As Uncomfortable as They Are

The Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys by Eddie Moore Jr., Ali Michael, Marguerite W. Penick-Parks
Corwin, October 1, 2017

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The recent Philadelphia Starbucks arrests, where a White female manager called the police to arrest two Black male customers, is just a recent example of the historically racialized relationship between White women and Black men in American society. It is a contentious relationship driven by fear, violence, and the privileging of Whiteness over Black experiences. This same racialized dynamic is the context for American education. White women make up the majority of educators, and Black boys are one of the most vulnerable demographic groups in schools. How do teachers begin to recognize these inequities, as uncomfortable as they are, in order to better serve Black boys? The Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys provides a first step. The book is a thought-provoking anthology of researched articles, personal testimonies, questions for purposeful self-reflection, and classroom strategies for all educators to begin recognizing our own individual frameworks for understanding, respecting, and connecting to Black boys' experiences. The authors lead readers on a personal journey that closely examines the racialized, historical, and political context of the White Women/Black Boys power dynamic while highlighting the diversity of Black boys' experiences and identities. This book is not only a must-read for personal and institutional reflection about race and Black boys' experiences in schools, but also it provides educators a powerful tool to better serve and understand all students.