The Enduring Impact of Linguistic Healing: Black Women Teachers' Journey Toward Educational Justice and Renewal

• 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

This longitudinal study examined the 2-year impact of a 16-week professional meaning series Black Language Learning Series (BLLS) on 13 Black Women Teachers (BWTs) over two years. Using  a mix of research methods grounded in Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 2000; Dillard, 2022) and linguistic justice (Baker-Bell, 2020) frameworks, findings reveal BWTs' deepened linguistic consciousness, pro-Black pedagogical approaches, personal and professional empowered transformation, and sustained support network. The research demonstrates how culturally specific professional development empowers BWTs as change agents, fostering necessary linguistic (re)clamation and healing. This study contributes to teacher education, socio-/raciolinguistics, and educational equity, offering a holistic model for disrupting linguistic injustice and promoting just education renewal.

Author

• Teaira C. McMurtry, University of Alabama - Birmingham