Love Yourz: Developing Black Students’ Positive Racial Identities in English Language Arts Classrooms

• In Event: Engaging With Critical Race Theory, Bans, and Positive Racial Identities

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods case study is to explore the ways that Black teachers utilize their positive racial identities to engage Black students in developing their racial identities, within English Language Arts classrooms. The research question is, in what ways do Black teachers utilize their positive racial identities to engage Black students in developing their racial identities, within English Language Arts classrooms? Through a self-evaluation questionnaire and artifacts, I found that Black teachers Love Yourz; meaning, that they love their Blackness and teach their students to Love Theirs too. However, due to the smog of anti-Blackness, they are still in need of racial literacy development to continue to disrupt theirs and their students’ internalized anti-Blackness.

Author

• Kisha M Porcher, University of Delaware