Black People Are Not a Monolith: Designing and Nuancing Culturally Responsive Mathematics

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Scholars have long posited that racism, in the form of school curriculum, gets in the way of Black students’ success in STEM. To address this issue, our team used the voices of Black students and parents to inform our revision of an online mathematics curriculum that serves over 12,000 students nationwide. The papers in this symposium describe and analyze our attempt to situate algebra 1 content within the context of sociocultural and sociopolitical issues that are important to Black communities. Findings from our engagement with Black students and parents demonstrated the importance of honoring multiple intersecting identities in our development of a culturally responsive curriculum, paying special attention to immigrant status, gender, and the perspectives of Black mothers.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Research Focus on Black Education

Chair

• Valerie N. Adams-Bass, University of Virginia

Papers

• Evaluating and Revising Algebra Tasks: Culturally Responsive Mathematics in the Making - Hyunyi Jung, University of Florida; John Grab

• Whose Truth Counts in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy? Broadening Notions of Black Education Through Immigrant Inclusion - Chonika Coleman-King, University of Florida; Takeshia Pierre, University of Florida; Koree Badio, University of Florida; Mercedes Machado, University of Florida

• Contextualizing Learner Experiences as Asset-Based Strategy in Math Learner Identity Development for Black Girls - Taryrn T.C. Brown, University of Florida; John Grab

• Perspectives on Culturally Responsive Mathematics From Black Mothers of Black Middle School Students - Frances K. Harper, University of Tennessee; Taryrn T.C. Brown, University of Florida

Discussant

• Brittany Nicole Anderson, University of North Carolina - Charlotte