Creating pedagogical possibilities through media representations of “the talk” in civics classrooms

Abstract

Millions of people learn lessons about citizenship and belonging from the media they consume each day. In this study, we examined the knowledges about citizenship that are conveyed through media representations of “the talk,” –the conversations Black families have with their children about navigating interactions with police in an antiBlack society. Our findings revealed that “the talk,” as an informal curriculum, can educate people on why antiBlack police violence occurs and can provide guidance to Black people on how to survive police interactions. Additionally, we found that the Black families in this study use “the talk” to name and challenge dominant narratives about policing and police officers. Although many civics curricula and state standards continue to remain race-evasive, antiBlack, and riddled with white supremacy, we contend that incorporating media representations of “the talk” into civics instruction can create pedagogical possibilities for educators to teach about the racialized realities of citizenship experienced by Black people in the United States.

Keywords:

• Civics education
• citizenship
• antiBlackness
• black critical theory
• media

Disclosure statement

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

Notes

1 Valerie Castile is the mother of Philando Castile, a Black man murdered by the Minneapolis police.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brittany L. Jones

Brittany L. Jones is an Assistant Professor at the University at Buffalo. Informed by her experiences as a high school social studies teacher, Brittany’s research explores anti-racist social studies teacher education and how racialized emotions inform the teaching and learning of history, with a specific focus on Black emotions and feelings. Employing critical frameworks of race and discourse, Jones’s work also examines how race, power, and racialized emotional discourse intersect within social studies standards and curricula. Her work has been published in outlets such as Theory and Research in Social Education and Equity & Excellence in Education.

Kristen E. Duncan

Kristen E. Duncan is an Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education at Clemson University. Utilizing critical frameworks like Black feminism and critical race theory, her research focuses on the ways Black teachers help Black students understand and navigate systems of white supremacy, as well as the ways race is presented (or excluded) in text, in media, and at historical sites. Her research has been published in Review of Educational Research, Race, Ethnicity and Education, and Educational Studies