Before I Was A Teacher: A Black Queer Qualitative Study

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Reflections on Educating at the Intersections of Queerness and Race (Table 41)

Abstract

This study delved into the experiences of three queer Black pre-and in-service teachers who were at different stages of their teaching careers. Using a queer Black Feminist Framework, the study aimed to explore the shifts in their identity consciousness as they navigated traditional heteronormative educational spaces. These teachers examined and negotiated how their Blackness and queerness were manifested in teacher preparation programs (TPP) and K-12 classrooms. Ultimately, they refused to conceal or censor their true selves. Their intersectional approaches, which combined their queer and Black identities, disrupted normative teaching practices and impacted their classrooms, assignments, curriculum, and pedagogy.

Author

• Danelle Adeniji, Dallas Independent School District