Vanessa Siddle Walker: Honoring Keepers of Knowledge by Using Their Stories to Improve Education

Abstract

This issue of Educational Considerations, "Intersectionality and the History of Education," urges educators to consider the complexities that have marked our past, influence our present, and have the potential to inform change for a better future. We had the privilege to discuss these issues in an interview with Dr. Vanessa Siddle Walker, a renowned historical researcher in the field of education. Walker is a leading voice in the history of school desegregation in the United States, positioning black educators as significant agents of change in the collective narrative of schools, and highlighting how their organized action and strategic advocacy has led to social justice and equity for black students. Her research informs how our schools have worked in the past, and how lessons from our past can serve to mobilize resources for the equitable education of all children today.