“Come and get your soul food”: a duo-ethnographic account of black teachers modeling the praxis of the black intellectual tradition

Abstract

In this paper, we contribute to the work in progress which outlines the contours of the praxis of Black intellectual traditions by illuminating the ways in which the pedagogy of Black teachers can serve as a model useful for the preparation of preservice and inservice teachers. Researchers have documented that the successful Black educators employ practices derived from critical perspectives that serve as the conduit for their instruction and interactions in schools. Through two different studies of Black teacher pedagogy, we position the work of Black teachers as a timely pedagogical intervention into anti-Black teaching and learning structures in k-12 education and teacher education that challenge the cultivation and enactments of liberatory visions of teaching and learning for Black children.

Keywords:

• Teacher education
• black teachers
• black intellectual tradition

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Pseudonym used for all student names.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Melanie M. Acosta

Melanie M. Acosta, Ph.D. spends her energy engaged in good works for the educational well-being of Black children, families and communities. Currently, Melanie is an assistant professor at Florida Atlantic University, and is Founder/Executive Director of Liberate Literacy, a community-rooted work creating Better Literacy Learning Options for Black People.

Cleveland Hayes

Cleveland Hayes, Ph.D. is Associate Dean and Professor at Indiana University School of Education Indianapolis. Dr. Hayes' research interest includes the use of Critical Race Theory in Education, Historical and Contemporary Issues in Black Education to include the school to prison pipeline, Teaching and Learning in the Latino Community, Whiteness and the Intersections of Sexuality and Race.