Teachers of Color: Building Racial Literacy in Rural Communities

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Antiracist and Decolonial Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This case study explores how two rural social studies Teachers of Color work to build racial literacy with their students while navigating the systems in rural places that seek to discourage the teaching of social justice issues in history classrooms. Survivance (the use of survival and resistance) is used to navigate the systems of oppression and the social dynamics of their schools and communities. Findings show rural Teachers of Color in rural, mostly white communities use loyalty as a survivance technique to position themselves as being loyal to the mission, needs, and desires of their students, communities, and administration while also engaging in teaching that seeks to address racial inequities.

Authors

• Tamicah T. Owens, West Virginia University

• Natasha C. Murray-Everett, West Virginia University

• Andrea M. Hawkman, Rowan University