The Legitimate Knowledges of Black Women Teachers Enacting Activist Literacies
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Syracuse University SURFACE Dissertations - ALL SURFACE May 2017 TEACHING IS A REVOLUTIONARY ACT: THE LEGITIMATE KNOWLEDGES OF BLACK WOMEN TEACHERS ENACTING ACTIVIST LITERACIES Reba Y. Hodge Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/etd Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Hodge, Reba Y., "TEACHING IS A REVOLUTIONARY ACT: THE LEGITIMATE KNOWLEDGES OF BLACK WOMEN TEACHERS ENACTING ACTIVIST LITERACIES" (2017). Dissertations - ALL. 672. https://surface.syr.edu/etd/672 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the SURFACE at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations - ALL by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract This dissertation explores the experiences and knowledge of six classroom teachers who engaged in teaching practices that sought to transform the educational experiences of students in urban public schools. The study examined the educators’ life histories and experiences in traditional teacher preparation programs. The goal of this research was to investigate the way teachers’ life histories, including early educational experiences in K-12 schooling and teacher preparation within traditional and historically white institutions, inform their approaches to teaching and enacting activist literacies. For the purpose of this study, I define activist literacies as thinking, understanding, and acting with deliberate intention. Framed by existing theories on black feminist thought, intersectionality, and critical race theory, as well as by research on teacher preparation programs and social justice education, this study employs qualitative data collection methods that include written narratives and interviews. An additional layer of data was obtained through an autoethnographic approach. Data drawn from in-depth interviews and reviews of participants’ submitted narratives were analyzed to present illustrations of the various ways in which teachers are activists. In examining both individual narratives and interview transcripts, this study found themes related to marginalization and isolation. This study helps the field think critically about how to cultivate and support teachers to engage in social justice work that seeks to disrupt patterns of privilege and oppression while simultaneously advancing a new teacher preparation model grounded and informed by the historical legacy of Black women educators and their current work in classrooms, schools and communities. TEACHING IS A REVOLUTIONARY ACT: THE LEGITIMATE KNOWLEDGES OF BLACK WOMEN TEACHERS ENACTING ACTIVIST LITERACIES By Reba Y. Hodge B.S., Syracuse University, 2001 M.S., City College of New York, 2005 M.S., City College of New York, 2009 Dissertation Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching and Curriculum Syracuse University May 2017 Copyright © 2017 Reba Y. Hodge All Rights Reserved Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to the Black women teachers who assisted me along this journey. It is their tireless dedication to the children for whom they serve that continues to inspire me. To the many young people, families, and communities who continue to motivate me to lift up my voice in the struggle for justice. To my family, for without them, who would I be? You all have nurtured me and watched me grow. You have grounded me even as I swayed in the wind. Thank you for imagining the possibilities in me. Acknowledgements The completion of this dissertation has only been possible because of the love and support and encouragement I received from so many along the way. There have been a number of individuals who held me in their hearts and prayers as I aimed to complete the writing of the dissertation and my doctoral degree. For the Black women teachers who participated in this study, your wisdom, intellect, grace, and service to our young people are a testament to those who came before you, and for those whose shoulders you stand on. The experiences and gems of knowledge that you shared with me demonstrated just how much your stories need to be told and valued (they are). Our hours together talking, laughing and remembering the love we have for teaching was truly motivational. Without the time you dedicated to this work, this work would not be possible. I am ever grateful for my peers. My circle of supportive and encouraging peers truly made completing this dissertation possible. This dissertation would not be possible were it not for these Black scholars, the Radikal Birds, in no specific order (don’t come for me!) Talina Jones, Brandi Williams, Nikeeta Slade and Ernest No Relation who pushed me through as the tears fell and the doubt visited. Thank you for talking me through the difficult and challenging periods and celebrating and affirming me through the happier times. We worked and worked even when our spirits and bodies were tired. We wrote even when we were in pain and we were in pain a lot! But we continued to write because we wanted to be free. I am indebted to the folks at Syracuse University who challenged me in many ways. All of you awakened in me a just beneath the surface desire to learn more, to think more, to always ask the other question. To my advisor, Marcelle Haddix, who played many roles along my dissertation journey. You are my mentor, my friend, my sister scholar, my tear wiper, and so iv much more. You kept me centered (Zen G) and reflective. Through our collaborative work in Dark Girls, you inspired me to be the community-engaged scholar that I have become. Thank you for sharing your human resources with me and not holding them in a bottle far out of reach. You helped me to be stronger as those resources poured into me. You were my inspiration. I would also like to thank George Theoharis, who has been a constant source of support throughout my doctoral program and as a committee member in this work. George, thank you for providing me with the opportunities to not only be influenced but to be influential as I pursued this work. You challenged me to think deeper and to trust my voice. To Barbara Applebaum, for your critical eye and commitment to my process, thank you. My early classes with you in the doctoral program were integral in my trajectory. You introduced me to writers that I should have known long before I entered your classes. Those comments you wrote on my papers always challenging me to write more have come in handy. To Kathy Hinchman and Mara Sapon-Shevin you both have seen me come full circle, from my time as a teenager in your undergraduate classes to presenting to your graduate classes and co teaching as a graduate student, I am truly thankful to have had the learning and teaching experiences that you cultivated during my time in the School of Education. Kelly Chandler-Olcott, you set the bar for all of my graduate assistantship experiences. You demonstrated to me the thoughtfulness and preparedness of a truly wonderful and expert professor. Thank you for making my arrival to Syracuse a positive one through your welcoming and open doors. Tom Bull, thank you for the opportunity to work closely with our preservice teachers and for our many conversations. I’ve enjoyed our teaching time together. In addition to these faculty members, I would also like to thank my friends and colleagues I have met at Syracuse University—Tess Dussling (my first friend) who helped me v get through dreaded statistics and encouraged and motivated me, Carrie Rood, you are always so generous with your time and resources, Mai Dube, and Michelle Mondo—thank you for always ensuring I was registered for classes and to the professors and instructors—thank you for the many opportunities for knowledge sharing, support, inspiration, and collaboration that you offered and continue to provide. Thank you to my family and friends from the island of St. Thomas to the concrete jungle of Bronx, New York. To my brother, Robert and sister, Amber-Nicole the bookends to my academy life, Robert you set the example and Amber I am just happy to be finishing before you. To my mother Lorraine and brother, Earl, you do not belong to the academy and for that I love you. You remind me each and every day just by your presence and your knowledge the importance of remembering and centering people and experiences. I am so blessed to have you in my life. To my niece, Lorienne and nephews, Xavier and Seth- I do this work for you, so that you may have wonderfully rich educative experiences. To my god children, Garrett, Serenity, and Triston your mothers, Asia, Angela, and Tamara have entrusted me with your care. I do this work for you because your care cannot be separated from your education. To my sisters, Alicia, Angela, Kirsten, Phillisha, Shirell and Samantha, you all breathed life into me when I thought I was suffocating in this process. To Patty, this journey would have been so much more difficult without your continued presence and support. You reminded me of the significance of my presence. You would not let me forget that I was doing this for me but I was also doing it for all of you too. This is perhaps the most important reminder that I could have. To the women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Kappa Lambda Chapter, you made me well! To all of my students, past and present, without you and my work as a classroom teacher, my work would not be nearly as informed and grounded in experience as it should be and consequently is. vi To Tammy, thank you so much for your unwavering support throughout this journey, for keeping me in all ways! vii Table of Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................