Racism <i>is
not </i>some static conception reflecting merely xenophobic feelings or
hierarchical mindsets among individuals (Miles and Brown 2003). The term “racism,” in association with
questions of democracy and individual opportunity, has risen into the primary
weltanschauung of the American political and social psyches as represented by
the September 12, 2019 Democratic Debate, political organizations, and political
media. Given this weltanschauung, the
purpose of this article is to seek additional knowledge toward coming to understand the perceptions of young
adult Black men’s perceptions and political activations when prompted by the
phenomenon of racism. Interpretative
phenomenological analysis was engaged in the study of the YABMs to gain their
reflective meaning-making and to protect against researcher biases. Key findings established that references to
matters political involved the participants experiences with their communities,
concerns with helping others in that community in a reciprocal manner, and the
exclusionary practices found that challenges said community. These characteristics occur simultaneously as
a meaning” of “the political” for each of the participants (Miller 1980). Theoretically, the extent to which these
characteristics played into their perceptions of the political in-turn affect
their decision-making and activations of political perceptions and
behaviors. This theoretical conception
was carried forward toward gaining knowledge of young adult Black men’s
perceptions of political experiences serve as a source of data for this
article; specifically, the data referencing matters of race (Crayton 2019).
The K-12 system of education is a complex organization that has historically denied students of low socio-economic status the opportunity for political engagement through the exercise of power (Apple, 1993; Ben-Porath, 2013; Boggs, 2000; Crayton, 2014; Ethiraj & Levinthal, 2009; Fazzaro, 2006; Gordon, 1980; Horowitz, 1969; Karabel, 1977; Lukes, 2005; Shipps, 2008; Wedel, 2009). This statement is in response to a series of questions presented by members of my Academic Advisory Committee, respectively, as a Qualifying Exam for doctoral candidacy in Urban Education Studies. This article is a response to the series of questions that will address the concern of the opening statement including: Professor Peter Seybold’s Questions of Power in the K-12 Education System; Professor Brendan Maxcy’s request on the state of political youth engagement in Urban Secondary Schools; and Professor Jim Scheurich’s request for focus on PAR (Participatory Action Research) and YPAR (Youth Participatory Action Research) in the education system as they relate to the political engagement of Urban Secondary Students.
Grave engagements continue contemporarily based from sociohistoric norms of American society. The norms being referred to are those specifically related to racism and the moral intolerances conjured between folks of different cultures and attitudes (Miles and Brown 2003). The purpose of this manuscript is to gain knowledge of the perceptions of young adult Black men (YABM) as they are exposed to race associated phenomena. An additional aim was to develop and provide a solution for the root challenges discovered from the study participants’ reflections. The proposed solution is a structure of instruction that is based upon racism being understood and drawn as an ideology. As argued, anyone can adopt an ideology of racism based from their respective identities as a source of instruction and tolerance over time (DiAngelo 2018; Miles and Brown 2003).
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