Black identities and Experiences in Music Education Spaces: Constructing a New Vision by Disrupting Anti-Blackness

• In Event: Forging New Harmonies: Lived Experience and Student-Centered Praxis in Music Education

Abstract

In engaging with the complexities of anti-Blackness in educational spaces, this preface aims to extend the vital discourse initiated in this presentation. Anti-Blackness is understood as a systemic phenomenon entrenched in institutional structures, policies, and practices that marginalize Black identities and experiences (Dumas & ross, 2016). Educational institutions often perpetuate anti-Blackness through admissions processes, curricula decisions, disciplinary practices, and routine interactions (Mustaffa, 2017).
This study utilized qualitative methods, specifically semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, with a participant sample size of five (n=5) Black educators and administrators.Central to this investigation is recognizing that anti-Blackness is distinct from general racism, characterized specifically by viewing Blackness as inherently deficient and undeserving of full humanity (Dumas, 2016). This framing significantly influences the educational experiences of Black students, educators, and staff, resulting in persistent marginalization and disenfranchisement (Patton, 2016). Addressing these manifestations requires deliberate, systemic reform grounded in equity and inclusive practice.
Intersectionality is critical to comprehending how anti-Blackness interacts with gender, sexuality, class, and other social identities, compounding oppression and necessitating intersectional frameworks to effectively address educational inequities (Crenshaw, 1991; Collins & Bilge, 2016). Intersectionality provides a comprehensive perspective on the diversity within Black communities, underscoring the importance of amplifying voices often marginalized even within Black populations (Combahee River Collective, 1977).
Authentic representation and institutional commitments to equity have transformative potential for dismantling anti-Black practices. Educational institutions must shift from superficial actions to sustained, structural changes that promote equity. Such transformations include revising curricula to authentically represent diverse Black histories and narratives (King & Swartz, 2014), reforming admissions practices to remove exclusionary barriers (Harris & Harper, 2015), and adopting restorative justice approaches to address discipline disparities (Payne & Welch, 2015).
This presentation also calls upon educators and institutional leaders to critically examine their positionality and implicit complicity within these structures. Such critical self-reflection is essential to fostering educational environments that affirm the identities, dignity, and agency of Black individuals (Milner, 2007).

Authors

• Colin Walters, University of Connecticut

• Drew Xavier Coles, Teachers College, Columbia University