The purpose of this narrative study is to share a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the teaching philosophies of Black women science teachers. The theoretical lenses of Critical Race Theory and Black Feminist Thought are used to explore historical and contemporary experiences of Black teachers over time, to explain how and why there are so few women in science classrooms today. The pedagogical practices of Black women of the past are explored to reveal what is possible and needed in today’s science classrooms. The qualitative study used open-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and Sista Circles to center the narratives and experiences of the 32 participants, honoring their counter-stories and valuing their experiences. The findings of the dissertation are shared as two manuscripts: the first focuses on how Womanist Pedagogy is exemplified in Black women science classrooms. The second findings chapter focuses on how the participants discuss anti-racist teaching in their science classrooms as described in three frameworks: liberatory pedagogy (hooks, 1994); Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1994); and Historically Responsive Literacy (Muhammad, 2000). Historically relevant science pedagogy is a theoretical contribution offered by the author to the science education community to enact anti-racist practices. By highlighting the pedagogical practices of Black women science teachers, this study aims to transform the practices within science teacher education and professional development fields.

This feminist article dissertation (FAD), creates a series of interventions on the dearth of research on the teaching of women of color feminist theories in the high school English classroom as curriculum, pedagogy, and activism. In writing this series of articles on teaching Black and Latina feminist theories at the high school level, I interrupt the assumption that intersectional feminist pedagogies, curriculum, and activism only take place in college and graduate level courses in women’s and gender studies, trans and queer studies, ethnic studies, and even English and comparative literature courses. More specifically, my research counter-narrates my experience teaching Black and Latina feminisms at a predominantly white independent school while working alongside my students as they engage in reading women of color feminisms; oppositional online writing; and school-based activism. My research questions are driven by these commitments and by my interest in exploring how my students take up reading and writing with theory. Across each article in my FAD, I call upon the larger field of English education to recognize intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989, 1991) and women of color feminisms (Lorde, 1984; Moraga & Anzaldúa, 1981) as an integral curricular, pedagogical, and political stance we must take within the teaching of high school English as well as in English teacher education at large. In each article, I illustrate how I taught not only women of color feminisms through an oppositional (Collins, 2009); intersectional (Crenshaw, 1989, 1991); and coalitional (Cruz, 2019) stance, but also how my students read and apply these theories to themselves and to the issues they care about most using oppositional, intersectional, and coalitional stances as well. The first article is titled, “The Future of English is Feminist”; the second article is titled, “Resisting ‘pretty privilege’: Afro-Latinx trans digital activism and Black feminism in the English classroom”; and the third article is titled, “Black girl #MeToo activism: ‘Complaint as feminist pedagogy’ resisting racist-sexism at school.”

This qualitative arts-based narrative inquiry explored and analyzed the experiences of five Black women dance educators who teach with micro-interventions of care, love, and mentorship toward racial uplift in Black youth. This inquiry’s data collection included participants’ journal entries, sent weekly via email; one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with the women; and roundtable sista’ circles convened within community dialogues. Participants were prompted to share stories of their lived experiences as community members, artists, educators, and scholars. The collected data was analyzed using thematic and narrative methods, beginning with deductive coding and continuing with chunked comparisons of the women’s narratives. This study’s findings revealed that the women’s narratives as educators, persons, and community leaders, centered Blackness, care and love for themselves and their community, and Afrofuturity extant in their dance education practices. The narratives themselves revealed anecdotes of community, artistry, spirituality, culture, and healing, told and retold in the form of storytelling and poetry. This study sheds light on the unique experiences and perspectives of Black women dance educators, highlighting the importance of their contributions to the field. This study also proposes future considerations for research and practice in unearthing more stories of dance education as a micro-intervention of care, love, and mentorship toward racial uplift in Black youth. The inquiry and its results hold ramifications for and suggest a new vision for Black youth as well as educators that is a joyful Afrofuturistic dance education praxis rooted in peace, love, harmony, and #JOY.