BLACK TEACHERS' COLLECTIVE WISDOM AS SOCIAL JUSTICE PEDAGOGY: a BLACK FEMINIST NARRATIVE ANALYSIS Principal Investigator: JACQUELINE BOONE, PH.D
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Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations Teaching & Learning Summer 8-2020 Black Teachers’ Collective Wisdom as Social Justice Pedagogy: A Black Feminist Narrative Analysis Jacqueline Cora Boone Old Dominion University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/teachinglearning_etds Part of the African American Studies Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Early Childhood Education Commons, and the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons Recommended Citation Boone, Jacqueline C.. "Black Teachers’ Collective Wisdom as Social Justice Pedagogy: A Black Feminist Narrative Analysis" (2020). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Dissertation, Teaching & Learning, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/3jps-js74 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/teachinglearning_etds/65 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Teaching & Learning at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BLACK TEACHERS’ COLLECTIVE WISDOM AS SOCIAL JUSTICE PEDAGOGY: A BLACK FEMINIST NARRATIVE ANALYSIS by Jacqueline Cora Boone B.A. May 1994, Norfolk State University M.A. 1999, Norfolk State University M.Div. 2005, Virginia Union University A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION/EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY August 2020 Approved by: Kristine Sunday (Director) Angela Eckhoff (Member) Felecia Commodore (Member) ABSTRACT BLACK TEACHERS’ COLLECTIVE WISDOM AS SOCIAL JUSTICE PEDAGOGY: A BLACK FEMINIST NARRATIVE ANALYSIS Jacqueline C. Boone Old Dominion University, 2020 Director: Dr. Kristine Sunday In this age, 21st century, where social issues surrounding race and gender are impassioned and escalating, black feminists and Black Feminist Theory are leading the charge in bringing salience through activism and engagement. Doing post structural qualitative research aims to dismantle a myth of scientific knowledge that emphasizes triangulation and transferability of research with the use of multiple representations of experience. This research investigates critical issues in qualitative research, specifically the ontological challenge that researchers commonly encountered in depicting experience and social reality. The turn to experience and lived stories has expanded the modes of qualitative research by hearing marginalized voices, and thus increasing cultural awareness. It articulates understandings and assumptions of post-structuralism and explores how it empowers black female preschool teachers without voice and produces different knowledge than that undertaken by positivist approaches. Using a position within the early childhood education realm, Black female early childhood educators possess a platform to bring consciousness of their misplaced and/or ignored presence within the field. The tenets of Black Feminist Thought as a philosophical and ideological framework brings visibility to Black female early childhood educators and marshals their voice from the sidelines of social justice issues to the forefront. Furthermore, the concept of intersectionality conveys how oppressions, such as race and gender or sexuality and nation, work together in producing injustice. This research using narrative inquiry examines the efforts of valuing Black women in early childhood education as collective wisdom, essentially Black female early childhood educators’ collective. The narrative inquiry releases notions of subjectivity, agency, and the constructive nature of discourse. As poststructuralist inquiries Black Feminist Thought and narrative inquiry both converge to gain some understanding of ways we have come to perceive and accept knowledge; to question the legitimacy of these understandings of knowledge; and brings previously marginalized discourse to the forefront. Black Feminist Thought as a poststructuralist inquiry opens up the possibility of change by bringing an ontological dimension to understanding how Black female teachers identify race, which then shapes what they think and do in the classroom. Keywords: Black Feminist Thought, narrative inquiry, early childhood education, social justice, collective wisdom, mothering, and activism iii Copyright, 2020, by Jacqueline C. Boone, All Rights Reserved. iv This is work is dedicated to the pioneers and trailblazers who have paved the way before me. I am crossing bridges I did not construct with a desire to construct bridges for future visionaries to tread. My Teachers Taft R. Boone (grandfather) Herman & Elsie White (grandparents) James Henry “Check” Brooks (grandfather) Joseph “Daddy Joe” & Elizabeth “Duckie” Brooks (great-grandparents) Joseph R. Brooks, Jr. (great-uncle) Lillian B. Everett (great-grandmother) Elnora Everett (great great-grandmother) Vivian Dianne Boone (aunt) My Mentors Ailene H. Williams Elsie R. Campbell Dorothy Askew Sallie M. Webb Lizzie Johnson Dorothy Gardner And finally, the woman who I think about every day of my life, Cora Emma Buffaloe Boone. Thank you, Grandma, for your grace and wisdom. I have never encountered such humility and strength. Though your traditional schooling was limited, your impartation extended far beyond any school walls! ‘Til we meet again, shalom. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work would not have been possible without the academic and professional support of the faculty and staff of the College of Education at Old Dominion University. I am especially indebted to Dr. Kristine Sunday, assistant professor in the Early Childhood department, who has been supportive of my career goals and who worked actively to provide me with the “space” and academic freedom explore this area of research. As my teacher and adviser, she has exemplified more than I could ever give her credit for here. She has demonstrated, by her example what an authentic researcher (and person) should be. I am grateful to the members of my Dissertation Committee, Dr. Kristine Sunday – chairperson; Dr. Angela Eckhoff, member and associate professor in the Early Childhood program at Old Dominion University, and Dr. Felecia Commodore, member and assistant professor in the Educational Foundations and Leadership department at Old Dominion University. Each of the members has provided me extensive personal and professional guidance and mentored me throughout the dissertation process. With inspiration from my Creator, the Giver of, “Every good and prefect gift...,” (James 1:17) I was called to do this work; thank you God. The Boone clan, you all rock! I thank my parents, Thomas and Elsie Boone, whose love and support are with me in whatever I pursue. They are the ultimate role models and have made invaluable sacrifices. My brother, Jeffrey and sister, Tootie, my sincerest appreciation to you both. And to all my friends you all have been encouraging, patient, and kind – Pastor William L. Davis, Jr. & Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, June Lightfoot, & Ellis Temple, the Shall Be Girls (Michelle, Rochelle, and Tara), the Whittaker/Askew/Simmons families, Uncle Lawrence, and the Norfolk State University – School of Education, and my mentor, Dr. Leon Rouson. Most importantly, I wish to thank my incredibly gifted son, Chris, who provides unending inspiration. Differently able, he’s my rock. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... ix Chapter INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 Black Women as Sources of Knowledge in Early Childhood Education and Care. .................. 5 Collective Wisdom as a Tenet of Black Feminist Thought ........................................................ 7 Aims ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Structure of the Dissertation ..................................................................................................... 13 BLACK PRESPECTIVES IN EARLY CHILHOOD EDUCATION .......................................... 18 Social Justice ............................................................................................................................ 18 Black Feminist Thought (BFT) ................................................................................................ 40 Oral Tradition and Narrative Inquiry ........................................................................................ 59 Narrative Inquiry ...................................................................................................................... 65 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 71 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................. 74 Research Design ....................................................................................................................... 75 Study Population ......................................................................................................................