Dreaming Beyond Differences, Divides, and Enacting Spirituality: Autohistoria-Teoría as a Lens for Hope in and beyond United States ELA Classrooms

• In Event: Transnational Pathways to Educational Justice through Language, Climate, and Collaborative Inquiry

Abstract

This multiple-site case study explores spirituality’s role in literacy instruction in Jamaica and North Carolina. Using autohistoria-teoría and diaspora literacy, it examines how faith, dreams, and literacy practices shape student engagement. In Jamaica, spirituality was embedded in education, while North Carolina students engaged more variably, often through music and testimonios. Across both contexts, spirituality fostered resilience, critical inquiry, and aspirational thinking, highlighting its transformative impact on literacy and learning.

Author

• Dianne Tiffany Wellington, SUNY Cortland