Strong Black Girls: Reclaiming Schools in Their Own Image

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This symposium proposal is a collective of Black female authors represented from the edited book Strong Black Girls: Reclaiming Schools in Their Own Image (Teachers College Press, 2020). The papers collectively capture the routinely muffled voices of Black women and girls as they survey intersectional notions of strength and Black femininity within the context of K-12 American schooling. Through a bricolage of reflective coming of age narratives, case studies, historical touchstones, and poetic insights—the authors make clear that the strength of Black women and girls should not merely be defined as the ability to survive racism, abuse, and violence in schools. Instead, the central themes of resistance and resilience emerge throughout these reflective, coming-of-age narratives.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Research Focus on Black Education

Chair

• Lynnette K. Mawhinney, Rutgers University - Newark

Papers

• The Struggle for Black Girl Voice: A Story of Three Generations - Autumn Griffin, University of Pennsylvania

• I Am to Be Sexual Not Sexualized - Taylor Monique Tucker, Swarthmore College

• Black Girl Magic Is a Glorious Gift - Helena Donato-Sapp

• The Trouble With Black Girl Magic for Black Girls - Valerie N. Adams-Bass, University of Virginia; Keisha L. Bentley-Edwards, Duke University

• Out of the Box: Countering the Silence of Black Girls With Memory-Work - Asia Thomas

Discussants

• Danielle Lorraine Apugo

• Afiya Mbilishaka