Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: This capstone thesis explores the question: What are African American parent perspectives on segregation and integration in a large urban district in the Midwest? I review the literature on Critical Race Theory, counterstorytelling as a narrative research approach, historical factors leading to re-segregation in American schools, African American family engagement paradigms, African American families and school choice, and the effects of segregation on students. My narrative research approach centers the voices of four African American women who tell the stories of their school experiences as students and parents of Black children in the same urban district. While each parent had a unique perspective on the priorities she weighed in choosing her children’s schools, all four described a substantial amount of time, energy, and effort in the ongoing process of finding the best learning environments for their kids. They also described the covert and overt racism they and their students experienced through multiple facets of the school system. My analysis shows how the school experiences these women have had as Black parents are racialized in a way that is distinct from white middle-class families, and I conclude with recommendations for researchers, educators, and policymakers.
Author: Beatrice Rendon
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3015531047