History and Education of the Sacred: Black Girls and Curricular Violence in Literacy Learning

Abstract

Black girls and their literacies are genius. Yet, education, as we know it, does not consistently offer spaces for Black girls to be loved and honored. This form of neglect extends to literacy classrooms. As displayed in the news and research, Black girls experience abuse within the confines of educational walls. Educational violence against Black girls is a byproduct of dehumanization and devaluation, and it stems from history. The underlying stereotypical conditioning centered around the dehumanized, oversexualized, unladylike, Black girl may rationalize why educators overlook them when creating literacy curricula. When classroom teachers rely on these biases, the need for an intentional literacy curriculum to support and uplift the literacy development of Black girls may seem unimportant, which in turn leaves Black girls at an educational disadvantage. This paper will discuss social and educational historical factors that have problematized literacy education for Black girls. As a resolution, we unpack the Black Girls Literacy Framework to respond to educational and literacy inequities.