Last year, the U.S. Department of Education reported: Black educators make up about 9 percent of the teacher workforce, the majority of whom are black women. As much of the recent research has focused on the experiences of educators pre-pandemic, we are seeing Black women across gender, a group that is often studied but often left out of the conversation. We wanted to intentionally foster a space for and learn more about the experiences of Black women in this climate.
The joy of learning, discovering Black literature, and having a role model to relate to are some of the benefits for Black students of having Black teachers. However, in our research on the experiences of this underrepresented group, most Black women we spoke to reported experiencing the opposite in the workplace: indifference, interpersonal racism, and I had experienced discrimination. They also expressed more vague weights of inequality, such as: hidden emotional labor It also fails to protect Black students from inappropriate disciplinary practices and cope with the stress associated with racism and sexism. What they are describing is Systemic inequalities impacting Black teachers.
The 27 Black women we interviewed had a strong sense of self. Most reported that they fully understood how intersectional oppression manifests in their work lives and how it permeates their personal lives. As a result, even the strongest and most self-aware Black women can unconsciously internalize the stress from these frequent encounters, which can affect their professional and personal self-image, mental well-being, and It can have downstream effects on physical health.
Despite the risk of negative consequences for unapologetically attending classes, some study participants said that being a teacher is their calling, their purpose, and their joy. He said that there is. Most notably, this study revealed that for Black women educators, being a teacher is more of an identity than a title.
Utilizing a Black Feminist Framework
As I interacted with the women who graciously agreed to participate in our research project, I noticed sentiments from Black feminist literature echoing throughout our conversations.
Although no one specifically cited bell hooks or Patricia Hill Collins, several participants described their teaching style as: revolutionary feminist pedagogy It is characterized by a sense of thorough care for its students.
Their story reminds me of what Patricia Hill Collins puts it:Other mothers”, the phenomenon of Black women sharing the responsibility of mothering by protecting and nurturing Black children within their communities is often done substantively and without expectation of anything tangible in return. Masu.
Whether it’s inviting a student in need of listening to lunch in the principal’s office or simply recognizing a student’s love language, participants will share their beautiful experiences as teachers, role models, and other mothers to their students. We shared many pictures. In this way, radical care became a larger framework that influenced the practices of Black women educators and the themes expressed by participants in this study.
This shared sense of responsibility to model authenticity, perfection, and expression of Blackness for Black students is a familiar sentiment, but I think it’s important to understand how they show up and occupy spaces. I noticed some clear gender differences in expectations.
This article, and the rest of this series on the experiences of Black women educators, will delve deeper into the intersecting complexities that many participants mentioned. While participants discussed the stresses of systemic and interpersonal discrimination and oppression, these spaces demonstrated the potential healing effects of connecting, especially through affinity groups. COVID-19 pandemic isolation.
Community-based collaborative research project
When we began this research study, our goal was to center the voices of our participants and the often-untold stories about the experiences and impact of Black educators. In fact, throughout this series, participants will tell their own stories.This concept is called Community-based participatory research (CBPR).
The premise of this research method is that researchers step back and approach research with collaboration in mind.In this way, we choose to formulate our research results as and Black women educators instead of doing research. upon Black women educators. We recognize that our participants are experts in their own lives and professions.
By conducting this study in parallel with Black women, this research will explore the impact of leaving the teaching profession, educator well-being, and ultimately why so many Black women enter the educational field despite these symptoms. We hope to be able to contextualize the harsh data on who will stay. Preventing racism, sexism, and systemic intersectional discrimination in the workplace.
To support these issues and the realization of this research project, we have partnered with the following institutions: Abolitionist Education Network Recruit a diverse group of Black women educators. Within 24 hours, 300 educators expressed interest in participating and met study criteria. Of the black women who met the criteria, 27 participated in the study.
Our participants are educators from all over the United States, with tenures in education settings and elite schools ranging from three years to more than 30 years. The majority of participants have been in the industry for over 15 years. Most teach in public schools, but some find teaching opportunities in charter schools, freedom schools, and independent schools. Some have established their own schools, while others have moved on to higher education.
EdSurge Research often holds what we call. teaching and learning circle You can openly discuss concerns, challenges, and successes with educators. This exploratory study will be used to examine how African-Americans and African-Americans We wanted to jointly create a space where female educators could interact. Let’s support each other and find out more about how they are doing with so much turmoil going on at school.
We held four 90-minute sessions with 6 to 10 participants in each session. The educator was a black woman. We will talk about that instructor in the next article. We transcribed the group sessions and analyzed the data using a method called . Thematic recursion analysis. This article presents some of the quotes from the participants.
These intimate virtual teacher lounges have created a judgment-free environment where educators can feel heard and connect with other educators near and far. Some participants said having the opportunity to connect with other Black women educators felt like a hug from a sister they never knew they needed.
In the remainder of this article, we discuss some of the key themes we noticed through our time with these educators, and some that you can expect to hear from participant co-authors in a future article series on Edsurge Research. A brief explanation of the topic.
Why Black Women Teach
A consistent feedback from participants was the joy they felt in teaching. Some had wanted to become teachers since their adolescence, others had taken a less linear path, but almost all participants wanted to become teachers through the exchange of knowledge, wisdom and guidance. I openly expressed that I feel like teaching is my calling. For one veteran public school teacher in Georgia in particular, the calling to become a teacher began in middle school.
“When I talk about myself, I think I often talk about teaching, because it’s such a big part of me. Because I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was in seventh grade. .”
While some lived up to generational expectations for education, others felt a responsibility to reach out to teach younger generations, especially after reflecting on the positive impact Black teachers had on them. This was the case for a new public school teacher who had been in the field for less than five years. Even though her grandfather had no formal education, he always emphasized the importance of her education.
“I remember my grandfather always telling me that the only thing that can’t be taken away from you is what’s in your head. …So, although he himself wasn’t educated, he had a lot of He read books and made sure his children had the opportunity if they wanted to go to college. He was always talking to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren about education.”
Why Black Women Stay
Most of the participants taught in schools with large numbers of Black students, and several participants expressed an intentional decision to teach in predominantly Black schools. They describe the sense of responsibility they have for their students due to their shared identity and the wisdom they have gained from overcoming obstacles related to racism and sexism. They feel they can help students when they inevitably run into similar problems. One of the participants, a 15-year veteran and principal of Freedom Micro School in Georgia, believes it is his responsibility to fight for Black students and families in the classroom.
“I belong to a long tradition of educators, but I’m also a beneficiary of the fight to get Black women and Black people into the classroom. When I come to work, I make sure to talk to Black parents, Black families, and Black children. Be respectful and say, “I’m here because of your advocacy, and I’m here because of your advocacy, so I have a responsibility.” ”
Multiple participants shared similar stories about personal challenges. One participant shared her experience of how the invisible toll of emotional labor manifests itself over time.
“Students want to feel loved and to see their talents nurtured by people who love, protect and understand them. And that’s what I feel called to do. … That work comes at a price, especially when we give too much and don’t take care of ourselves.”
Although their work may be energy-draining, their intense care for students and the blending of professional and personal identities inspires a sense of responsibility for playing multiple roles in students’ lives.
where do we go from here
Most participants agreed that their work is woven into who they are. Many describe education and upbringing as intergenerational family values. Some grew up with this memory in mind, while others found their roots in the profession later in life. Regardless of when or how they discovered their love for teaching, several participants expressed a spirit of thorough care that firmly anchors their students in this profession.
What we learned from this group of Black women educators is that they model tenacity, are passionate about personal growth, and that their sense of shared responsibility is rooted in civil rights and educational justice work. is. They engage in fundamental care for students and balance fundamental care for students, their families, and themselves.
In the rest of this series, we hear from two participants in the research project and the facilitators of each session. You can expect to delve deeper into the following topics that came up during group discussions with participants:
- How trauma-informed leadership can disrupt systemic exclusion.
- Navigating black, queer, and gender-expanding identities.and
- How identity-based affinity groups can help serve as spaces of recovery and healing, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our hope by the end of this series is to have a deeper understanding of the experiences drawn from these discussions in order to improve the workplace retention and preparation of Black women teachers.
