Positioning Young African American Men as Public Intellectuals: a Disruption in School-based Norms Amidst COVID-19, a Global Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract: During times of uncertainty, educators must listen so they can understand and create spaces for their students to imagine their dreams and possibilities. This paper examines and celebrates the resilience of two young African American men in high school who learned to claim agency during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Living in a culture that privileges and advantages whiteness, they were challenged by a growing need to return to "normal." For them, normal meant returning to a sense of loneliness, marginalization, and racial injustices that continue to plague our world. As the researcher, I was interested in their positionality, how they disrupted this sense of "normalcy," and how they thrived as public intellectuals. Through informal conversations, they were able to address and unpack topical issues such as education, race, and their identities. Also, they were able to affirm their voices and reimagine the concept of "normal." During the initial conversation, the following question emerged: "Why is there a need and a sense of urgency to go back to normal in our K-12 schools, specifically concerning how educators engage and educate young African American men?" The question grounds their curiosity, emotions, and criticalness as these young men self-reflect on their promise, possibility, and hope.