Ethics, Power, and Privilege: Neglected Considerations in the Education of African American Learners with Special Needs

Abstract

This article addresses issues of ethics, power, and privilege within the context of educating African American learners with disabilities and gifts and talent. After offering pertinent perspectives drawn from critical theory, the authors discuss selected salient critical issues in education, as these issues relate to ethics, power, and privilege. A discussion of special education teacher educators, teachers, and related personnel as change agents follows. Subsequent to this discussion, the authors offer an analysis of three ethical themes and suggest that their use could serve to guide the transformative education of African American learners with disabilities and gifts and talents. The article ends with a preview of subsequent articles of a planned series on ethics, power, and privilege.