The Risks of Being a Black Teacher Educator Teaching Race and Politics in Appalachia

• In Event: 66.038 - Renewed Risks of Race Talk: Discussing Race in K–12 Classrooms, Teacher Education Courses, and Research

Abstract

Race is often overlooked in K-12 settings. As a social studies educator, I want my pre-service teachers to recognize the importance of race and the role that it plays in the education system. As a first generation Black, Caribbean American woman born and raised on the East Coast, my experiences as an elementary school teacher in urban spaces is in sharp contrast to the pre-service teachers I work with in the Appalachian region at a large, land grant, research one, public institution. When teaching elementary social studies methods, my goal is to help pre-service teachers realize that critical race issues are a part of social studies. Teaching this comes risks; as one of the only Black professors that my students have in their teacher educator program, a tension ensues. This is heightened when we talk about anything political, controversial, and racial. To mitigate some of the potential blowback I spend a considerable amount of time sharing my identities as a first generation American, woman, military wife, and Christian, so that my students may understand that my intersecting identities inform the multiple perspectives that I bring to the classroom. I share so that they do not see me as the “other.”
During the current political climate—the Trump era—it has become ever more important to discuss these racial issues though equally riskier. It has heightened tension. I often feel “on,” having to be careful of what, how, and when I talk about race related content, which has inevitably intersected with discussing politics in recent years. Often a shift occurs when we talk specifically about race mid-semester. I’m aware and conscientious of the shift in students’ receptiveness. This is especially true for the week dedicated specifically to race and white privilege. Many students become uncomfortable, particularly if they do not believe in white privilege or if they do not see how social justice relates to social studies, and thus, how it relates to their future work as elementary school teachers. This discomfort impacts the rest of the semester and often comes out in negative course evaluations. This presents another risk. Do I teach content that is important and necessary and be the critical educator that I encourage my students to become? Or do I become the educator that avoids teaching what is important because it is difficult or out of fear of how my students may evaluate me on course evaluations?
In this authoethnography, I analyze how this internal dialogue, the constant negotiation of what, when, and how to talk to students progresses. Finding the perfect way to talk about critical issues such as race so that I do not loss students for the remainder of the semester, so that they stay engaged, and “happy” often comes as a cost—it is ultimately me taking care of their feelings at the expense of my own. That is often the emotional toll that comes with teaching White students about race and racism.

Author

• Natasha C. Murray-Everett, West Virginia University