Rooted and Rising: Empowering Futures Through Identity and Expression in African American Studies, Financial Literacies, and the Arts

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 3:45 pm - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Comics, Literature, Animation, and the Arts as Curricular Frames

Abstract

This paper highlights the transformative power of identity-affirming curriculum in imagining equitable futures. Through examination of three student-led courses—AP African American Studies, Financial Futures, and Performance Arts—at a Brooklyn public high school, the authors showcase how curricular spaces can simultaneously honor rich cultural heritages while cultivating students' capacity for futuring. By centering students as co-constructors of knowledge who engage with historical frameworks to inform their vision of thriving futures, this work illustrates the transformational power of pedagogy that refuses to separate past understanding from future possibility. The authors provide practical strategies for implementing a culturally sustaining curriculum that promotes not only academic engagement but also students' development as "great ancestors" for future generations.

Authors

• Diana Isern, New York City Department of Education

• Qiana Spellman, St. John's University

• Shannah M. Henderson Amare, New York City Department of Education