Revisiting the Double-Edge Sword of Curriculum

• In Event: Separate or Equal: Race, Space, and Nation in Contemporary American Schools

Abstract

Parents of color pick suburban schools because of their rigorous, extensive curriculum which challenges the student academically, provides leadership and facilitates the creation of competitive resumes for college entrance. However, given the racial dynamics imbedded in school contexts, these same resources and opportunities can act in oppressive and marginalizing ways for students who are unable to fully access the school’s resources and do not have the social capital to negotiate the opportunities (Yosso, 2005, Villenas 1999). Using critical race theory, we explore how the curricula in predominately White suburban schools serves as a double edge sword of academic empowerment and oppression for students of color whose families have made significant sacrifices for them to be included in these elite spaces.

Authors

• Tatiana Joseph, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

• Thandeka K. Chapman, University of California - San Diego

• Nicholas Daniel Hartlep, Illinois State University

• May Vang, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

• Talonda Michelle Lipsey, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee