(2022). Racism and Antiracism in Nonfiction for the Middle Grades. Middle Grades Research Journal, v13 n2 p31-49. The Common Core State Standards' focus on nonfiction texts has prompted middle schools to include more historical nonfiction, including books that focus on the United States' racialized past (and present) such as "We Are Not Yet Equal" by Carol Anderson (2018) and "Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You" (2020) by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. But books for youth about racism have been shrouded in controversy, anti-critical race theory legislation, and calls for censorship, suggesting that we need a better understanding of the books' content. Thus, the purpose of this study was to use content analysis to examine messages about racism and antiracism in "We Are Not Yet Equal and Stamped." Findings indicated the texts suggest racism takes numerous forms, and it is foundational and persistent throughout the United States' past and present, manifesting as scientific racism, institutional racism, racist violence, representational racism, and racist language…. [Direct]
(2022). Examining Racial Discourse in Equity Reports: Florida's Public Hispanic Serving Institutions. Education Policy Analysis Archives, v30 n29 Mar. Public Hispanic serving institutions (HSIs) play a prominent role in educating racially minoritized students, thus making them valuable sites for examining higher education increased attention to state and institution-level diversity policy and plans. Institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plans, serve as public statements regarding institutional priorities, illuminate how racial equity is centered or decentered. This research engages 10 Equity Reports at public two-year and four-year HSIs in Florida. Through the lens of critical race theory and LatCrit, the analysis foregrounds patterns regarding institutional discourse, in response to state policy mandates, considering the intersection of HSI designation and institutional type. The findings illustrate how the Equity Reports decenter racial equity, reflect a sparse substantive mention of Latinx students, and only superficially engages with the HSIs designation. The findings expand the analysis of HSIs to a new… [PDF]
(2022). Demonstrating the Power of CRT in the Experiences of Graduate Students. Texas Education Review, v10 n2 p87-99. Nearly 30 years ago, Critical Race Theory (CRT) was introduced to the field of education. Ladson-Billings and Tate argued that in order to understand educational inequities in the United States, it is essential to analyze the intersections of race and property. Throughout the past three decades, scholars within the field of education have utilized CRT to gain a greater understanding of educational outcomes and the experiences of students, teachers and administrators of color in schools. Presently, CRT has gained nation-wide attention. Conservative media has co-opted the theory and rebranded it as an indoctrination tool to teach students to hate whiteness. The authors of this paper have found CRT useful in unpacking our experiences as graduate students at a predominantly white public university and in our work as teacher educators. This paper was penned in response to the misinformation campaign targeting CRT. The authors use a tenet of CRT, centrality of experiential knowledge, to… [PDF]
(2022). University Memorials and Symbols of White Supremacy: Black Students' Counternarratives. Journal of Higher Education, v93 n5 p677-701. Universities across the globe continue to reckon with memorialization and symbolism tied to racist histories. In this paper, the author uses Critical Race methodology to examine how 23 Black undergraduate students at the University of Cincinnati interpret and experience one such symbol–the namesake of an enslaver–memorialized throughout campus. The enslaver, Charles McMicken, bequeathed money for what would become the University of Cincinnati explicitly for the "education of White boys and girls." The author begins with the assumption that the namesake is a symbol of White supremacy. Using Critical Race Theory, the author analyzes: (1) to what extent this symbol shapes students' campus experiences; and (2) the mechanisms by which students' learned of the racist histories behind the symbol. The data presented demonstrates how counternarratives surrounding this symbol were shared and how the concept of racial realism–the belief that racism is permanent–might be useful in… [Direct]
(2025). Enacting Reading Comprehension: Using Diverse Literature to Engage Children's Critical, Sociopolitical Knowledge. Reading Research Quarterly, v60 n1 e584. The current climate of K-12 education in the United States has seen a narrowing of literacy instructional practices, exponential amounts of book bans, and contrived hysteria about liberal indoctrination and Critical Race Theory (CRT). Yet, as the world becomes increasingly connected across difference, and as research increasingly demonstrates that we must engage young children from all backgrounds in discussions about sociopolitical issues, it is urgent that classroom teachers foreground children's experiential knowledge in comprehension instruction. In this article, we address the following question: "In three early elementary literacy contexts, how did educators use culturally sustaining practices with diverse children's literature to enact reading comprehension and engage young children in critical, sociopolitical meaning making?" Three teacher educators of Color share findings from qualitative studies in the United States Northeast and Southwest that examine this… [Direct]
(2022). Anti-Racist Teaching in Secondary ELA: A Phenomenology with Implications for In-Service and Pre-Service Teacher Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Drexel University. Following the racial unrest of 2020, anti-racist rhetoric from K-12 schools and university teacher education institutes magnified. Despite claiming alliance with anti-racism, it became unclear whether the actions of teacher education, both in-service and pre-service, matched their rhetoric. To determine how, if at all, teacher education informs the practices and behaviors of teachers in contemporary classrooms, this phenomenological study aimed to explore and understand the phenomenon of anti-racist teaching as it is experienced by four white in-service secondary ELA teachers. While homogenous in racial identity, the settings in which participants practiced anti-racist teaching were heterogenous and included middle and high schools, urban and suburban schools, and alternative and traditional schools. The research questions that guided this inquiry included the following: (a) what are the educational lived histories of secondary ELA teachers regarding anti-racist teacher education?;… [Direct]
(2022). The American Dream, Colorblind Ideology, and Nationalism: Teaching Diversity Courses as a Woman Faculty of Color. Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education, v15 n2 p201-219. Employing critical race theory, transnational feminisms, and autoethnography, this article illustrates the ways I perceive many students in my classrooms discount systemic discrimination based on gender, race, and globalization. By analyzing student-generated data and my own experiences, I uncover many students' conceptions of social issues are deeply informed and shaped by the dominant ideas such as the notion of the American Dream and colorblind ideology. They construct the global South in contrast to the assumed superior national identity of the United States, and particularly consider women to be submissive victims of their patriarchal cultures. I argue that if one of the key purposes of higher education is to help students develop critical thinking, those at predominantly White institutions need to devise a more robust diversity curriculum across disciplines. This approach will also assist in curtailing challenges many women Faculty of Color face because students will be… [Direct]
(2022). Tensions as Opportunities for Transformation: Applying DisCrit Resistance to Early Childhood Teacher Education Programs. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, v23 n4 p483-499 Dec. Efforts to "professionalize" early childhood through professional standards, licensure requirements, and standardized assessments have aimed to support effective practice and rectify the pay inequities experienced by early educators. However, such initiatives can inadvertently reinforce hegemonic developmentalism and have largely served to advance white, able-bodied norms and narrow views of teaching and learning. Teacher educators endeavoring to combat racism and ableism, therefore, can encounter several tensions that result from trying to apply critical perspectives while preparing pre-service teachers for graduation and certification in the current personnel preparation landscape. In this article, the authors employ Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) Resistance to explore these tensions and offer potential ways they can serve as key opportunities for supporting equity. They discuss how teacher educators can enact DisCrit Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Solidarity to… [Direct]
(2022). Reconceptualization of Support and Policy for Minoritised Students with Dis/abilities in Hong Kong. Cambridge Journal of Education, v52 n4 p519-537. Minoritised students with dis/abilities in Hong Kong may face aggregated challenges. As a minoritised student with dis/ability or impairment, they may be doubly marginalised or triply marginalised, as in the case of a female or poor minoritised student with dis/ability or impairment. Little is known, however, about these students or about the underpinning philosophies of existing support. Adopting an intersectionality approach and dis/ability critical race theory (DisCrit), this paper explores the educational provision and existing support measures for minoritised students with dis/abilities and the issues and challenges faced by them. It draws on various policy documents from related government departments and others. The paper presents three theoretical arguments: (1) that dis/ability discourse needs to be more inclusive; (2) that the medical model currently provides limited support for minoritised students with dis/abilities in Hong Kong; and (3) that a social model, rather than… [Direct]
(2022). 'More to Prove and More to Lose': Race, Racism and Precarious Employment in Higher Education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, v43 n4 p513-533. Precarious employment is considered a social determinant impacting the health of workers, families and communities. The Academy is known to utilise non-standard employment contracts, coming under widespread criticism from its social partners for exploitative practices. Whilst there is much research suggesting certain groups (e.g. early career researchers, women) are disproportionately affected, less is known about the impact of precarious employment on staff of colour. Utilising a critical race theory framework, the current study attempts to close this knowledge gap by exploring the experiences of staff of colour. Eighteen participants across 10 universities engaged in focus groups, revealing three key themes: systemic racism, job insecurity and lack of career progression. Whilst results supported existing research, limitations of the current study are discussed. Recommendations for future practice include a call for legislators and policymakers to create clearer definitions and to… [Direct]
(2022). Critical Representation: Mattering & Belonging for Students of the Global Majority. Middle Grades Review, v8 n3 Article 2 Dec. Critical representation in literature and curricula requires an emancipatory agenda and examination of the ways in which people of diverse racial, cultural, linguistic, and other socially marginalized identities are portrayed, an assessment of how relevant, affirming, and accurate those representations are, and a consideration of the impact on a child's sense of self and 'other.' This essay includes sample audit criteria for critical representation highlighting five sections: Storyline & Sense of Justice; Affirmation & Self-Worth; Relationships Among People; Author/Illustrator Background; and Language & Terminology, all with a focus on 'mattering' and holistic wellbeing of students of the global majority. Audit criteria explicitly engage questions of critical race theory such as: Does the storyline encourage passive acceptance of inequity, or active resistance against it? Are there messages that limit or damage a child's aspirations or sense of self-worth? The essay… [PDF]
(2022). Counterstories of Honors Students of Color. Honors in Practice, v18 p9-27. This study explores the experience of high-achieving students of color in an honors program at a large research university. Qualitative methods involve surveying students (n = 39) and interviewing a select group (n = 5) in attempts to measure both the frequency and severity of racial microaggression as well as subjective experience relating to diversity and representation in honors. Using critical race theory, a discourse analysis of four broad questions pertaining to pre-entry, entry, continuation, and exit of honors programs suggests that more is needed to foster an honors community that better understands and meets the needs of students' racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. While several students report nearly withdrawing from honors, citing feelings of racial tokenization, alienation from peers, and impostor phenomenon, the author notes how results elucidate a pressing need for university honors programs to recruit more students from underrepresented… [PDF]
(2022). Equity Centered Leadership of Principals Who Narrowed the Race-Based Academic Achievement Gap. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, v20 n2 p435-483 Jul. Critical Race Theory is the theoretical framework used to structure the discussion of data and results. The purpose of this descriptive multi-embedded case study was to investigate the perspective of effective elementary school principals in a large, diverse suburban school district in the Metro area who narrowed the race-based academic achievement gap in reading by increasing their knowledge, skills, and leadership practices. Data gathered included an archival search, focus group observations and transcripts, and individual interview transcripts. Archived data were used to identify a purposeful criterion sampling of elementary school principals who narrowed the race-based achievement gap. These experiences identified are crucial to learning how and why principals need to discuss race and racism in education. Findings revealed in this study a need to provide ongoing learning opportunities that support reflective practices and innovative approaches to combat institutional racist… [PDF]
(2024). Justice Views in Social Work Project: Examining Views on Race and Justice. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, v44 n2 p224-241. Advocacy for social justice is a core duty of the social work profession. Social injustice, oppression, and marginalization in the United States demand that social workers critically evaluate and address systemic oppression, in the profession, society, and social work education. This study sought to explore the attitudes of social work students in institutions of higher education in one Midwestern state concerning social justice, systemic racism, race relations, and policing to measure the impact of social work educational programming on promoting anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice. Survey responses from undergraduate and graduate students (n = 74) from two universities in an upper, Midwestern state were analyzed to assess attitude and beliefs on social justice, policing, and racial relations. Results indicate the majority of students endorsed an understanding of injustice in the world and high perceptions of themselves as advocates and agents of social change. Alternatively,… [Direct]
(2022). Ethnic-Racial Socialization in Early Childhood: Effects of Parent-Teacher Congruency on Children's Social and Emotional Development. Early Child Development and Care, v192 n12 p2008-2022. Using propositions within critical race theory, this study examined differences between parent and teacher engagement in ethnic-racial socialization and links between parent–teacher congruence in ethnic-racial socialization and children's social and emotional development across racial and ethnic groups. The participants were 59 parents or guardians and their preschool-aged children from diverse ethnic-racial backgrounds and 12 Head Start teachers. Parents used ethnic-racial socialization more than teachers; parents and teachers used egalitarian messages most frequently. Bayesian analyses revealed significant ethnic-racial group differences in parents' use of egalitarian, preparation for bias, and cultural socialization messages. Gender and race had significant impacts on teacher-reported protective factors. Mismatch in parent-teacher levels of egalitarian and cultural socialization were evident predictors of lower social-emotional functioning in children. Findings highlight the… [Direct]