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Author Biographies

Jasmine Wilson is originally from Chicago, Illinois but has been a resident of West Michigan for 7 years now. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education along with her Master’s degree in Higher Education from Grand Valley State University. In addition to her passion for research, she has a deep passion for diversifying the field of Education.

Abstract

Black students' language and culture should matter inside the classroom, but the K-12 education system perpetuates racist ideologies that otherwise stifle and shame Black students and their identities. There is a disproportion between the number of White teachers and Black students in minority-serving K-12 institutions, and this racial mismatch severely influences Black students’ academic success. In addition to the racial mismatch between White teachers and Black students, K-12 institutions foster a prejudiced learning environment that condemns African American English speakers. There is an abundance of research that suggests that Black teachers, Black culture, and Black English are of the utmost importance in Black majority classrooms, and yet the K-12 system promotes Standard American English (Wheeler and Swords, 2006), does little to incorporate Black culture into the curriculum, and struggles to retain Black teachers. Furthermore, there are curricular and pedagogical practices that promote the marginalization of Black students and impact their success in school. This thesis explores two significant ways Black students experience marginalization including 1) the lack of Black teachers in majority-Black classrooms, and 2) the condemnation of Black English/African American English.

Publication Date

8-2025

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