"We Just Do Us": Co-Constructing a Pro-Black Affinity Space in the Face of Anti-Blackness

• In Event: Othering and Belonging for Teachers From Diverse Communities and Contexts

Abstract

Growing concerns about anti-blackness in education and the related attrition of Black teachers signal the need for research on professional development spaces that support Black teacher retention. This paper presents findings from a study that sought to understand how Black teachers collectively built a pro-Black teacher affinity group to navigate anti-blackness in education. Analyses of interview and participant observation data point to the importance of Black teachers creating spaces reminiscent of the home, where they can speak and act authentically through play, humor, and various expressions of Blackness. The article theorizes such “pro-Black spaces” as rehumanizing and sustaining for Black teachers, offering implications for Black teacher support and retention.

Authors

• Jessica Lee Stovall, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Micia Mosely, Black Teacher Project