A Democratic Imperative: Developing Racial Literacy Among Urban Youth

• In Event: Collaborative and Community Action Research: Working Together for Change

Abstract

Racism plays a pernicious and active role in American society. This study calls for antiracist educators to cultivate in students racial literacy skills (Guinier, 2004) to decipher and interrogate policies and practices that perpetuate institutionalized racism in our country. This research project focuses on a yearlong study of an afterschool program led by the author as she engages in a teacher action research project working with a diverse group of youth to develop their racial literacy skills. Preliminary findings from this study offer important contributions to the field by elevating the work of action research as a viable approach to highlight how one practitioner uses critical reflection and focused inquiry to improve her practice in antiracist education.

Author

• Van Lac, University of Wisconsin - Madison