“It’s like this Myth of the Supernegro”: resisting narratives of damage and struggle in the neoliberal educational policy context

Abstract

As pathologizing, racialized, and patriarchal rhetoric undergirds neoliberal education reform, deficit narratives characterize the education of Black youth. Such narratives present deep challenges for educational policy and community-based educational spaces. This article explores the ways in which community-based educators resist narratives of damage and struggle in their own personal and professional narratives in order to prevent the cycle of deficit-oriented discourse that follow Black youth through myriad educational spaces. By situating the narratives of community-based educators within a broader policy context shaped by race, class, and gender, this article illustrates the challenges that arise for community-based educators that seek to frame Black youth beyond deficit narratives and who avoid framing themselves as heroes and saviors of Black youth.

Keywords:

• Community-based educational spaces
• Black youth
• neoliberalism
• educational policy

Notes

1. Pseudonyms are used to protect the name of the organization and all participants.