Can We Still Dream? Community Schools and the Potential for Black Freedom Dreams

• In Event: Black Power, Black Freedom Dreams, and Black Joy in Community Schools

Abstract

Since the racial reckoning of 2020, some schools have tried to deepen their efforts towards educational equity by establishing committees and offices that seek to redress racial inequity and discrimination. In this paper, we examine one educational model, the Community Schools model, to understand how districts in the United States have tried to craft initiatives that center equity and the humanistic goals of education, or the “...the enhancement of human development, well-being, and dignity...” (Aloni, 2011, p. 35). We argue that, even though current iterations of Community Schools exist alongside the status quo, they may still maintain potential to cultivate and support Black freedom dreams.

Authors

• Tiffanie Celeste Lewis-Durham, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Arianna Di Puorto, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Monique Saastamoinen, University of North Carolina - Greensboro