Pedagogies of Resistance: Stories of Change (1)

• In Event: Pedagogies of Resistance: Stories of Change

Abstract

Presenter 1 will share several short stories of instances of how he has been denied access to classrooms and students in his hometown, Oxnard, CA because his books and lectures about social justice have been deemed “not school-age appropriate” by some teachers and administrators in the local school district. Specifically, he will discuss how teachers’ lack of understanding of systems of oppression comes at the expense of students with marginalized identities who are most impacted by such systems. Still, in spite of the explicit reluctance to invite him into some classrooms, the author will detail how he has managed to navigate the resistance and visit classrooms to challenge the whitewashed, oppressive narratives told about his community. In essence, this paper functions as a platform wherein the author proposes suggestions for educators to recognize the importance of assigning, inviting, and telling stories that directly challenge racism, white supremacy, anti-Blackness, and so on in order to dismantle racial injustices within and beyond the classroom.

Author

• Martín Alberto Gonzalez, Portland State University