SPARKING COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS: EXPLORING THE RACIAL-JUSTICE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESSES OF TEACHERS FOR PREDOMINANTLY WHITE MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENTS by Sonja Cherry-Paul Dissertation Committee: Professor Lucy Calkins, Sponsor Professor Lalitha Vasudevan Approved by the Committee on the Degree of Doctor of Education Date 22 May 2019 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Teachers College, Columbia University 2019 ABSTRACT SPARKING COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS: EXPLORING THE RACIAL-JUSTICE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESSES OF TEACHERS FOR PREDOMINANTLY WHITE MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENTS Sonja Cherry-Paul Drawing on practitioner-research and case study methods, including interview protocols, this study aimed to explore the insights and experiences, as described by four teachers, of developing and teaching racial-justice curriculum for predominantly White 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in their course: Sparking Courageous Conversations: Discussing Race and Racism. This study was framed in critical literacy theories that are grounded in the work of Freire (2000) but draw on the work of contemporary critical scholars and practitioners with the knowledge that critical literacy pedagogy can provide a powerful means for interrogating how larger structures, texts, individuals, and groups are constructed. Data collection took place in four phases across three months. Primary data sources included analysis of: curriculum and emerging curricular artifacts, in-depth interviews, surveys, teacher journals, researcher journal, and memos. The findings of this study emerged from the curriculum development that occurred the summer prior to the 2017-2018 academic school year as well as the teaching that occurred that year. The reflections of each of the teachers about their development and teaching of the racial-justice curriculum demonstrated the breakthroughs and boundaries of teaching about race and racism with predominantly White middle-school students. Further, their reflections illustrated the ongoing, internal work required to facilitate conversations about race with students more effectively. Such work included monitoring for how race affected their lives as well as the lives of others, and how race as one of their identities affected the ways in which they developed and taught curriculum. Finally, the teachers discovered that facilitating courses on race required moving from a content-based approach to a consciousness-based approach where they each, alongside of their students, assumed a researching-the-world stance to learn about race and confront and challenge racism. © Copyright Sonja Cherry-Paul 2019 All Rights Reserved ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you is the best prayer anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility and understanding. – Alice Walker The journey of this dissertation has been filled with remarkable, inspiring individuals who were constant beams of light along the way. I will be forever grateful to all of the people whose wisdom, grace, and generosity have left an indelible imprint upon me and this work. I am eternally grateful to be grounded by the love and support of my family and friends. Frank, you are the sun, my compass. If I am strong, it is because of the restorative power of your love. Imani, you are the light. The whole world brightens at the sound of your voice. I could not have accomplished this work without both of your support. To my parents, Edward and Mary, who have sacrificed so much on my behalf, I hope that I’ve made you proud. I am blessed to have a wonderful brother, Eddie, my very first friend, who always looks out for me even now. Jason, Nikki, Ella, and Nina, thank you for reminding me to surface for air and for the energy and love you envelop me in. I am deeply grateful to Lucy Calkins, my sponsor. You have been a steady beam of light. More than once, and in various contexts, you’ve helped me to find my way. I so appreciate your support and encouragement, and the big push you’ve given me all throughout this journey. It is my great fortune to learn from and alongside you. Lalitha Vasudevan, my second reader, thank you for being a profound listener. You always manage to hear what I sometimes struggle to say. Your keen eyes, ears, and encouraging words make me feel like I can conquer anything. Tom Hatch, thank you for being my iii third reader and advisor for all these years. Your steadiness and insight have brought me far. Lucy, Lalitha, and Tom, you are my mentors, and I admire you and your work more than I can express. Thank you to my brilliant friends and study partners, Tara Lencl, Dana Johansen, and Dr. Joanne Marciano-Watson. I am incredibly moved by and grateful for the teachers of this study: Erin, Jamie, and Reid. Your talent, passion, and commitment to teaching are unparalleled. It has been my great privilege to share your wisdom and provide a glimpse into your pratice. You will undoubtedly influence educators in myriad ways. S. C-P. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I – INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 Prologue .............................................................................................................. 1 Situating Race in Curriculum and Teaching ....................................................... 5 Background of the Problem ................................................................................. 7 Silencing of Race .................................................................................... 8 Social Justice for Whom? ........................................................................ 9 President Trump and Race ...................................................................... 11 Purpose of Schools .................................................................................. 12 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................... 13 Rationale for the Study ........................................................................................ 14 Statement of the Purpose ..................................................................................... 15 Research Questions ............................................................................................. 15 Significance of the Study .................................................................................... 16 Chapter II – LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................... 17 Section I: What Is Critical Literacy? ................................................................... 19 Situating Critical Literacy Historically ................................................... 19 Defining Critical Literacy ....................................................................... 20 Section II: Critical Literacy Pedagogy and Research .......................................... 22 Understanding Multiple Perspectives ...................................................... 23 Summary ........................................................................................ 26 Construction of Identities ........................................................................ 26 Summary ........................................................................................ 30 Reading Skills and Stances that Promote Critical Literacy ..................... 30 Summary ........................................................................................ 33 Representation, Resistance, Access ........................................................ 33 Summary ........................................................................................ 36 Summary of K-12 Critical Literacy Practices ......................................... 36 Section III: Teaching About Race and Racism ................................................... 37 Using Children’s Literature as Sparks for Conversation ........................ 40 Summary ........................................................................................ 44 Resistance to Conversations About Race ................................................ 46 Summary ........................................................................................ 51 Summary of Teaching About Race and Racism in K-12 Schooling ....... 52 Section IV: Critical Literacy and Teaching About Race and Racism ................. 52 Section V: Critical Literacy and Racial Literacy Practice .................................. 53 Consciousness-Raising ............................................................................ 54 Power ....................................................................................................... 55 Dialogue .................................................................................................. 57 Social Action ........................................................................................... 58 Summary ................................................................................................. 59 Summary of Literature Review ........................................................................... 59 v Chapter III – METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 61 Overview of the Research Design ....................................................................... 62 Data Collection .......................................................................................