Full Description
Drawing on the authors' experiences as Black parents, researchers, teachers, and teacher educators, this timely book presents a multipronged approach to affirming Black lives and literacies. The authors believe change is needed—not within Black children—but in the way they are perceived and educated, particularly in reading, writing, and critical thinking across grade levels. To inform literacy teachers and school leaders, the authors provide a conceptual framework for reimagining literacy instruction based on Black philosophical and theoretical foundations, historical background, literacy research, and authentic experiences of Black students. This important book includes counternarratives about the lives of Black learners, research conducted by Black scholars among Black students, examples of approaches to literacy with Black children that are making a difference, conversations among literacy researchers that move beyond academia; and a model for engaging all students in literacy. Affirming Black Students' Lives and Literacies advocates for adopting a standard of care that will improve and support literacy achievement among today's Black students by rejecting deficit presumptions and embracing the fullness of these students' strengths.Book Features:
A counternarrative of Black literacy history, lives, and learners.
Narrative examples of Black literacy scholarship, by Black scholars who embrace their faith-walk as an integral part of their holistic approach to literacy teaching and learning.
Discussion questions to spur conversations among school administrators, parents/caregivers, politicians, reading researchers, teacher educators, and classroom teachers.
An array of extant Black scholarship that should inform literacy praxis and research.
A conceptual framework, CARE, that is applicable for all learners with a focus on Black literacy learners.
Contents
Contents
Foreword Theresa Perry ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xxi
1. Introduction: Theoretical Perspectives 1
Black Epistemology, Ideology, and Theory 2
Conceptual and Theoretical Foundations 2
Conceptual Foundations: Moral Courage and Moral Licensing 4
Theoretical Foundations: Black Liberation Theology, Black Radical Tradition, Critical Race Theory, and Decolonization 7
Black Liberation Theology 8
Black Feminism 10
The Black Radical Tradition 12
Critical Race Theory 13
Decolonial Theories 15
Reading Research and Black Students 16
2. Black Women Activist Teachers 19
Literacy and Freedom 21
Literacy and Civil Rights 35
Literacy and Liberation 40
Literacy and Justice: Black Independent Schools 45
Our Teachers 50
Conclusion 50
3. The Mis-Education of a High-Performing Black Girl 53
Shawyn's Narrative: A Summary 53
The Study 55
Aesha 56
Discussion 64
Conclusion 67
In Conversation 68
Critical Discussion Questions 72
Suggested Readings 73
4. Cultural Dissonance in a First-Grade Classroom 75
Gwen's Narrative: A Summary 75
Setting 76
Tony 77
Travis 80
A Closer Look Inside Ms. Rudolph's First-Grade Classroom 83
Conclusion 92
In Conversation 93
Critical Discussion Questions 99
Suggested Readings 100
5. Transcending (Dis)Belief: Black (Immigrant) Youth Literacies 101
Patriann's Narrative: A Summary 101
An Invitation From a Black Immigrant Educator 102
Black Immigrant Educator Literacies 105
Jorge: A Black Immigrant Latinx Youth 107
Black American Youth Literacies 110
Excerpts From Black American Youth 112
Conclusion 118
In Conversation 119
Critical Discussion Questions 122
Suggested Readings 123
6. It's Never Too Late 125
Arlette's Narrative: A Summary 126
It Is Never Too Late . . . 126
A Brief Backstory 127
Meeting Clemente 129
Twenty Years Later 132
Perspective 134
Conclusion 135
In Conversation 136
Critical Discussion Questions 139
Suggested Readings 140
7. Conceptual Framework: Toward a Standard of CARE 141
Foundations 141
Race and Culture 143
Equity Pedagogies 146
CARE 148
References 159
Index 175
About the Authors 183
