68.053 - Neoliberalism in Black Education: Research, Reform, Reproduction, and Resistance

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Dictated by the global market and underwritten by principles of competition, privatization, and hyper-surveillance, neoliberalism has become the preeminent global politic of the last forty years. Beyond its policy implications, neoliberalism is an identity—one that is deeply woven into the fabric of American culture, its institutions, and into the subjective orientations of individuals. Within this context, Black education, in particular, is increasingly constrained by reforms born out of the private sector, and black students are increasingly exposed to discourses and practices that locate problems within their bodies and subject them to dehumanization. This symposium will explore the ways in which this neoliberal turn has impacted black education and how students, parents, practitioners, schools, and communities have responded.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Research Focus on Black Education

Chair

• Monique Antoinette Guishard, Bronx Community College - CUNY

Papers

• "Despite the Odds": Unpacking Black Tax Neoliberalism and Making Space for Black Vulnerability - Kevin Lowell Clay, Rutgers University

• Engineered Conflict: School Closings, Public Housing, Law Enforcement, and the Future of Black Life - David O. Stovall, University of Illinois at Chicago

• "It Was Never Ours": Neoliberal Paternalism, Black Youth, and Reclaiming Community-Based Educational Spaces - Bianca Jontae Baldridge, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Ago ... Ame ... A Call to Attention: Policy Implications and the Role of Black Teachers in Washington, D.C., 1996–2016 - Jenice Leilani View, George Mason University; Rona M. Frederick, The Catholic University of America

• How the Construct of Grit Helps Neoliberalism Thrive in the Exploitation of Black Students - Ebony Omotola McGee, Vanderbilt Peabody College

Discussant

• Michael J. Dumas, University of California - Berkeley