Reflecting on racism: School involvement and perceived teacher discrimination in African American mothers

Black Mothers' Perceptions of the Role of Race in Children's Education

“…For example, Judy, who believed race would play a big role, described her plan to prevent race from playing a negative role in her child's schooling: “Well as long as I stay kind of in their face and let them know that I am an involved parent, they can't slight my child for whatever preconceived notions they have.” These mothers saw themselves as liaisons between their children and the school system, instrumental in preventing race from affecting their children's education and protecting their children in case race did become an issue. Rowley et al () called this type of parent involvement vigilant parenting . This stance may cause Black parents to have more conflicted communication with teachers (Diamond & Gomez, ).…”

“…Studies on parent–teacher relations and school involvement among Black parents note that parents' perceptions of the quality, reputation, and climate of their child's school have consequences for determining positive parent–teacher relationships and frequency of school involvement behaviors (e.g., Diamond & Gomez, ). Studies also note that teachers believe that Black parents are less engaged in the school environment than parents of other races and interact in more hostile ways (Lareau & Horvat, ; Rowley, Helaire, & Banerjee, ; Wong & Hughes, ). For example, Wong and Hughes () found that, although Black parents reported the highest communication levels when compared with Hispanic and White families, teachers reported Black parents as least involved and least likely to have a positive alliance with teachers.…”

Integrating Race, Racism, and Critical Consciousness in Black Parents' Engagement With Schools

“…These perceptions may also be informed by parents' own experiences when they were students themselves or transfer from their experiences with other institutions. For example, research has found a connection between Black mothers' memories of racial discrimination in their own schooling and their subsequent level of involvement in their children's school (Cooper, , ; Rowley, Helaire, & Banerjee, ). Conversely, it is possible that mothers who remembered their own teachers negatively and felt less comfortable with their child's teacher viewed their involvement as an important way to protect their children.…”

Racial and Gender Discrimination, Early Life Factors, and Chronic Physical Health Conditions in Midlife

“…Consistent with the theory of stress proliferation that a single stressor can lead to secondary stressors (Pearlin, Schieman, Fazio, & Meersman, 2005), Gee and colleagues propose that discrimination experiences can similarly accumulate across the life course, and illustrate this process using the following example: unfair conviction of a felony resulting from racial profiling may lead to difficulties in securing social goods (e.g., housing, student loans, employment) (Gee et al, 2012). As primary caregivers to children, women’s experiences of discrimination also impact their offspring development, further warranting a life course approach to addressing perceived discrimination (Rowley, Helaire, & Banerjee, 2010). …”