Abstract
This article provides a collaborative critical autoethnography of the educational experiences of two women of African descent, from the perspectives of an undergraduate student and university professor. Using decolonial intersectionality as the theoretical framework, the authors interpret their schooling experiences through a decolonial epistemological lens and identify ways in which education serves as both a divider and equalizer for students. Whereas existing research suggests that transformative education is made possible through expanded and engaged pedagogy, our autoethnographic narratives submit that curricula are central to this discussion as well. Results of this study posit that critical education can provide opportunities for gleaning into diverse perspectives and oppositional histories. Additionally, when implemented with a critical lens, educational disciplines such as history and social science can provide hope, healing, and justice.
Highlights
The notion that we are living through ‘post-racial’ times is asinine (Coates, 2015)
The recent racially motivated deaths of Walter Wallace, Jr. [Philadelphia, Pennsylvania], George Floyd [Minneapolis, Minnesota], Breonna Taylor [Louisville, Kentucky], Ahmaud Arbery [Brunswick, Georgia], and Tony McDade [Tallahassee, Florida] prove that even in 2020, the complicated milieu of American racism calls for our attention (Costello & Duvall, 2020; Deliso, 2020; McLaughlin, 2020; Murphy, 2020)
This article honors the countless lives that have been impacted by racial injustice, bigotry, discrimination, and Harris and Watson-Vandiver / Decolonizing Race and Gender in Education xenophobia and interrogates ways that curricula can further explore the topic of race and gender
Summary
The notion that we are living through ‘post-racial’ times is asinine (Coates, 2015). The recent racially motivated deaths of Walter Wallace, Jr. [Philadelphia, Pennsylvania], George Floyd [Minneapolis, Minnesota], Breonna Taylor [Louisville, Kentucky], Ahmaud Arbery [Brunswick, Georgia], and Tony McDade [Tallahassee, Florida] prove that even in 2020, the complicated milieu of American racism calls for our attention (Costello & Duvall, 2020; Deliso, 2020; McLaughlin, 2020; Murphy, 2020). The recent racially motivated deaths of Walter Wallace, Jr. Whereas schools would seem like optimal spaces for critical inquiry, most classrooms have been standardized to circumvent critical race discussions (Dei, 2003, 2012; Flaherty, 2014; George & Puente, 2015; Moulthorp, 2015). Education settings rooted in critical discourse can provide insight into the ways in which the U.S is structured by race and racism. This article honors the countless lives that have been impacted by racial injustice, bigotry, discrimination, and Harris and Watson-Vandiver / Decolonizing Race and Gender in Education xenophobia and interrogates ways that curricula can further explore the topic of race and gender. Using an autoethnography as mode of inquiry, this article uplifts shared narratives of two Women of African Descent to explore the critical role of education for facilitating meaningful conversations about racial understandings and identity
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