The Diary of a Black Curriculum Director

• In Event: Realities of the Racial Realist: P–20 Educators Bearing Witness From the Sunken Place

Abstract

Heifetz and Linksy (2002) once wrote that to “lead is to live dangerously” (p. 2) and when one is engaged in educational change at the political nexus of curriculum and race, it becomes increasingly clear just how perilous leadership can be. Through the use of an evocative autoethnographic narrative, I reflect on my experiences with such danger, as a K-12 curriculum leader in a suburban school district. I do so by detailing the racial realities, challenges and threats involved in attempting to dismantle a inherently unequal education system from the “Sunken Place”, which frequently go unacknowledged by White colleagues. Throughout this reflection I detail my reconciliation with interest convergence, racial realism and the recognition that my presence as an instructional leader can be viewed as a political act leading to a never ending fight to maintain my dignity.

Author

• Floyd Cobb, University of Denver