Equity Is More Than a Fleeting Illusion

• In Event: We Don't Need No More Trouble: Reimagining the Educational System Using Perspectives of Black Teachers

Abstract

Objective
The pandemics of racism, poverty, and homelessness are just as responsible as Covid-19 for interrupting the educational experiences of Black children and removing them from or schools and classrooms. As a teacher, I have dedicated my life to ensuring young people are fully prepared for their futures and can assume the mantle of critical thinking citizens in possession of self-efficacy. Anti-Blackness in the curriculum and bans concerning anti-racist, social justice-oriented teaching in schools is unacceptable and criminal. My experiences in the classroom have taught me that Black teachers too face the same issues as their students due to sexism, homophobia, and overall systemic oppression. King (2016) argues that educators and all educational stakeholders must move beyond being spectators in our society. We cannot afford to stand on the sidelines and be silent while academic violence is committed against Black students, teachers, and communities. It is only through community that we can challenge unfair policies and practices to recreate a more equitable educational experience for all students.

Perspective or Theoretical Framework
Lorde (1982) proclaims, “There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” As educational scholars, our work should always center on bringing light to the happenings in the field. School Boards across the country are declaring they are not racist, consequently banning teachers from introducing factual historical information that says contrary. These systems create policies that do little to combat the dysconscious racism, which King (1991) defines as an “uncritical habit of mind,” leaving one to believe the multiple pandemics Black people are facing are of their own doing. In this work, I employ Womanist theory because it “privileges the experience of inspiration… and contributes to an ongoing sense of inner well-being and power that defies, and in turn, transmutes external conditions” (Maparyan, 2012, p. 33). Womanism centers on the experiences of Black women and invests in our power to create a more equitable and loving society where Black people not only survive but thrive.

Data Sources, evidences, objects, and materials
Drawing on oral history and Womanist theory, I share personal accounts of my experiences teaching and learning. If we are to discuss our future, we must first acknowledge the lessons of our past. It is through this practice that we can begin to tackle old questions in new and innovative ways.

Significance
The Covid 19 virus has only exacerbated the alienation Black students, schools, and communities often face when it comes to policy matters, equitable funding, and responsive educational experiences. Through sharing how this group of Black educators has worked to foster equity within their local schools, disrupt systemic inequality in Black neighborhoods, and deepen student learning, our session may provide a template for others who are also doing the work that is essential to bring about equity in the experiences of all students. “We care because we know this: the life we save is our own” (Walker, 2004, p. 14).

Author

• Danie Marshall, Georgia State University