Self-Acceptance in Black and White

Abstract

This reflective, autoethnographic qualitative case study at focus in this article is based on broader research on the experiences of Black teachers working at predominantly white and affluent private schools in the United States. It was motivated by the author/researcher’s own experiences of personal, academic, and professional racial identity development as a student, educator, parent, and educational administrator while living and working in predominantly white and affluent communities. The two main research questions this study engaged were: (1) How did the author/researcher develop her Black identity as a transracial adoptee living at the intersection of race and class; and, (2) What was the author/researcher’s journey towards her present state of racial self-acceptance and understanding? Three ancillary research questions were also engaged: (a) How did social and societal factors influence the author/researcher’s racial identity development? (b) How did the author/researcher build a support network of personal and professional community? and, (c) How was the author/researcher able to get to a place of self-love? Using Hill Collins’ (1998) intersectional analysis framework and Cross’s (1991) theory of Black racial identity development, this article explores the author/researcher’s experiences as an affluent racialized minority by unpacking lived experiences, coping strategies, and support mechanisms that led to her current professional calling.

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“…Scholarship shows that teachers bring their experiences and cultural understandings with them into the classroom. These experiences inform the lens through which they develop curriculum and their subsequent teaching practices (Gilpin, 2005; Hasberry, 2019; Sparks, 2018). Our first finding affirms this research on teachers’ cultural influences on practices and curriculum (Black et al, 2019; Pereira et al, 2015).…”

“Why Are We Only Learning About White People?” The Role of Identity in the Curricular and Pedagogical Considerations of One Latino Educator

“…However, there is little discussion and understanding around how to support educators of color as they enter the white majoritarian field of education (Montecinos, 2004;Sleeter, 2001). Research has shown that individuals' complex racial identities and lived experiences shape their professional identity (Al-Khatib & Lash, 2017;Gilpin, 2005;Hasberry, 2019;Kayi-Adyar, 2019;Sparks, 2018). However, minoritized educators experience conflicts in forming their professional identity.…”

Painting the Experience of Black Elementary School Teachers: A Portraiture Perspective Case Study

“…Intersectionality. Intersectionality centers around the idea that a social phenomenon can be viewed through various perspectives, various identities or various classifications (Hasberry, 2019). For the context of this study the social phenomenon of focus is being Black in a predominantly white working environment.…”

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