Three Consequential Moments and Movements of Cynthia Dillard’s Work

• In Event: (Re)membering, (Re)cognizing, and Responsibility: How Cynthia Dillard’s Work Helps Us Meet the Current Moment

Abstract

In this paper, I analyze three major themes from Dillard’s work that resulted in consequential moments and movements in/for educational research, policy, and practice. Dillard’s body of work has been, arguably, powerfully consequential through (1) methodological and theoretical innovation, (2) educator preparation, and (3) supporting a new generation of researchers. For instance, Dillard’s work centered en(dark)ended epistemology and shepherded researchers into reimagining what counts as knowledge, on behalf of whom, and how we know what we know. Problematizing notions of en(light)ment as methodological and conceptual frames for knowing and coming to know, Dillard’s work was monumental in providing tools for researchers placed on the margins who found traditional tools limiting in studying multiple life worlds of communities of Color and women intersectionally. In addition, Dillard’s work pushed preparation programs to take stronger accountability in how they prepared teachers and school leaders to meet the needs of culturally diverse learners. Educators’ thinking was transformed as they “re”membered histories “they had been taught to forget” (Winn, 2025). Moreover, Dillard used her empirical and conceptual findings to support scores of graduate students – new generations of scholars-- across different universities to build not only knowledge and skills in research but confidence to contribute to theory, research, practice, and praxis. Implications for how Dillard’s work remains consequential and how these three bodies of her contribution might be carried forward will be addressed.

Author

• Rich Milner, Vanderbilt University