Introduction to the special issue: Homeplace and Black Joy in K-12 education

ABSTRACT

The current sociopolitical climate in the United States has increased pressure in K-12 schools while limiting resources and opportunities to support students fully. This climate renders students, especially those who were already at the margins, more vulnerable than before. There is a need to approach education through a framework that not only recognizes the challenges students are facing, but also their joy. As such, authors discuss the ways that cultivating Black joy and homeplace address these needs and should be foundational as a part of education. Further, authors discuss the unique contributions of 10 different articles around this topic for this special issue.

Acknowledgments

We recognize and acknowledge the labor upon which our country, state, and institution are built. We remember that our country was built on the labor of enslaved people who were kidnapped and brought to the United States from the African continent and recognize the continued contribution of their survivors. We also acknowledge all immigrant and indigenous labor, including voluntary, involuntary, trafficked, forced, and undocumented peoples who contributed to the building of the country and continue to serve within our labor force. We recognize that our country is continuously defined, supported, and built upon by oppressed communities and peoples. We acknowledge labor inequities and the shared responsibility for combatting oppressive systems in our daily work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).