Blackcrit Sensemaking Toward Black Liberatory Educational Possibilities (Poster 37)

• In Event: AERA Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research
  In Invited Poster Session: AERA Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research Poster Session

Abstract

Florida’s Stop W.O.K.E. laws introduce new psychological and legal threats for educators, creating a critical opportunity to examine how Black educators navigate anti-Black education policies. This qualitative study explores Black Fugitivity in classrooms led by Black K-12 teachers. The study addresses two key questions: How have the new policies influenced Black teachers’ physical and psychological experiences? And are Black teachers modifying their educational and pedagogical practices as a result? Early findings show the laws instill fear among younger educators, prompting some to over-restrict their teaching. Veteran teachers and those well-versed in Florida’s policies use the laws to illustrate how this act of erasure is history repeating itself while encouraging students to critically engage with their realities.

Author

• Karla R. Thomas, Northwestern University