Education has always been attached to the "American Dream," an abstract concept built from the ashes of conquest and capitalism. The dream is one of property and privacy, money and power, the ability to live a life free from obstacles. However, the American dream isn't complete without an antagonist. For a long time the antagonist has…

African Americans have long been serious about education. Even when education was denied to black Americans through law, custom, and physical violence, blacks exerted relentless self-determination in the pursuit of literacy. The black church, because of its growth in size, power, and influence, became the logical institution for assisting blacks…

This dissertation focuses on the role of tradition and ritual in historically Black education, particularly combating the legacy of antiblackness in school discipline. The study argues for the use of prophetic disruptive rituals that are grounded in meaning, hope, and love. Using Morehouse College as a philosophical case study, the project draws…

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have had a solid and rich legacy of providing Black students educational opportunities since the late 19th century. Having a distinct educational history, HBCUs have a historical purpose linked to providing an educational experience to Black students during an era when higher education…

As a result of "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas," a shortage of African American teachers has plagued American schools. A call for the integration of schools, while making great educational strides for Black students, caused a lack of representation from Black teachers and school leaders. Black educators were less likely to…

This ethnohistorical study returns to a historical site of Black education, The Mississippi Freedom Schools (MFS) of 1964, to excavate conceptions of teacher education and Black education held by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) a predominantly Black social movement organization. The MFS served as an alternative site of…

The purpose of this phenomenology case study was to examine what motivated formerly incarcerated Black males to complete their community college degree and what best supported them on their educational journey. This study offers in-depth insight into a multifaceted situation and informs community college administrators, state policy and statute…

This study explores elementary school teachers' perceptions of emotional intelligence (EI) influence on the academic development of African American elementary students within a charter school in North Carolina. Persistent academic disparities faced by Black students, exacerbated by systemic educational inequalities and socio-cultural challenges,…

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that motivate effective teachers to remain in their high-needs, predominantly Black schools. Data shows that schools enrolling majority populations of low-income students of color experience high teacher attrition rates, which contribute to scarcities in the workforce. These scarcities often…

In 1899, in Eatonville, Florida, Russell and Mary Calhoun, two African American teachers from Tuskegee Institute, founded the Robert Hungerford School for African American students. Many White southerners were ferociously against African American education. However, the Calhouns were able to galvanize resources and support from white donors to…

While Huey P. Newton has his place in the history books as an outspoken activist and co-founder of the Black Panther Party (BPP), a critical aspect of his life's work is missing from his well-known story. In addition to being remembered for his confrontations with the police, Newton should be known as an educator because that is how he saw…

Historically, the educational journey for Blacks has chronicled both struggles and progress, dating back to slavery when Blacks were denied educational rights, and now as many face the consequences of the resegregation of schools. The resegregation of schools perpetuates social and racial inequalities, particularly in southern states like…

Building on the work of sociologist Arlie Hochschild (1979, 1983), studies have shown that Black people and other people of color engage in more emotion work than their White counterparts in predominantly White settings (Wingfield 2010, 2019). Although we know much about the way in which emotion work is gendered and how emotion work can be…

Research has given us the understanding of the demographic disparity between white, largely middle class teachers and diverse lower socioeconomic school children (Grious & Silva, 2010), as teachers from the middle class society wrestle with meeting the needs of their culturally diverse students. In efforts to bridge the social and academic…

Historical studies on higher education often utilize traditional historical methods. This practice has produced a body of literature, both historical and contemporary, which has a particular focus on (a) the histories and mythologies of institutions, (b) the individuals who function within the system at the administrative or student levels, and…