African Canadian Othermothering in the Urban Secondary School

Submitter and Co-author information

Anne Rovers, Faculty of Graduate Studies

Standing

Undergraduate

Type of Proposal

Oral Research Presentation

Challenges Theme

Open Challenge

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Andrew Allen

Proposal

With limited curriculum guidelines on anti-racist pedagogy and knowing that teachers “are heirs to the legacy of European colonialism and imperialism in educational practices” (Henry, 1998), this study seeks to explore what teachers are doing about it right now in Canada amidst the conservative pushback on Critical Race theory in America. Drawing inspiration from Henry’s (1998) othermothering - an anti-racist pedagogy descending from the mothers and grandmothers of African American women that offers maternal assistance to the children of blood mothers within the African American community -this case study examines how individual Black female teachers and educators in Canada disrupt and challenge power and policy in classroom practice in order to meet the pyschoeducational needs of the Canadian urban child. The research introduces a critical listening methodology to illustrate the experiences and expertise of 2 Francophone African Canadian female educators with anti-racist education in Canada.

Grand Challenges

Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities

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African Canadian Othermothering in the Urban Secondary School

With limited curriculum guidelines on anti-racist pedagogy and knowing that teachers “are heirs to the legacy of European colonialism and imperialism in educational practices” (Henry, 1998), this study seeks to explore what teachers are doing about it right now in Canada amidst the conservative pushback on Critical Race theory in America. Drawing inspiration from Henry’s (1998) othermothering - an anti-racist pedagogy descending from the mothers and grandmothers of African American women that offers maternal assistance to the children of blood mothers within the African American community -this case study examines how individual Black female teachers and educators in Canada disrupt and challenge power and policy in classroom practice in order to meet the pyschoeducational needs of the Canadian urban child. The research introduces a critical listening methodology to illustrate the experiences and expertise of 2 Francophone African Canadian female educators with anti-racist education in Canada.