Date of Award

5-1-2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Educational Administration and Supervision

First Advisor

Dr. Sarah K. Edwards

Abstract

Discussions regarding racism and white privilege and the field of education often lead to the development of hypotheses attempting to explain the lack of equity in schools, the achievement gap between white and non-white students, and the disproportionate percentages of students of color receiving disciplinary actions. In actuality, no proven theory has yet culminated out of the many proposed explanations for such inequities. Furthermore, rarely does educational research regarding racism and white privilege involve the voices of the oppressed students, the students of color, themselves. The educational community's ability to discern the causes for racial inequity and move toward goals of fair education may be assisted by hearing true testimonies of students who have felt oppression and discrimination themselves. This research study will not attempt to propose another educational hypothesis to explain the reasoning behind racism in schools but it will provide personal narratives of four students of color who have witnessed and who have been strongly affected by such racism throughout their educational experiences. These four testimonies will widen the lens of the educational community and allow a unique perspective into the everyday lives of four of America's black public high school students.

Comments

A Thesis Presented to the Department of Teacher Education and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts. Copyright 2006 Karen R. Johnson

Download

COinS