Introducing Curricular and Pedagogical Resuscitation (CPR): A Black Approach to Reviving the Self and Collective through Social Studies

Abstract

Social studies has been lagging in the race to gain classroom instructional time due to the impact of high-stakes testing in urban schools. Furthermore, social studies can be particularly uninteresting to Black students whose diverse sociocultural histories and perspectives remain diminished or absent. Therefore, this paper advances curricular and pedagogical resuscitation (CPR) as a renewed and continuing quest to properly address and privilege Black students and their lived experiences. Employing BlackCrit, we forward CPR as a more accurate, timely, and holistic social studies approach—addressing the body, spirit, and mind of our students.

“But there is a God”: Teaching Nat Turner in early childhood education

“…Fugitive pedagogy is outlined as “the physical and intellectual acts by black teachers and students [that] explicitly critiqued and negated white supremacy and anti-Black protocols of domination...in discreet or partially concealed fashion” (p. 5). This study features fugitive pedagogy for three reasons: (1) the social status Nat Turner held as a fugitive once he committed those acts, (2) current legislative measures to criminalize the teaching of anti-Blackness, and (3) its connection to curricular and pedagogical resuscitation (CPR) (Johnson and Nicol, 2020) which provides space for accessing Black humanity through practices of self-defense and force. Still, this study adheres to an appreciation of multiple Pro-Black pedagogies (known and unknown) that advance notions of empowerment.…”

“…Emerging from Black intellectual thought is a specific theoretical framing termed curricular and pedagogical resuscitation (CPR) (Johnson and Nicol, 2020) that is applied to this study as well. CPR, appropriately abbreviated, emphasizes the necessity of and persistence on restorative and regenerative educational activities for Black bodies, spirits, and minds.…”

Serious with the Wordplay: Battle Rap as a Critical Literacy Site and Model

“…Paris (2012) offered culturally sustaining pedagogy, which seeks to perpetuate and foster linguistic, literate, and cultural pluralism within schooling. More recent approaches such as curricular and pedagogical resuscitation (CPR) (Johnson & Nicol, 2020) seeks to restore more of the Black "village" into the "school system" by teaching and learning through Black people's perspectives. These new and reformed directions seek to alleviate the disparity experienced by Black male students as traditional pedagogies tended to omit the history, contributions, and culture of Black Americans (Howard, 2014).…”

“…Yet, critique in-and-of-itself is not the goal -but the end of all knowledge should result in service to others. In this case, empowering social studies as curricular and pedagogical resuscitation -CPR (Johnson & Nicol, 2020) insists, would privilege Black experiences and advocate for the subject's validity in an era of high-stakes testing. Studies conducted of social studies curriculum and pedagogy demonstrates the plethora of Eurocentric, White, male perspectives laden classrooms (Johnson, 2019;Brown & Brown, 2010;Woodson, 2016).…”

“…Educators pursuing critical social studies expose cracks within official curriculum (DeLeon, 2014) to walk the tightrope alongside their students coconstructing learning opportunities (Castro, et al, 2015). In order to continue working towards social studies operating as a beacon of emancipatory visions and realties, content knowledge, and purpose / spirit (Barton & Levstik, 2003;Dillard, 2006;Johnson & Nicol, 2020) must be attended to in preservice and teacher development programs.…”