"What's Going On?": A Critical Race Theory Perspective on Black Lives Matter and Activism in Education. (February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dixson, Adrienne D.
• Other Names: Royal Camika guest-editor.; Hill Marc Lamont guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Urban education. Volume 53:Number 2(2018)
• Page Start: 231
• Page End: 247
• Publication Date: 2018-02
• Subjects: identity -- race -- Critical Race Theory -- cultural relevant -- social -- diversity -- racism -- social -- Black females -- subjects -- Black males -- urban education -- Multicultural education; Education, Urban -- Periodicals; Enseignement en milieu urbain -- Périodiques; Éducation; Milieu urbain; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 370.91732
• DOI: 10.1177/0042085917747115
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0042-0859

Abstract

This article explores activism, education, and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Using critical race theory (CRT), I analyze what this emergence of primarily youth-led activism means in the context of decades of neoliberal education reform. I raise specific questions about how youth-led activism, which has its genesis in and is largely shaped by social media, not only reflects limited robust mainstream discourses on race but also a failure of education, particularly schools and districts that serve students of color in under-resourced urban communities, to teach about and contextualize other historical movements for justice and racial equity.