Working towards equity: The lived experiences of equity directors of color in predominantly and historically white suburban K-12 school districts

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Four
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT073 (Saturday)

Abstract

Within the context of increasing political resistance to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the United States, longstanding educational practices continue to perpetuate systemic inequities and reinforce racialized spaces through anti-Blackness. This study examines the lived experiences of Equity Directors of Color in predominantly and historically White suburban K-12 school districts. This qualitative study utilizes a critical race theory framework to analyze how Equity Directors of Color navigate their roles amidst challenges posed by the epistemology of anti-Blackness within K-12 educational institutions. Using the lived experiences of Equity Directors of Color, this study aims to help understand equity work in the face of resistance.

Author

• Jamie A Holifield, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee