Following the "Wrong Tales": Using Oral History to Make Sense of Multicultural Memories

• In Event: 34.040 - Reenvisioning the Potentials of Qualitative Research Approaches

Abstract

This paper explores the use of oral history to understand the interplay of racial ideologies, teacher preparation, and multicultural education in historical context. Drawing on the oral history testimonies of thirty participants in the inaugural cohort of Teach For America, the paper documents varying accounts of key events that occurred at the 1990 TFA Summer Institute, probing them for what they reveal about the narrators and their beliefs about race, culture, and teaching, and situating them within the historical moment. The disparate interpretations highlight particular questions and assumptions associated with teaching underserved students at the time and suggest the importance of helping prospective teachers grapple with issues of multiculturalism and identity.

Authors

• Bethany Lynn Rogers, College of Staten Island - CUNY

• Megan Blumenreich, City College of New York - CUNY