I use Toni Morrison's "Paradise" as a backdrop for framing a "Black Liberatory Fantasy" (Martin et al., 2019) that is rooted in what Dumas and ross ("Urban Education," 51(4):415-442, 2016) have conceptualized as BlackCrit. The goal of the current undertaking is to evaluate anecdotes of this working idea of paradise,…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to further theorize BlackCrit to include a deeper focus on the framing idea of Black liberatory fantasy via Afrofuturism. Design/methodology/approach: To develop the theoretical connections, the author revisits their previous scholarship on Black girls' Afrofuturist storytelling practices to elucidate how the…

In the US curriculum, "The History of Mary Prince" (Prince, 1831) is an under-recognized account of Black enslavement and the salt industry in the 19th century. Mary Prince, a Black enslaved woman and salt laborer, is the author of the earliest known anti-slavery, anti-colonial autobiography written by a self-manumitted Black woman.…

In this article, the authors challenge the ongoing dehumanization of people of color by arguing for the use of Black texts as core readings in courses on adult learning rather than as add-ons or "special topics."

Afrofuturism often acts as an experiential portal that guides readers to reflect on the current state of the world, to hypothesize about the trajectory of society, and to challenge any possible future that continues the subjugation of Black people. As a genre that is concerned with the elevation and liberation of Black people, Afrofuturism aligns…

African American children's literature is a subcategory of diverse books that has benefited from critical theoretical research as well as historical and contemporary social movements. More recently, activist bloggers and online movements have extended the work of activist librarians and critically conscious educators and parents. These individual…

Having grown up Black in America, the author reflects on his limited exposure to African American literature in school as well as his even more limited opportunity to see himself reflected in the mirrors of those texts. The article then extends into a framework for expanding the inclusion of African American texts in educators' classrooms.…

Hip-Hop History exposes inequities within the social studies curriculum and the challenges facing those who seek to change it. In this article, we share the process for creating a new social studies course in a suburban high school in central Ohio, the need for the course, and the resources created to assist in its adoption. The article argues for…

Writing as an African American woman existing at the margins of American society in the mid 1970s, Mildred D. Taylor demonstrated a postmodern awareness of fictionality and history in "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" (1976). Reworking African American history from the point of view and voice of a black subaltern female child, Taylor…

This article seeks to explore the complexities of Black subjectivities as written and illustrated by comic book creators of color who wrestle with the enigmatic qualities of blackness as they write within and beyond racial imaginaries and social realities. I call these works "critical race comics" to highlight their explicit engagement…

Grounded in critical race media literacy (CRML), we contend that a comparison of "The Hate U Give" novel and adapted film can allow for more nuanced conversations in the classroom regarding the functions of racism in America, including intersectionality and colorism. When comparing these texts, educators should ground their analysis in…

This paper addresses the tensions animating Alice Walker's fame and infamy as it pertains to Christianity and Black feminists who identify as womanists--a term originated by Walker and adopted by Black Feminist Theologians almost immediately. It asks: who is God in the womanist discourse of Alice Walker? The essay claims Walker's oeuvre offers a…

Though critics have debated the gendered ideologies at work in the ballet book genre, discussion so far has overlooked how race shapes the meanings of such stories and the ways that stereotypes about black females have caused them to be excluded from representation in both the world of classical dance and ballet stories. This essay provides a…

Media platforms frequently report on "Black Lives Matter" in order to raise awareness about institutional racism. However, these platforms often focus on African American male teenagers (Trayvon Martin in a hoodie and "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" for Michael Brown). Noticeably absent are images of Black girls. As a response to these…

This article seeks to address the question: "How can religious educators learn from those who have been marginalized and whose voices are not usually heard because of the hegemony of whiteness?" My primary sources are scenes from the work of two U.S. black creatives. Specifically, I examine the "Clearing" scene in Toni…