Reimagining the Demonized: Centering Ethnic Studies Pedagogies in the New School Design of the Homies Empowerment Community High School for Oakland Success

• In Event: Precious Knowledge and Sacred Pedagogies: Centering Ethnic Studies Principles in Practice

Abstract

The history of “research” on communities of Color and other marginalized groups reveals motives seeking to objectify, pathologize, and dehumanize its “subjects” in ways that singularly portray them as damaged, lacking, and/or evil (Fanon, 1963; Paris & Winn, 2014; Patel, 2016; Smith, 1999; Tuck, 2009; Wilson, 2008). Given this history and multitude of researchers exploiting such “knowledge” for personal gain without reciprocity, communities of Color may view “research” as a dirty word (Smith, 1999). Similarly, youth gangs have been researched by thousands, but few have worked towards eradicating gang violence (Duran, 2008). Such research contributes towards the demonization (Acosta, 2013) and “delinquency” of youth in gangs (Brown, 2002).

This scholarship seeks to disrupt that tradition by investigating the sacred knowledge and critical strengths that emerge from the new school design and design process for the Homies Empowerment Community High School for Oakland Success (HECHOS), which centers the needs, experiences, and aspirations of gang involved, affiliated, impacted and/or incarcerated youth.

Decolonial (Reyes, 2019) and Ethnic Studies Pedagogies (Tintiangco-Cubales, et. al., 2014) act as analytics to both the school design process and emerging design to surface desire-based (Tuck, 2009) counterstories (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002) that humanize (Paris & Winn, 2014) and heal (Ginwright, 2015). Both frameworks act as process, practice, and condition to examine and transform how coloniality has normalized Western ways of being and becoming. These frameworks aim to not only analyze, but also work in reciprocity to recenter Indigeneity, honor sacred knowledge, and call for the abolition of white supremacy, capitalism, and damage-centered research.

Grounded in critical race methodology (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002) and decolonizing research paradigms (Paris & Winn, 2014; Patel, 2016; Smith, 1999), this PRAXISioner research investigates, what is the sacred nature of the values, principles, precious knowledge, and process that centers Decolonial and Ethnic Studies Pedagogies in the design of HECHOS? What school design emerges? What testimonios illuminate how design team members engage with and experience the design process? Methods of critical narrative ethnography (Carspecken, 1995; Tedlock, 1991) and testimonio (Delgado Bernal, Burciaga, & Flores Carmona, 2012), center the experiences of HECHOS’ non-traditional design team and other community members. Data collected includes testimonio, photos/videos, institutional documents, and reflective memos.

Building on gang sensibilities and Indigenous epistemologies, four elements of the HECHOS identity emerged that reframed traditional conceptions of a hustler, healer, warrior, and scholar. The HECHOS hustler, healer, warrior, and scholar aims to be and become:
1) creative, problem solving PRAXISioners who put in work to come up in healthy ways,
2) cultivate self-love and self-preservation practices while supporting community uplift,
3) live a moral code committed to the growth, defense, empowerment, and emancipation of themselves, and
4) cultivate deep knowledge, skills, and wisdom to empower themselves while banging for freedom.

The sacred knowledge that emerged from work highlights tremendous growth areas that the field of “school reform” has yet to address. It is in these collaborative approaches to reimagining the demonized that we can advance the process of dismantling practices within schools that push out historically marginalized students and maintain coloniality.

Author

• G. T. Reyes, California State University - East Bay