The White Researcher/Savior: The Messy Contradictions of Critical Antiracist Research in Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Ethics in Motion: Identity, Reflexivity, and Teacher Praxis

Abstract

In this paper, we unpack and complicate the ethos of white saviorism (Emdin, 2016; Ladson-Billings, 2006; Author 2, 2016; Thandeka, 2000)-- and its function to limit the effectiveness of research meant to confront white supremacy and anti-Blackness in education. The messy contradictions (Author 1, 2025) of using tools of whiteness while attempting to disrupt it highlight the continuous need for self-reflection and growth for white researchers and educators attempting anti-racist work. The authors offer our efforts and ongoing collaboration as a call for others to engage in similar dialogs with generous, ambivalent, and critical stances aimed at confronting the material impacts of white supremacy in schools and society.

Authors

• Maeve Wall, California State University - Northridge

• Zachary A. Casey, Rhodes College