Freedom Dreaming Antiracist Restorative Justice: How Educators’ Imagination (or Lack Thereof) Implicates Black Student Experiences

• In Event: Anti-Blackness in K-12 Education: In Pursuit of Equity

Abstract

Following the global movement against police violence sparked by George Floyd’s death, Woodson Prep, a high-profile charter organization in a Midwestern city, publicly apologized for its racially harmful discipline practices and adopted a new anti-racist restorative justice framework emphasizing mutual respect and dignity. This phenomenological case study explores how this shift shaped Black students’ experiences, focusing on how educators' perceptions of their needs influenced the stewardship of such a structural change. The study underscores the critical role of educators’ shared vision in implementing restorative justice effectively. It concludes that without a deep and coherent understanding of restorative justice, efforts to transform school discipline are likely to fall short, perpetuating rather than resolving systemic issues.

Authors

• De'Ja Wood, Vanderbilt University

• Carla P. Wellborn-Watts, Vanderbilt University

• Chezare A. Warren, Vanderbilt University