The presentation, “Sankofa: How Segregation Narratives Inform the Present Experiences of a Beginning Black Teacher,” was presented as a plenary session at the conference.
Cherrel Miller Dyce, associate professor of education and executive director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education at Elon University, and Felicia Robinson ’21, a former Teaching Fellow and current second-grade teacher, presented their research on the experiences of Black students during desegregation at the Color of Education Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Robinson completed the research project as a requirement for the Teaching Fellows program during her course of study at the Watts Williams School of Education.
The presentation, “Sankofa: How Segregation Narratives Inform the Present Experiences of a Beginning Black Teacher,” was presented as a plenary session at the conference. The presentation, “Sankofa: How Segregation Narratives Inform the Present Experiences of a Beginning Black Teacher,” was presented as a plenary session at the conference.
According to Deanna Townsend Smith, director of the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity, the “Color of Education is a partnership between the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity, Public School Forum of NC, Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity, and the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. Color of Education seeks to build deeper connections across the fields of research, policy and practice, and brings together communities, educators, policymakers, experts and other key stakeholders focused on developing action-oriented approaches for achieving racial equity in education across the state of North Carolina.”
The plenary session was impactful, as Dyce and Robinson were joined by three of their research participants, one of whom was Portia Wade, lecturer at Watts Williams School of Education.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity provided to share this story which has been held within my heart for several years,” Wade said. “Moreover, during my middle and high school journey, I did not fully realize how much a school redistricting and busing mandate would impact the trajectory of my personal and professional life. Yet, it has been my faith, renewed strength and ongoing family support that continues to push me forward in the field of teacher preparation and establishment of professional legacies.”
The two other participants were Cynthia Wooten, associate professor of education at Winston-Salem State University, and Yvella Bradshaw, local clergy.
Reflecting on her experience with undergraduate research and inquiry and mentoring, Robinson stated, “In what feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and honor. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to share at an event of this magnitude that targets and reaches communities of color. I’m grateful for the mentorship and guidance that made this all possible. I am honored to uplift the stories of those who have come before me and who have made a lasting impact on the education system that we see today.”
According to Townsend-Smith of the Flood Center, “Centering the history through research, together with lived experiences, helps to bring the history to life and allows a younger generation to glean strategies to apply to current situations. We have so much to learn from the past to inform the present-day context. The more we are willing to listen to those who came before us, the better prepared we are to respond to current situations as we have a foundation to understanding the ‘why’ and can advocate for greater access and opportunity.”
The Color of Education conference convenes every fall and is a signature program of the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity.