The book,
The Guide for White Women who Teach Black Boys, published by Corwin (a SAGE Publishing Company), was released last fall and already is a best-seller. Over 70 authors contributed chapters and vignettes making this volume an indispensable resource for
everyone involved in education. This workshop introduces participants to the book and the powerful possibilities of
Understanding, Respecting & Connecting. It was created to support White Women to engage in concentrated, focused inquiry around their relationships with Black male students and the impact on those relationships related to issues of white supremacy, white privilege, white fragility, code switching, race, racism and much Moore. Using interactive activities, courageous questions and video footage from interviews with both White female teachers and Black men and boys, we engage in a challenging, informative and experiential workshop designed to generate new avenues of reflection, action and accountability for White women teachers (and others).
Schools that fail Black boys are not extraordinary. In fact, schools that fail Black boys are, in essence, doing what they were built to do. Schools in the United States were built by White people for the advancement and education of White people. For Black people in the U.S., getting an education has historically been an illicit activity rife with danger, personal risk and structural barriers. When schools fail Black boys, it’s because they are
doing school the way that school has always been done. It may be the only way schools know how. And yet, if we want to shift outcomes for Black boys, we need to create different ways to
do school that acknowledge this history and that work for the vast majority of Black boys. That would be extraordinary. If we can do this, if we can fix/shift education so that Black boys show up at schools in the wholeness of their selves, so that Black boys feel a sense of belonging, nurturance, challenge and love at school, so that Black boys grow up to live full lives with meaningful work and a sound educational foundation, it will be because White women made it happen. If we don’t, it will be because White women didn’t make it happen. Either way, White women are in the driver’s seat in the classroom in America. We don’t have an option here. White women have to do this work. Are You/They Ready? Let's
#MakleItHappen!
Here’s how the publisher introduces the book: Black boys dream, believe, and achieve: Schools that routinely fail Black boys are not extraordinary. In fact, they are all-too ordinary. If we are to succeed in positively shifting outcomes for Black boys and young men, we must first change the way school is “done.”That’s where the eight in ten teachers who are White women fit in . . . and this urgently needed resource is written specifically for them as a way to help them understand, respect, and connect with all of their students. This book is so much more than a call to action. The Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys brings together research, teacher professional development exercises, personal stories, and online resources including video interviews to help us all embrace this crucial American task. Teacher educators, teachers, administrators, families, communities, mentors, school boards, and other professionals all have a role to play in transforming school cultures. We are all too familiar with the educational disparities along with the narratives that fuel them. We are moving beyond the negative and positively changing systems that support the educational outcomes of black boys. 65% of teachers are white women. Alone they can have a tremendous impact on outcomes. But together, we can shift the way black boys are seen and heard inside and outside of the classroom. The ultimate guidebook for educators and parents, public and private schools, and any organization that cares for and loves the inherent potential of black boys is here!
The WWGTBB is edited by Eddie Moore Jr., PhD, Marguerite Penick-Parks, PhD and Ali Michael, PhD.Moore Testimonials"This book will change you. Weaving together voices of multiple authors, both Black and White, chapters offer poignant personal stories, current research, and well-chosen activities. Every chapter invites White women to do the needed work that will enable us to support healthy development of our Black male students. Few books take on such urgent work with so much care and proactive optimism."
-Christine E. Sleeter, Professor EmeritaCalifornia State University, Monterey Bay"Approximately eight in ten teachers in the United States are white. Any White woman who aspires to responsibly and effectively demonstrate educational care for Black boys will find much that is useful in this text. It should be required reading in teacher education programs and professional development experiences for all P-12 educators."
-Shaun R. Harper, Clifford and Betty Allen ProfessorUniversity of Southern California "With a lens focused equally (and with critical compassion) on White women and Black boys, dozens of authors offer thoughtful, urgent, personal, and concrete suggestions for moving to new habits of understanding, respecting, and connecting that help unleash young people’s full human contributions. Read and digest this book to embrace the deep realities and thrilling potential of this crucial American task."
-Mica Pollock, ProfessorUniversity of California, San Diego"There is no other instructional guide quite like The Guide for White Women who Teach Black Boys. While this book offers practical information and advice directly to the largest demographic of educators teaching one of the most marginalized populations of students, it transcends strategy and becomes a book of Black Critical Cultural Studies... Above all is a direct exploration into the ′dos,′ ′don’ts,′ ′why′s′ and ′how’s′ of culturally responsive teaching from expert teachers."
-Dale Allender DirectorNational Council of Teachers of English-West“There is no judgement in this book. There is simply a clear scientific and social case—along with concrete instruction—for how education allies at the classroom, school, and system levels can effectively serve our children of color. ”
-Brittany Packnett Vice President, National Community Alliances Teach For America & Paul Keys Senior Vice President, Regional Operations Teach For America
Moore Resources:
1. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/04/20/upshot/missing-black-men.html
2. https://www.blackmaleachievement.org/community/promise-of-place 3. https://www.npr.org/2018/05/15/611389765/why-white-americans-call-the-police-on-black-people-in-public-spaces
