Praised and Pushed Aside: Embodying Diversity in Private, Independent K-12 Schools in New York City

• In Event: 1483 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 05. Teachers, Schools, and Diversity

Abstract

Institutions are publicly held at higher expectations today when it comes to diversity and inclusion, especially schools. In the most exclusive secondary schools, diversity is demonstrated to indicate a progressive culture that prepares graduates to become future global leaders. However, the wide understanding of diversity can indeed mask inequities that still ostracize students of color, by admitting them in marginal numbers or shaping experiences that marginalize their background. This begs a deeper examination into the racial implications of education diversity work. This literature review utilizes black feminist epistemology to ground forthcoming research of the underlying experience of “embodying” diversity as a student of color in historically-white, affluent schools (Ahmed 2008, 2009; Hill Collins, 1990; Jones, 2006; Puwar, 2004). Students’ experiences in public-to-private pipeline programs, such as Prep for Prep and A Better Chance, are also examined to understand how transitional stages of entering a historically-white school.

Author

• Jennifer Etienne, University of Minnesota