Painting the Experience of Black Elementary School Teachers: A Portraiture Perspective Case Study

Abstract

This case study uses a conceptual framework that pieces together Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and Black Feminist Theory to elevate the voices of Black elementary school teachers allowing for their lived experiences to be seen through a portraiture perspective. The words of the participants have been woven together to create art/poetry that depicts what it means to be a Black educator presented through their individual perspectives. Eight themes were uncovered that act as unifying ties connecting the lived truths of each educator to one another. Through sharing the lived stories of these individuals this study aims to shine light on what it means to be a Black educator moving through a predominantly White working environment. This study stands as a platform to assist with uplifting the voices of the participants and vitalizing the voices of Black female educators giving them a seat at the table so they can be heard.

Keywords

Black educator portraiture case study critical race theory Black Feminist Thought

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Carver-Thomas

Darling-Hammond

(2017). Why Black women teachers leave and what can be done about it. In Fariende-Wu

Allen-Handy

Lewis

C. W.

(Eds.), Black female teachers: Diversifying the United States’ teacher workforce (Vol. 6, pp. 159–184). Emerald Publishing Limited. Bingley. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2051-231720170000006009

Collins

P. H.

(1986). Learning from the outsider within: The sociological significance of Black feminist thought. Social Problems, 33(6), 14–32.

Collins

P. H.

(2000). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness and the politics of empowerment (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Collins

P. H.

(2015). Intersectionality’s definitional dilemmas. Annual Review of Sociology, 41(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-073014-112142

Crawley

(2006). Diversity and the marginalisation of Black women’s issues. Policy Futures in Education, 4(2), 172–184. https://doi.org/10.2304/pfie.2006.4.2.172

Dahlberg

(2006). The essence of essences – the search for meaning structures in phenomenological analysis of lifeworld phenomena. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 1(1), 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482620500478405

Duncan

K. E.

(2020). ‘That’s my job’: Black teachers’ perspectives on helping black students navigate white supremacy. Race Ethnicity and Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2020.1798377

Farinde

A. A.

Allen

Lewis

C. W.

(2016). Retaining black teachers: An examination of black female teachers’ intentions to remain in K-12 Classrooms. Equity & Excellence in Education, 49(1), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2015.1120367

Hasberry

(2019). Self-acceptance in Black and White. Education Sciences, 9(2), 143–163. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020143

10.

Ladson-Billings

G. J.

(1999). Preparing teachers for diverse student populations: A critical race theory perspective. Review of Research in Education, 24, 211–247.

11.

Lawrence-Lightfoot

Davis

J. H.

(1997). The art and science of portraiture. A Wiley Imprint.

12.

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2020). Characteristics of public and private elementary and secondary school teachers in the [United States: Results from the 2017–18 national teacher and principal survey. Institute of Education Sciences-U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2020/2020142.pdf

13.

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2021). Characteristics of Public School Teachers. Institute of Education Sciences-U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/clr#:~:text=In%202017%E2%80%9318%2C%20about%2079,1%20percent%20of%20public%20school

14.

Shane. (2022). 332 best Black names for girls with meaning. 332 African American Best Names for Black Girls. https://www.craftymotherfather.com/names-for-black-girls/#google_vignette

15.

Sleeter

C. E.

(2017). Critical race theory and the whiteness of teacher education. Urban Education, 52(2), 155–169. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085916668957

16.

Solórzano

D. G.

Yosso

T. J.

(2009). Counter-storytelling as an analytical framework for educational research. In Taylor

Gillborn

Ladson-Billings

(Eds.), Foundations of Critical Race Theory in Education (pp. 131–147). Routledge.

17.

Stutey

D. M.

Givens

Cureton

J. L.

Henderson

A. J.

(2019). The practice of bridling maintain openness in phenomenological research. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 59, 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1002/johc.12135.

18.

Vagle

M. D.

(2009). Validity as intended: ‘Bursting forth toward’ bridling in phenomenological research. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 22, 585–605. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518390903048784

19.

Word Art. (2022). Word Art. https://wordart.com