Division G Fireside Chat: Strategic Silence and Bold Resistance: Navigating Educational Renewal in an Era of Oppression

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

Amidst an era where education is a battleground and a pathway to renewal, those committed to fostering equitable educational experiences continue to be impacted by the ongoing challenges of teacher burnout, widening opportunity gaps, and superficial policy fixes. Seeking to silence critical conversations, policies like book bans and anti-critical race theory bills create oppressive landscapes that educators and researchers must navigate with care. This discussion explores the strategic balance between silence and disruption—recognizing when self-preservation calls for quiet and when the urgency of justice demands bold, collective resistance. By addressing despair before contemplating hope, this discussion fosters a critical dialogue on strategies for just educational renewal, with a focus on sustaining the self and democracy through equitable, responsive education.

Sub Unit

• Graduate Student Council

Cosponsor

• Division G - Social Context of Education

Chairs

• Ronald Cunningham, Indiana University - Indianapolis

• Kristina Johnson-Yates, Indiana University - Indianapolis

Panelists

• Alpesh Maisuria, University of the West of England

• Patriann Smith, University of South Florida

• Davena Y. Jackson, Boston University

• Asif Wilson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Ain A. Grooms, University of Wisconsin - Madison