Leveraging Black Parental Relationships in Urban Schools

• In Event: 28.089 - MTCC Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: 28.089-9 - The Work of Black Parents in Black Children's Learning and Development

Abstract

Within the dominant discourse, Black parents both historically and currently continue to be positioned as disinterested in the school system, their involvement analyzed from a deficit approach, and barriers to their engagement have not been equitably addressed in popular discourse. Peddling against a backdrop of imagined racism in Canada’s acclaimed neutral society, this research utilized critical race theory along with culturally responsive pedagogy. In response, there was an examination of the engagement of three Black parents in the Greater Toronto Area, their current experiences navigating the school system, the challenges and tensions they experience, and the strategies they employ.

Authors

• Desiree Fleure Sylvestre, University of Toronto

• Ann E. Lopez, OISE/University of Toronto