Empowering Future Teachers of Color: Community, Identity, and Justice-Driven Pedagogies for Educational Transformation

• In Event: Reclaiming the Black Teacher Pipeline: Resisting Pushout and Policy Violence

Abstract

The Future Teachers of Color Summit addresses the critical shortage of teachers of Color in our current education system by fostering community, identity development, and justice-driven pedagogies. This study analyzes post-summit surveys and pláticas to explore how participants perceive their roles as future educators, navigate systemic challenges, and commit to transformative teaching. Using Critical Race Theory, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, and Community Cultural Wealth as guiding frameworks, findings highlight the summit’s impact in empowering teachers of Color, fostering resilience, and advancing intersectional educational justice. This proposal aligns with AESA’s conference theme by demonstrating how representation, reconstruction, and reparative frameworks shape a multiracial democratic vision for education. We argue that intentional, community-driven spaces like the summit are essential for reimagining teacher preparation, advocating for systemic change, and ensuring a more just and equitable future for students and educators alike.

Authors

• Gabriel Gutiérrez, University of Nebraska at Omaha

• Ferial Pearson, University of Nebraska at Omaha

• Madina Djuraeva, University of Nebraska at Omaha