Misunderstandings, Understandings, and Cautionary Tales: Black Administrators' Words of Wisdom to White Teachers

• In Event: 16.056 - Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: 16.056-20 - Experiences of African American Leaders

Abstract

While teacher educators are tasked with bridging the disconnect between white teacher candidates and the low-income diverse communities they serve, the overwhelming majority of teacher educators are middle-class whites who often struggle themselves to understand current and past realities of racism and classism. This paper describes a study by a White teacher educator, in collaboration with a Black teacher, of video footage of a Black administrator focus group discussing understandings and misunderstandings between white teachers and Black students and community members. Conceptualized through the lens of Critical Race Theory, the study offers an analysis of the focus group data as well as interventions that may be used to enhance social justice teaching in Black communities.

Authors

• Susan M. Baker, California State University - Sacramento

• China Duncan, Sol Aureus