Using Experience to Create African-American Educators’ Social Justice Narratives
Location
1048
Format Type
Event
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
January 2018
End Date
January 2018
Abstract
America’s convoluted history has produced an intricately woven ideology of justice. History has proven the dominant members of society write the highly publicized stories for all of its members; consequently, the American curriculum has supported ideas of white normativity. American historical texts often omit the stories of its marginalized members of society; subsequently, the American curriculum does not ensure students’ acknowledgment of these injustices. Likewise, the curriculum does not address the critical impact historical social injustices have on 21st-centurystudents. Research maintains the most contentious issue in American civilization is the historical centrality and complicity of upholding white America’s supremacy. One preeminent way to combat the narrative of white supremacy is to address the issue at the grassroots level: the classroom. As Critical Race Theory lends itself to a storytelling tradition, narrative inquiry through a CRT lens was chosen as the foundation for African-American educators to divulge their stories of social justice issues within the classroom. Therefore, the researcher recruited, interviewed and audio recorded African-American educators. Then, she transcribed and re-storied their experiences into critical research texts of social injustice found in their educational experiences. Findings specified race and social economic status as the largest social concerns impacting students. Despite the limitations of standardized testing mandates, educators’ social justice narratives identified the classroom as a conduit to address social justice issues with their students. Not only was the classroom viewed as a channel for social discourse; social justice was deemed a necessary aspect of classroom curriculum.
Using Experience to Create African-American Educators’ Social Justice Narratives
1048
America’s convoluted history has produced an intricately woven ideology of justice. History has proven the dominant members of society write the highly publicized stories for all of its members; consequently, the American curriculum has supported ideas of white normativity. American historical texts often omit the stories of its marginalized members of society; subsequently, the American curriculum does not ensure students’ acknowledgment of these injustices. Likewise, the curriculum does not address the critical impact historical social injustices have on 21st-centurystudents. Research maintains the most contentious issue in American civilization is the historical centrality and complicity of upholding white America’s supremacy. One preeminent way to combat the narrative of white supremacy is to address the issue at the grassroots level: the classroom. As Critical Race Theory lends itself to a storytelling tradition, narrative inquiry through a CRT lens was chosen as the foundation for African-American educators to divulge their stories of social justice issues within the classroom. Therefore, the researcher recruited, interviewed and audio recorded African-American educators. Then, she transcribed and re-storied their experiences into critical research texts of social injustice found in their educational experiences. Findings specified race and social economic status as the largest social concerns impacting students. Despite the limitations of standardized testing mandates, educators’ social justice narratives identified the classroom as a conduit to address social justice issues with their students. Not only was the classroom viewed as a channel for social discourse; social justice was deemed a necessary aspect of classroom curriculum.
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Breakout Session D