A Critical Autoethnography of a Black Male Military-Connected Student

• In Event: Valuing Blackmale-nificence: Black Male Educators on Equitable 21st Century Educational Systems

Abstract

During peace and wartime, military-connected students (K-12) cope with unique stressors (parental deployment, residential mobility) that can negatively impact their educational success and overall well-being (Engle et al., 2010; Park, 2011; Sullivan et al., 2015). Unfortunately, much of the empirical studies rarely disaggregate military-connected student population data when investigating educational success. As a result, limited studies explore racial subgroups' academic outcomes and experiences within the military student demographic. To that end, this critical autoethnographic presentation asks the following question: How does an adult Black male educator who grew up military-connected describe his cultural, academic, and socio-emotional development? The purpose of this presentation is to contest Black male developmental theories grounded strictly in scientific predictive models.
The theoretical framework guiding the presentation combines blackmaleness (James & Lewis, 2014) and critical race theory (Ladson-Billings & Tate 1995). The CRT tenants employed include: recognizing experiential knowledge (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002), rejecting colorblindness (Bonilla-Silva, 2005), and an ethical commitment to social justice (Bell, 2002; Stovall, 2016). Blackmalenss is theorized as a fluid reality that Black males occupy. In this reality, Black males are exposed to community members that assist them in actively fighting and persisting through institutionalized barriers designed to eliminate any possibility of living and thriving in American society, also called “traversing the void” (James & Lewis, 2014, p. 273).
Combined with analytical and critical autoethnographic methodologies, I engage in deep reflection, interrogate my belief systems, and systematically analyze specific life experiences (i.e., my upbringing in a military family) as they relate to understandings of institutional racism, power, privilege, oppression, and social justice (Anderson, 2006; Hayes, 2014; Warren, 2014).
The data sources include a range of cultural artifacts that represent different moments along my educational timeline. They include original educational documents (Schwandt, 2007), a textual lineage (Tatum, 2009), photographs (Reader, 2012), and email communications (Patton, 2015).
The paper concludes that educators and the overall education community in our P-20 systems must be familiar with the voices, lived experiences, and unique social contexts (structural barriers and cultural assets) that military-connected Black males have and occupy. Furthermore, this familiarity must be a prerequisite for supporting their developmental needs, thus creating emancipatory learning environments where Black males affiliated with various institutional contexts are emotionally affirmed, intellectually challenged, and culturally nourished.
This critical autoethnography extends a small body of knowledge related to military-connected students' experience with race and racism (Hairston, 2010; Reddick, 2014). In addition, it fills a research gap between Black male developmental theories and Black male military-connected students.

Author

• Willie C.J. Harmon, American Institutes for Research