Centering Community Voices to Empower Teachers as Catalysts for Social Justice

• In Event: Empowered Praxis: Centering Teacher Agency, Identities, and Knowledges

Abstract

Black communities continue to face systemic barriers to representation in STEM, particularly within healthcare fields. This qualitative study explores what limits their entry into cancer-related fields and identifies strategies for greater inclusion. Three focus groups with 24 African American healthcare professionals, educators, parents, and students were conducted and thematically analyzed into themes: Family and Representation as Drivers of Motivation, Barriers to Equitable STEM, Enabling Factors for Pursuing Biomedicine, and Recognizing Implicit Bias. Grounded in the Transformative Leadership and Social Justice Education frameworks, this study reimagines education with teachers as agents-of-change who honor students’ lived experiences and work to dismantle inequities. Recommendations include increasing access to mentorship, culturally responsive teaching, financial support, and academic resources to foster equitable STEM pathways.

Authors

• Faiza Zafar, Rice University

• Carolyn Nichol, Rice University

• Christina Alston, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Veronica Ajewole-Mwema, Texas Southern University

• Ivy O. Poon, Texas Southern University

• Kassie Thompson, Texas Southern University

• Maria Mejia, Florida Atlantic University

• Diego Lopez, Rice University

• Mirna Mendoza Wilson, Rice University