Not Your Average Brotha: Examining the Educational Lives, Literacies and Masculinities of Black Males Crystal Belle Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Columbia University 2015 © 2015 Crystal Belle All rights reserved Abstract Not Your Average Brotha: Examining the Educational Lives, Literacies and Masculinities of Black Males Crystal Belle Current educational research shows that Black males are underperforming in urban high schools across the nation (Noguera, 2009). Typically over-disciplined and underserved, the schooling experiences of Black young men continue to be highlighted by violence, machismo and high drop out rates. There has been a push by scholars to reframe the dialogue and pedagogical strategies for Black boys in order to transform teaching and learning (Morton & Toldson, 2012). However, little research has been conducted on how adult Black men remember their high school experiences. Using a Critical Race Theory epistemology that draws upon sociocultural conceptions of literacy and poetry as research, this dissertation explored how former Black male students aged 20-30 remembered their secondary schooling experiences and how their respective literacies (New London Group, 1996) impacted their perceptions of Black masculinities and education. Through the qualitative method of portraiture, visual images of four participants were constructed through poetry, journal entries and recorded face-to-face conversations. Because “understandings of Black men and boys are scripted and made legible in the United States within the context of the lowest expectations” (Neal, 2012), the ongoing conversations with the men were meant to explore that stereotypical representation while recreating perceptions of who Black men are in a multifaceted way. It is critical to look at how the secondary classroom is remembered and how it may impact an individual’s conception of self and life outcomes. Considering Toni Morrison’s rememory (1987), which refers to the ability of an individual to both remember as well as reconstruct the past, the men were asked to recall their experiences in New York City public schools over the course of a four-month period. The study addresses these questions specifically: 1) How does a select group of men who identify as Black, (re)member the secondary English classroom? 2) What do these (re)memberings indicate about their interpretations of their respective literacies, teaching/learning and their lives? 3) What are the participants’ perceptions of what counts as literacy? 4) How do they critique (if at all) their public educational experiences and how does this impact their understandings of their own masculinities? Some key findings as a result of the research questions include: 1) Black male literacies are not honored in New York City Public high schools 2) Black masculinities are a constant threat in schools and urban communities 3) Black men have collective racialized memories about experiences in NYC public schools and 4) English educators often avoid discussions of race in their students’ lives. These key findings reveal that the intersections between race, masculinities and literacies play a pivotal role in English education while challenging some of the current research in the field and can have transformative implications for researchers, policy makers and practitioners as reflected throughout the data and analysis. Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables………………………………………………………………… iv Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………........v Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………...vi Chapter 1: Poetic Introduction…………………………………………………………….1 Academic Introduction …………………………………………………………….2 Statement of the Problem ……………………………………………………………3 Explanation of Dissertation Study …………………………………………………..4 Rationale and Significance………………………………………………………......5 Purpose ……………………………………………………………………………...7 Why Literacy? ………………………………………………………………………8 Inspiration for the Work …………………………………………………………...10 Poetic Pause: The Fear of the Black Rose(s) ……………………………………14 Wo(MAN) ……………………………………………………………………….....16 Goals for the Work …………………………………………………………………19 Assumptions ………………………………………………………………………..19 Research Questions ………………………………………………………………....21 Dissertation Overview ……………………………………………………………...22 Chapter 2: Review of Literature………………………………………………………….23 Masculinity Studies ………………………………………………………………...23 Black Masculinities …………………………………………………………….......29 Literacies in the African American Community……………………………………40 i Literacy As Power……………………………………………………………………..44 What Does the Classroom Gotta Do With It?…………………………………………53 The Intersections Between Black Masculinities and Literacies …………………........60 Chapter 3: Theoretical/Conceptual Framework & Methodology ………………………...69 Meeting Portraiture for the First time ………………………………………………....77 Why Portraiture ………………………………………………………………………..80 Research Design ………………………………………………………………….........82 Poetic Pause II: Critical Assumptions …………………………………………........88 Poetry As Research ………………………………………………………………........89 Poetic Pause III: Research Borders ……………………………………………........91 Chapter 4: Data Analysis: Black Men Matter ……………………………………………...92 Data Analysis Approach ………………………………………………………………93 Black Lives Matter ………………………………………………………….................95 Data Sketches ………………………………………………………………………….96 Participant Responses to Poem ………………………………………………….........100 Constructed Conversations ……………………………………………………….......109 Participant Memories of the Secondary English Classroom ……………………........112 Participant Reflections On Literacies …………………………………………….......121 Participant Perceptions of Black Masculinities …………………………………........126 Participant Memories Aligned with CRT …………………………………………….136 Data Analysis Overview ………………………………………………………….......143 In Their Words Only ………………………………………………………………….145 Chapter 5: Poetry As Data ……………...…………………………………………………..149 ii Pre Poetic Portraits..……………………………………………………………….....150 Kwame ………………………………………………………………………………150 Malcolm …………………………………………………………………………......151 Lamar ………………………………………………………………………………..152 Justice ……………………………………………………………………………….153 Portraitist Response to Pre Poetic Portraits…….…………………………………....153 Post Poetic Portraits…………….. …………………………………………………..156 Kwame ……………………………………………………………………................156 Malcolm ……………………………………………………………………………..157 Lamar ………………………………………………………………………………..158 Justice ……………………………………………………………………………......159 Portraitist Response to Post Poetic Portraits…………………………………………160 Academic Footprints ……………………………………………………………….163 Chapter 6: Significance and Implications ………………………………………………...165 Summary of Findings ………………………………………………………..............166 Conclusions …………………………………………………………………..............170 Limitations of Study ………………………………………………………………….174 Implications …………………………………………………………………..............176 Recommendations ………………………………………………………………........177 Final Reflections ……………………………………………………………...............179 Poetic Epilogue ………………………………………………………………………183 References ……………………………………………………………………………………185 Appendices …………………………………………………………………………………...199 iii List of Figures & Tables Research Matrix ………………………………………………………………………...83 Anticipatory Template ……………………………………………………….................88 Data Summary Chart …………………………………………………………………..110 Participant High School Information Chart …………………………………...............111 iv Acknowledgements This dissertation has been in my heart for a long time. In many ways, this work is a testament to every student and educator that pushed me to think about radical ways to make teaching and learning fair and equitable for all students, especially those that are often overlooked and treated as invisible. I am grateful for my advisor, Ernest Morrell, who provided a space for me to share my poetry and my scholarship at the Institute for Urban and Minority Education (IUME). This institute is one of the most magical memories of my doctoral journey and I am grateful for all of the opportunities afforded to me as a result of your leadership and direction. In the same vein, I also want to thank Veronica Holly, the Assistant Director of IUME, for all of your guidance, support and love on the cloudiest of days. I also want to thank the participants of my research study. To say that I learned so much from each of you would be an understatement. Thank for you letting me in and for being open to my constant questions and wonderings. Thank you for trusting me with your words and your experiences. This work is a testament to your powerful stories. I want to especially thank my colleague, friend and sista, Eve Eure. Thank you for the phone calls, the text messages, the emails and the unconditional support of me throughout the highs and lows of this journey. You have been an advocate for my work from day one and I look forward to continuing our work together as educators and scholars. Last but not least, I would like to thank the rest of my committee, Janet Miller, Christopher Emdin, Michael Wilson and Rachel Adams, for believing in this work and encouraging me to think of my research from multiple perspectives. Each of you has pushed my scholarship and I respect your insight. v Dedication This work is dedicated to my family that kept me whole throughout this journey. My husband Nana, you are my rock, my partner and my best friend. Thank you for giving me the space to write. My daughter Zena, you made this journey so much more important to me. And my unborn son Kenzo, you are the best dissertation