The Radical Care OGs: A Phenomenological Exploration of Black Women Teachers’ Experiences During Desegregation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 1:45 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Black Women Transforming Educational Practices and Pedagogies (Table 7)

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to explore the experiences of four Black women
teachers, who taught during desegregation and integration in Charlotte-Mecklenburg School
District. Viewing their experiences through Rivera-McCutchen’s (2020) radical care framework,
the findings illuminate how; a) these Black women upheld the standard of high expectations for
Black children regarding instruction and behavior as they transitioned from segregated to
predominately white schools; b) actively advocated for the liberation of Black children through
education in these racially hostile environments; and c) formalized an intergenerational network
of hope which produced a lineage of Black women educators that supported all students inside
and outside of the classroom.

Authors

• John A. Williams, Texas A&M University

• Sonyia Richardson, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Maiya A. Turner, Texas A&M University

• Virginia S. Redwine Johnson, Texas A&M University