Ninth Annual Brown Lecture in Education Research

Abstract

This research sought to extend the historical record of advocacy for Black education by exploring the role of Black educators in the decades before the Brown v. Board of Education decision. It addressed (a) the ways the educators were involved in advocating for Black schools and (b) the relationship of the activities to the more visible accounts of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Answers to the research questions relied on historical ethnography as a methodological tool to analyze the records of the Georgia Teachers and Education Association and the NAACP. Each of these collections was also supplemented by other archival sources and interviews. Results indicate three identifiable periods of advocacy in the years before Brown. In each period, Black educators through their organizations were locally and nationally visible in advocating for education. The results reveal a co-dependent relationship with the NAACP and amplify the importance of a “connector” in establishing congruent national and local advocacy.

Developing a Pedagogy of Restorative Physical Education

“…Consistent with histories of African American education (Walker, 2013), Marshall High School is a symbol of Black struggle and resilience. Many of its alumni are revered for their achievements as "Black firsts," such as becoming the first Black judge elected to a state court, first Black congresswoman in the state's delegation, first Black medical doctor at the local hospital, and first Black baseball player for a professional team.…”

(Re)constructing performative anti-racist education courses: from the experiences of Black feminist graduate assistants

“…We educators, storytellers and community activists who are in educational spaces have to be courageous in the face of anti-Black, white-washed classrooms. Before Brown v. Board of Education, the wealth of Black knowledge was apparent and celebrated within educational spaces and communities (Walker, 2013;Baldwin, 1963). Black educators were knowledgeable of their students' histories and families and used pedagogical practices that allowed the genius of students to be at the forefront (Muhammad, 2020;Walker, 2015;Washington, 2000).…”

Advancing a Science of Learning and Development That Can Promote Dignity-Affirming Educational Environments: Some Considerations for the Field

“…The ecological-cultural framework has been strongly criticized by many scholars focused on race and culture. One critique was that the framework's premise was ahistorical, ignoring the historical value of and fight for access to education among African American communities as a response to educational barriers from slavery to the present-a fight that undergirded a strong community value for learning and education as a means of societal mobility (e.g., Anderson, 2010;Perry, 1993;Spencer et al, 2001;Walker, 2013). With regard to methods, scholars noted that the foundational studies supporting the ecological-cultural perspective did not actually assess or document youths' racial identity or cultural beliefs; thus, conclusions linking Black identity and culture with negative achievement values and underachievement were unsupported.…”