The Power and Freedom of Black Feminist and Womanist Pedagogy: Still Woke celebrates and reaffirms the power of Black feminist and womanist pedagogies and practices in university classrooms. Employing autocritography (through personal reflection, research, and critical analysis), the contributors to the volume boldly tell groundbreaking stories of their teaching experiences and their evolving relationships to Black feminist and womanist theory and criticism. From their own unique perspectives, each contributor views teaching as a life-changing collaborative and interactive endeavor with students. Moreover, each of them envisions their pedagogical practice as a strategic vehicle to transport the legacy of struggles for liberating, social justice and transformative change in the U.S. and globally. Firmly grounded in Black feminist and womanist theory and practice, this book honors the herstorical labor of Black women and women of color intellectual activists who have unapologetically held up the banner of freedom in academia.

The Power and Freedom of Black Feminist and Womanist Pedagogy explores diverse perspectives on the liberating power of Black feminist and womanist pedagogical practices. The contributors boldly tell groundbreaking stories of their teaching experiences and their evolving relationships to Black feminist and womanist theory and criticism.

bell hooks—feminist scholar, teacher, activist—implored instructors to see the classroom as a “radical space of possibility” where students and teachers work as partners in the pursuit of education as “collective liberation” from structures of domination. hooks’ call takes on more urgency today, as oppressive and dominant ideologies continue to perpetuate racial, economic, gender, and other social inequities both within the classroom and society at large. Through critical commentary reflections on classroom experiences and original teaching activities, the authors in bell hooks' Engaged Pedagogy for the 21st Century Classroom: Radical Spaces of Possibility provide inspiration for teachers with the will to learn and the courage to teach about intersecting systems of oppression in meaningful, radical ways. The goal of this collection is to carry forth hooks’ legacy of education as freedom and to serve as a guide that renews faith that “teaching to transgress” racist, sexist, and classist systems of oppression is not only possible, but is a first step in transforming the world.

Black Female Perspectives from Predominantly White Institutions: Strategies for Wellbeing in White Spaces and Beyond supports Black women working in predominantly White spaces and further educates their institutions, non-Black counterparts, students, and families in developing an understanding of the challenges and needs of Black women professionals. In the face of world challenges, the authors contend that anti-Blackness continues to be an infectious pandemic that is devastating Black lives around the globe. Black women professionals, who are often at the forefront of racial and gender justice movements at their institutions, have been especially burdened. Such devotion is daunting and often drains the wellbeing of Black women. Institutions frequently ignore the cry of racial battle fatigue that Black employees, and members of communities of color, are experiencing on a large scale. This has become a serious health risk for many Black people, particularly Black women professionals. The authors assert that it is important to use “for us by us” concepts when addressing racial battle fatigue. Therefore, this book is framed using several African descent-centered knowledge systems. It offers strategies to enhance the wellbeing of Black women, such as ancestral wisdom, addressing anti-Blackness, identities and female life cycles, and planting seeds grounded in love. Although the book focuses on Black women, it is encouraged reading for all. It is believed that greater awareness will spark greater change within our society.

For urban middle school Black girls to fit in educational settings and society they must be seen and understood in their unique ways. They must be able to utilize certain literacies that assist with navigating what they say and how they speak, their confidence, expressions, and identities, as Black girls in these settings. In The Influence of Dramatic Arts on Literacies for Black Girls in Middle School, York demonstrates the impact that practicing drama strategies has on foundational, digital, and identity literacies for middle school Black girls. Personal stories of Black girls are shared on how drama strategies help them navigate discrimination, racist and misogynistic slurs, and even support their self confidence and public speaking. The basis of these stories are told through a Black feminist thought lens, which York uses to take readers through surprising drama strategies that Black girls adopt to help them become resilient and confident while embracing themselves fully. Readers will see the benefits of Black girls practicing drama in a safe space guided by a drama teacher that is a Black women who chooses culturally relevant pedagogy for her students.

Teaching the truth about our history to young children is essential in our quest to dismantle racism in the United States. Pre-service teachers must reconceptualize teaching history to young children by teaching the hidden histories of our nation so that young children can challenge their own biases and assumptions created by a white supremacist society. Teaching the Truth: Uncovering the Hidden History of Racism with Young Children counters the recent narrative that African American History should be whitewashed instead centering it in the early childhood curriculum. Topics covered in this book include: the institution of slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow era, The Great Migration, Segregation of schools, Civil Rights and Voting Rights, Police Brutality and Black Lives Matter.

"Excavating Whiteness follows a group of White teachers as they learned about the role of race in education through an intensive summer course. Each teacher's journey is represented in their own words as they worked to understand how White identity is constructed and often misunderstood as a part of teaching"--

This project proposes to look at the emergence of Black theology as a discipline within the academy and how Black theology may serve as a resource for excellence in teaching.

This interdisciplinary anthology sheds light on the frameworks and lived experiences of Black women educators. Contributors for this anthology submitted works from an array of academic disciplines and learning environments, inviting readers to bear witness to black women faculty’s classroom experiences, as well as their pedagogical approaches both inside and outside of the higher education classroom that have fostered transformative teaching-learning environments. Through this multidimensional lens, the editors and contributors view instruction and learning as a political endeavor aimed at changing the way we think about teaching, learning. and praxis.

Winner of the 2015 James M. Britton Award presented by Conference on English Education a constituent organization within the National Council of Teachers of English Carmen Kynard locates literacy in the twenty-first century at the onset of new thematic and disciplinary imperatives brought into effect by Black Freedom Movements. Kynard argues that we must begin to see how a series of vernacular insurrections—protests and new ideologies developed in relation to the work of Black Freedom Movements—have shaped our imaginations, practices, and research of how literacy works in our lives and schools. Utilizing many styles and registers, the book borrows from educational history, critical race theory, first-year writing studies, Africana studies, African American cultural theory, cultural materialism, narrative inquiry, and basic writing scholarship. Connections between social justice, language rights, and new literacies are uncovered from the vantage point of a multiracial, multiethnic Civil Rights Movement.