Interrogating the Past in the Pursuit of Racial Equity: A Historical Document Analysis

• In Event: Discourse and Ideology, Past and Present: Toward a Critical Race-Conscious Policy Awakening

Abstract

School districts around the country are attempting to confront historic inequities for students of color; those that are successful in implementing lasting change recognize how their history shapes their present and future. The purpose of this study is to provide the historical and sociopolitical context of an urban midwestern district undertaking the difficult but necessary task of providing antiracist and equitable education for their diverse student population. We analyze historical documents and interviews with district leaders. Preliminary findings reveal at least three laws and policies that have shaped current day: Unigov, the charter school movement, and the approval of Innovation Network Schools. This study describes how a district takes on historical reckoning and may inform other districts pursuing systemic change.

Authors

• Elizabeth Uzzell, University of Virginia
  Presenting Author

• Coby Meyers, University of Virginia
  Presenting Author