“You Don’t Just Stay in One Place”: The Intergenerational Pedagogy of Two African American Families in the South

• In Event: Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: The Voice of the Child and the Parent: Family Engagement Practices Up Close and Personal

Abstract

In this study, I explore the Cooper and Jordan family narratives across three generations to understand the varied histories of schooling, education, segregation, and desegregation that are embodied in the stories they share. While the experiences of the Cooper and Jordan families are unique, they also reflect patterns of race and family-school dynamics evident in our culture and society. Their stories describe an intergenerational family pedagogy shared across generations to support the educational and social mobility of their children and grandchildren. The family stories not only counter deficit portrayals of the segregated Black communities of the past, but also provide a critique of contemporary schooling.

Author

• Jessica Sarah Powell, Cazenovia College