Fighting Despite Amputed Spirits: Why Black Women Teachers Stay in K–12 Classrooms

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Black Women on Teaching

Abstract

This conceptual paper explores the lived experiences of ten Black women teachers in K-12 across the United States. Since Black women play multiple roles in the school system and specifically in the classroom, sharing their narratives will create opportunity for change and awareness. I explore the concept of endarkened feminism as it relates to understanding and making sense of Black women teachers’ decisions to not succumb to attrition, to stay and teach in classrooms regardless of their struggles. I ask How has Covid-19 impacted Black women's teacher perception of the state of teaching? How did Black women teachers’ experience in schools impact their decisions to remain in the classroom? Finally, How can Black women experiences inform K-20 educational systems?

Authors

• Shalander L. Samuels, Kean University

• Amanda Wilkerson, University of Central Florida