especially those that serve poor communities of colour, lack systemic opportunities for educators to hear directly from students. This qualitative case study yielded powerful critical race theory (CRT) counterstories from school community members about their experiences at a school categorised as needing improvement and 'underperforming' by the state. Counterstories offer a different view of the school. Students and family members described a place where educators went 'above and beyond' to support social and academic success of youth 'pushed out' of other schools. CRT counternarratives are also used to expose white racially framed metrics of school effectiveness and provide insight into alternative perspectives on school and student success…. [Direct]
(2023). Using a Culturally Responsive MTSS Approach to Prepare Black Males for Postsecondary Opportunities. School Psychology Review, v52 n3 p357-371. Postsecondary attainment is often viewed as an accomplishment yielding financial, social, and economic gains. Moreover, education has been a passport to a better quality of life. However, certain populations are often hindered from achieving these aforementioned goals. In particular, Black males are viewed from a deficit perspective, especially when it comes to excelling and achieving in the sphere of education. The authors discuss the collaborative role of school psychologists and school counselors as change agents in the college and career readiness of Black males. Specifically, the authors present an innovative approach to using a culturally responsive multitiered system of support that infuses Critical Race Theory to address the negative postsecondary outcomes Black males encounter. School psychologists and school counselors are appropriately trained to implement this model; therefore, recommendations for policy, practice, and research are provided in this article…. [Direct]
(2024). Factors Influencing Latinos to Pursue Chief Diversity Officer Positions in Higher Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Texas A&M University – Commerce. In the last 2 decades, there has been an increase in the number of higher education institutions (HEI) establishing Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) positions to address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) gaps and priorities. CDOs play an increasingly significant role in developing, evaluating, and advocating for policies and practices at postsecondary institutions. At the same time, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of Latinos enrolling and graduating from HEIs. Latinos represent a very small portion of the CDOs appointed across the country. In this qualitative study, I examined the experiences and circumstances that influenced seven Latino CDOs at universities to pursue their DEI positions by applying Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory of human development, critical race theory, and Latino critical race theory. I also assessed if involvement in mentoring and leadership programs influenced their pursuit of these appointments. Utilizing data collected from a… [Direct]
(2022). Reppin' and Risin' Above: Exploring Communities of Possibility That Affirm the College-Going Aspirations of Black Youth. Urban Education, v57 n7 p1177-1206 Sep. This case study examines how relationships with staff in a GEAR-UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) pre-college program positively influenced the college-going aspirations of Black ninth-grade students. Critical Race Theory and Possible Selves provide an intersecting analytical framework for understanding the formation of students' college-going aspirations. Findings speak to how the role of student leaders in the program assisted high school students in forming college-going counternarratives and provided possible buffers to stereotype threats about what is academically possible for Black youth. In addition, findings demonstrate how the GEAR-UP program served as what I have conceptualized as an educational "Community of Possibility."… [Direct]
(2023). (Fake) News Is Racist: Mapping Culturally Relevant Approaches to Critical News Literacy Pedagogy. Critical Education, v14 n3 p78-97. Fake news, while problematic in its own way, is not an anomaly and though intimately connected to the Trump administration, did not begin, nor end, with his administration. Fake news is part of a larger environment of racism in the structure of the news, where stories of People of Color are often skewed in a negative way, positive contributions from People of Color are ignored, and where journalists of color may be sidelined. However, there is a dearth of news literacy curricula that centralizes the stories of People of Color. This is particularly problematic given the ways in which news perpetuates racism. This study utilizes critical media literacy coupled with critical race theory to develop culturally responsive news literacy curricula that centralizes stories about bodies of color as a way to make more comprehensive sense of our news and information media…. [PDF]
(2021). Critical Policy Analysis: NCAA Bylaw 12. Journal of Education Finance, v47 n2 p157-178 Fall. This study used Critical Race Theory to examine the economic model of the NCAA, through Article 12 (amateurism), which prohibits student-athletes from economically benefitting from their own name, image, and likeness (NIL), and whether the aforementioned policy is equitable in regard to the Black male athletes participating in revenue sports. This critical case study analyzes the NCAA's implementation of Bylaw Article 12. Conducting this analysis from a critical perspective, we used tenets from Critical Race Theory (CRT), and also adopted components from a critical policy analysis approach (Young and Diem 2017) focusing on: (1) differences between NCAA policy rhetoric and practice (what policy "states" about NCAA athletics and how those policies are enforced) based on prior research and available NCAA data; (2) sources of the policy and how it developed over time; (3) distribution of power, resources, and knowledge in NCAA athletics; (4) inequality, power, and privilege… [Direct]