Making the Case for Race in Middle School: Supporting Adolescents and Teachers in Critical Racial Consciousness and Advocacy

Race matters in the lives of youth. A new set of politicized, strategic, and public assaults on the teaching of race or other ＂divisive＂ concepts in school have had a chilling effect in classrooms across the nation. This poses a threat to students’ right to learn in educational spaces that are accountable for supporting all young people with equity and affirmation. Drawing upon the voices of adolescents in four middle schools, Making the Case for Race in Middle School: Supporting Adolescents and Teachers in Critical Racial Consciousness and Advocacy advances the argument that providing youth with the space and opportunity to think critically about the pervasive dynamics of race in society, and in their own lives, is not partisan, but an essential element of being a teacher in a multiracial democracy. The academic literature on critical multiculturalism, ethnic-racial identity, and anti-racist pedagogy is brought together to provide theoretical and practical direction for educators, with a particular focus on reflective praxis among White classroom teachers. This book is a celebration of the agency of teachers who are committed to supporting students in their racial consciousness and potential for social justice advocacy during early adolescence, when they are unabashedly open, curious, and hopeful in their desire for a better, more inclusive world.

Tina M. Durand, PhD, is a clinical associate professor of applied human development at Boston University, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. She is a developmental psychologist who teaches courses on anti-oppressive practices and the psychology of race, and a former K-12 public school teacher. She has published widely in the areas of critically conscious teacher pedagogy, home and school contextual factors that promote student success, and the development of ethnic-racial consciousness and advocacy among adolescents.