(2022). Demoralization and Remoralization: The Power of Creating Space for Teachers' Moral Centres. Philosophical Inquiry in Education, v29 n1 p16-21. In this collaborative analysis, we (a philosopher of education and an experienced public school educator) examine the experience of demoralization and remoralization in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We overlay the context of the pandemic with the context of institutional racism and their interwoven impact for educators of colour. We use one educator's narratives about teaching during the pandemic as a launching point about where philosophical research on teacher demoralization needs to go next. We argue that the pandemic presents an opportunity for teachers to gain clarity about their moral centres and for school and district leaders to create space for teachers to enact their professional values and thus access the moral rewards of their work. Teachers of colour encounter distinct challenges in having their moral centres recognized, but their prior experiences with moral friction may present them with unique resources in these challenging times. Teachers' energy and agency… [PDF]
(2020). Silence Is Complicity: Why Every College Leader Should Know the History of Lynching. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, v52 n2 p22-25. Institutions of higher education have authority over academic content and learning environments, which confers responsibility on them to produce anti-racist curricula, policies, and standards of educational practice.Absent an understanding of historical and contemporary manifestations of the White supremacist campaign of terror and control of Black bodies, educators will fail to effectively address racialized hate speech. Racialized threats and tropes, which are figurative phrases that communicate racial hierarchy by terrorizing, disempowering, and/or dehumanizing the targeted person or group, constitute linguistic violence. Higher education institutions can address linguistic and symbolic violence by incorporating anti-racist curricula and standards of practice to educate community members about racism in all its forms. To understand the roots of a problem, one must develop a historical and particularized understanding of that problem…. [Direct]
(2021). Transitions from Education to Employment for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Migrants and Refugees in Settlement Contexts: What Do We Know?. Studies in Continuing Education, v43 n1 p1-15. Access to and experiences of education among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Migrants or Refugees (CALDM/R) is a site of increased scholarly interest. While research emphasises new CALDM/Rs' desire to work and meaningfully contribute to their new country, many remain under employed even though many hold multiple tertiary qualifications. This article offers an interpretive review of literature relating to the higher education and employment experiences of CALDM/R, so as to contribute to debates about how universities should facilitate the pathways from university to employment for these students. From our reading of the literature, we argue that current policy fails to address areas of language proficiency, work experience and recognition of work and study from countries overseas, all of which contribute to high levels of unemployment. This review also highlights structural workplace issues of racism, discrimination and exploitation and discussed the role and responsibility of… [Direct]
(2023). "It's Not My Place": Internalized Norms of Whiteness in Early Childhood Educator Teacher Preparation. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, California State University, Long Beach. This qualitative case study examined the experiences of 10 current and former students enrolled in an early childhood education teacher preparation program (ECETPP) at a Latine-serving 2-year community college in southern California. The study used Richard Valencia's deficit thinking framework as the theoretical lens to explicate ways in which deficit thinking about Black and Brown children and their families pervades early childhood educator (ECE) preparation programming, perpetuating poor outcomes and chronic academic failure. Several themes and subthemes emerged that demonstrate ways in which internalized norms of Whiteness and White womanhood shaped the preparatory experiences of these future ECEs. The data evince that the diversity curriculum was curated through a White hegemonic lens, which undervalued the importance of preparing future ECEs to effectively navigate conversations about race and issues of racism in the preschool setting. Implications and recommendations are… [Direct]
(2022). Examination of Post-Secondary Outcomes for Black Males Disproportionately Represented in Special Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Southeastern Louisiana University. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) was passed in 1975 in an effort to ensure that children with disabilities were provided with an equitable education when compared to their nondisabled peers. IDEA requires schools throughout the country to educate students with disabilities in the most appropriate setting. Despite this federal law, previous educational researchers have determined that Black males are disproportionately represented in special education due to overrepresentation. Although this phenomenon has been known and researched for decades, it continues to be an issue. However, limited research has been conducted regarding the post-secondary outcomes for these students. Numerous factors have been proposed as contributory to the disproportionate representation of Black males in special education. These include, but are not limited to socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, cultural biases and deficits, and the issue of racism. Although some research has been conducted… [Direct]
(2023). "You Write Because You Have To": Mobilizing Spoken Word Poetry as a Method of Community Education and Organizing. Comparative Education Review, v67 n4 p803-819. This article draws on data from a larger project that is founded on four narrative case studies that examine the ways in which Black activists in Toronto mobilize their cultural production–namely, spoken word poetry and rapping–in support of their activism, community education, and community organizing work. This particular article is founded on the work of Kofi, a pseudonym for a Toronto activist who mobilizes spoken word poetry as a method of community organizing and as a medium for Black folks to speak to their emotional lives and communal healing practices. As such, the particular narratives shared in this article continue to provide important contributions to the "new era of black words" (Fisher 2003, 362). It is through this creative labor, these activists and cultural producers address the sociology of anti-Black racism that deeply influences the lives of Afrodiasporic people in Canada. They are composers and constructors of strategies and perspectives that are… [Direct]
(2021). Caution, Approaching Intersection: Black Educators Teaching in the Crossroads of Resistance and Responsiveness. AILACTE Journal, spec iss p54-75. As a powerful institution of social reproduction, schools are locations in which racial inequalities and anti-Black racism play out in ways that contribute to the larger racial disparities that many Black communities experience. The way race informs the experiences of Black students in schools justifies the need for anti-racist and anti-bias teaching in education programs. In this paper, we argue that anti-racist and anti-bias education should be rooted in intersectional leadership and pedagogical approaches. We do so by first describing why intersectional leadership matters, particularly in preparing educators and leaders in working with Black students in school. We then describe our own positionality as Black scholars and educators working in a predominantly White private university and how our own positionality informs why this work is important to us. In particular, we focus on the ways in which we prepare future educators to engage in resistance and responsiveness on behalf of… [PDF]
(2022). Incorporating Indigenous Content into K-12 Curriculum: Supports for Teachers in Provincial and Territorial Policy and Post-Secondary Education Spaces. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, n198 p55-73. In an era of learning truth and working towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, education institutions across Canada are in the midst of decolonizing their education spaces. Fundamental to this process are the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action to educate settler teacher candidates to develop culturally appropriate curricula and incorporate Indigenous content into their teaching practices. Little research has reviewed institutional responses to these recommendations. To fill this gap, this study compiles recent efforts to inform Ministries of Education and post-secondary education institutions of effective and culturally safe methods to incorporate Indigenous content in curricula, based on current interventions and the lived experiences of teachers navigating the decolonization process. Two rapid reviews of grey and academic literature are completed. The findings shed light onto course-, professional workshop-, and policy-based interventions to support… [PDF]
(2023). Power to the Sisters: Qualitative Study Featuring the Barriers of African American Women Working in Higher Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Valdosta State University. Throughout the years, Black women have worked to advance their quality of life. Black women have been obtaining additional degrees and certifications. Despite the degrees, years of experience, and qualifications, Black women are still unable to secure positions of administration in higher education institutions. Studies have shown that there are low faculty numbers of African American women being full-time professors in higher education institutions. This study revealed themes related to Black women in higher education as they shared their challenges to career advancement. To prevent some of these threats, only participants who were truly interested in the study and who would like to see change occur were asked to participate. Collecting as much data as possible during this study was pivotal. Interviews consisted of open-ended questions. It was important for a researcher to understand and interpret what the participant said. Initial coding and In Vivo Coding were for data analysis…. [Direct]
(2022). Too Few Black Male Educators. Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, v7 n2 p19-25. In the United States, schools and universities have too few Black male teachers. Although many factors contribute to this significant problem, one primary factor is the existing lack of Black male educators to serve as role models for Black male students. This literature review captures information from peer-reviewed research, public scholarship sources, and empathy interviews. The purpose of this literature review was to understand the reasons why so few Black males are successful in school and why there are so few Black male students pursuing careers in education. Based on the literature review, the following themes were identified: a lack of financial resources, a lack of a sense of belonging, a lack of role models and mentors, and institutional racism. Colleges need to consider these issues and determine ways to support Black male students in school and encourage them to pursue a career in education. Increasing the number of Black male educators is one central way to increase… [PDF]
(2024). Are Kinesiology Programs Oppressive? A Content Analysis of Canadian University Kinesiology Curricula and Websites. Sport, Education and Society, v29 n6 p712-725. Institutionalized oppression experienced by marginalized groups is central to post-secondary education and, if left unchallenged, will remain pervasive within academia (Lincoln, Y. S., & Stanley, C. A. (2021). The faces of institutionalized discrimination and systemic oppression in higher education: Uncovering the lived experience of bias and procedural inequity. "Qualitative Inquiry", 10778004211026892). Emerging literature that examines discrimination and oppression in kinesiology has focused on the consequences of privileging Western, Eurocentric knowledge and scholarship. (Andrews, D. L., Silk, M., Francombe, J., & Bush, A. (2013). McKinesiology. "Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies", 35(5), 335-356; Culp, B. (2016). Social justice and the future of higher education kinesiology. "Quest" ("grand Rapids, Mich"), 68(3), 271-283; Douglas, D. D., & Halas, J. M. (2013). The wages of whiteness: Confronting the nature of… [Direct]
(1995). News and Views. Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, n8 p8-48 Sum. Contains articles on the black experience in higher education, including affirmative action issues, enrollment trends at both black and Ivy League colleges, black appointments in higher education favoring men and other gender issues, and blacks in college coaching. State- and school-specific articles concerning segregation, black leadership in education, racism, and special awards for blacks are included. (GR)…
(2020). For Whose Benefit? Black and Minority Ethnic Training Programmes in Higher Education Institutions in England, UK. British Educational Research Journal, v46 n3 p500-515 Jun. Inequalities continue to exist in higher education, with Black and minority ethnic (BME) academics less likely to be professors or occupy senior decision-making roles compared to their White colleagues. In order to increase BME representation in senior decision-making roles, specific programmes targeted at BME groups have recently been introduced in higher education institutions (HEIs). This article draws on research carried out on two such programmes in England. By using principles of critical race theory (CRT), I argue that racism continues to play a key role in the lack of BME groups in senior leadership roles and that such programmes benefit HEIs rather than contributing to a commitment to inclusion, equity and creating a diverse workforce. Furthermore, such programmes work for the benefit of HEIs to perpetuate and reinforce White privilege, rather than addressing structural inequalities…. [Direct]
(2022). Making a Racial Difference: A Foucauldian Analysis of School Memories Told by Undergraduates of Color in the United States. Critical Studies in Education, v63 n3 p340-354. This paper draws from the writings of Michel Foucault and his recently reconsidered provocations on race and racialization. Using Foucault's definition of 'internal racism,' race is understood as a complex set of correlations that are employed for the purpose of establishing (ab)normality and exercising various forms of expulsion. Racialization is then seen as the circulation of knowledge that makes racial categorization evident as scientific truth, linked to themes of science, developmentality, and the governing of population. To illustrate its subjective materialization, I analyze childhood memories of school told by undergraduates of color at one large public university in New York City. In what follows, I present three narratives that exemplify the production of difference and abnormality, as a biopolitical strategy with racial significance, arguing that positivist school reforms and developmental theories in education cannot be thought of as separate from the mobilization of… [Direct]
(2022). Hannah Arendt on Anti-Black Racism, the Public Realm, and Higher Education. Educational Philosophy and Theory, v54 n12 p2054-2071. In recent years, a growing number of scholars have accused Arendt of anti-Black racism. Some of these criticisms can be traced to certain passages in her essay "On Violence" about black radicals making what she believed to be unreasonable curriculum demands, namely the establishment of Black Studies programs. The purpose of this paper is to contextualize these controversial passages within her deeply anti-modern thinking about the role of higher education in society. While her arguments remain troubling, when read along with the critical perspectives of Max Weber and Karl Jaspers, it becomes clear that her essential criticism had mostly to do with the transformation of the university into a capitalist enterprise, where students had become customers essentially seeking glorified vocational degrees. For Arendt, the university should not be a means of employment or another branch of the US military, as it had so become. It was a space where one could escape the public realm… [Direct]