Through in-depth interviews with a group of accomplished teachers of color who emphasized the need for their students to access the “culture of power” as a means to work toward racial justice, I attempt to represent the purposefulness of their practice within the context of what one participant termed the “millennium form of slavery.” I argue that such teachers of color are portrayed through a progressive lens as authoritarian and conformist, making it difficult to see the multifaceted nature of their practice, including their deep commitments to their students and their communities, and their understanding of the systemic nature of racism. Such representations hinder a deeper dialogue with them and do not adequately portray them as successful models for prospective teachers. In the concluding section, I explore challenges as well as productive approaches to characterizing the practice of these teachers in ideologically diverse preservice teacher education programs.
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