Playing Inside Critical Distance: Black Speculative Fiction and Antiracist Teacher Education

• In Event: 32.083 - Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: 32.083-2 - Critical Literacy/Distance/Consciousness: Educating Teachers and Students for Equity

Abstract

Black speculative fiction is beginning to blossom in terms of critical recognition and increased readership. However, it is largely absent from K-20 curriculum. In this paper, I first examine the potential of black speculative fiction as a tool for the anti-racist educator: the genre grapples with systemic racism and privilege, yet does through critical distance (literary distance created through tropes of the fantastic), which can help anti-racist educators circumnavigation white resistance strategies. I then present findings from a classroom study on white pre-service teacher engagement with black speculative fiction which found 1) that students were largely unfamiliar with speculative literature which made anti-racist discussions challenging, and 2) social justice-minded peers could use speculative literature to facilitate productive anti-racist discussions.

Author

• Bevin Roue, Auburn University