Combating the Neoliberalization of Teacher Professional Development: Reflections on Developing Antiracist Collectives for Racial Justice

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 4:55 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Taking on Empires of Whiteness: Antiracism in Theory and Practice (Table 24)

Abstract

Most schools and districts claim or desire to be engaged in anti-racist equity work.
However, given neoliberal multiculturalism’s whitewashing of anti-racism efforts in education,
the reality is often performative, unattainable, or unsuccessful on a large-scale. So, what is
possible? Using a grassroots approach to professional development, researchers in this paper
draw on personal experience and expertise as a storied way to share two ways to combat
neoliberal multiculturalism’s reproduction in professional development: resisting individualism
by developing racial literacy and engaging in collective resistance.

Authors

• Justin Grinage, University of Minnesota

• Marika Belusa, University of Minnesota