Sensing the urgency: envisioning a black humanist vision of care in teacher education

Abstract

This article builds on the growing body of research on preparing African-American pre-service teachers for culturally diverse urban environments. I speci®cally focus on a two year qualitative case study of Amy, an African-American pre-service teacher, to highlight ®ve themes of a Black humanist vision of care. These themes emphasize the following: (1) culturally af®rming practices of multiple cultures; (2) the`fortitude' to persevere in the midst of adversity; (3) both the ability to recognize and the willingness to address difference and inequities; (4) the importance of the whole child; and (5) the ability to see oneself as a teacher engaging as part of a collective in challenging inequities. Amy's narrative underscores how these themes emerged within, between, and among her family experiences, K-12 schooling experiences and experiences in the teacher education program. I conclude with implications of a Black humanist vision of care in within teacher education programs.

Parent Involvement, African American Mothers, and the Politics of Educational Care

“…Womanism, however, further emphasizes black women's desires and efforts to advocate for marginalized black men and boys. Black womanists, therefore, maintain that their agendas are not necessarily feminist or women-centered; rather they are "humanist" and relate to many black women's work to improve the lives of black families and communities as a whole (Collins, 2000;Dillard, 1995;Knight, 2004;A. Thompson, 2004).…”

“…A range of scholars have developed alternative conceptualizations of caring behavior that consider the distinct and culturally relevant ways that African American women care (BeauboeufLaFontant, 2002;Knight, 2004;Siddle Walker & Snarey, 2004;Siddle Walker & Tompkins, 2004; A. Thompson, 1998Thompson, , 2004.…”

Native Women Teacher Candidates “With Strength”: Rejecting Deficits and Restructuring Institutions

“…As other scholars of color have noted, the commitment to education is not for the solitary pursuit of a paycheck, summer vacation, and/or status but rather the commitment to an entire People (Knight, 2004). Participants situated their work in helping their specific communities, and assistance to and continuance of all Native peoples.…”

Care Through Authenticity: Teacher Preparation for an Ethic of Care in an Age of Accountability

“…However, in recent years, research suggests that teacher education tends to exaggerate the importance of behavioral objectives and minimize the signifi cance of intellectual, ethical, and relational perspectives (Cummings, Dyas, Maddux, & Kochman, 2001;Knight, 2004). Kanstoroom and Finn (2000) argued that instead of an increased emphasis on teacher preparation, the teacher education knowledge base should focus heavily on subject matter content.…”