Black is Beauty: Jamaican Teachers Fostering Pro-Blackness in Elementary Education

Jarvais J. Jackson; Kadesha Scharschmidt; Heidi Miller-Smith; Addaniekie Blackwood-Smith; Vanessa Stultz

doi:10.1002/trtr.2369

Black is Beauty: Jamaican Teachers Fostering Pro-Blackness in Elementary Education

Jarvais J. Jackson, Kadesha Scharschmidt, Heidi Miller-Smith, Addaniekie Blackwood-Smith, Vanessa Stultz

Elementary & Special Education

Savannah Chatham County Public Schools

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

“Black is beauty” is a powerful affirmation in Jamaican families, emphasizing the value of Blackness beyond race. Similarly, “Black is Beautiful” empowers Black Americans. This article explores the beauty of Blackness from a Jamaican perspective in the U.S., demonstrating pro-Black pedagogy in classrooms to uplift Black students. Despite the global dispersion of Black people, our Africanness, rooted in Mother Africa, remains influential. This article examines the pro-Black journeys of four Jamaican teachers and a teacher educator, enhancing Black students' educational experiences in an urban southern U.S. city and showcasing the interconnectedness of Blackness.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	326-335
Number of pages	10
Journal	Reading Teacher
Volume	78
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2369
State	Published - Mar 1 2025

Scopus Subject Areas

Language and Linguistics
Pharmacology
Linguistics and Language
Pharmacology (medical)

Keywords

African Diaspora Literacy
Black education
culturally relevant pedagogy
instructional strategies
methods and materials
pro-Black education

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10.1002/trtr.2369

Cite this

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Black is Beauty: Jamaican Teachers Fostering Pro-Blackness in Elementary Education

Abstract

Scopus Subject Areas

Keywords

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