Black families' resistance to deficit positioning: addressing the paradox of black parent involvement

• Published in: Race, ethnicity and education Vol. 24; no. 5; pp. 637 - 653
• Main Authors: Love, Hailey R., Nyegenye, Sylvia N., Wilt, Courtney L., Annamma, Subini A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 03.09.2021; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: ableism; African Americans; Attitudes toward Disabilities; Behavior problems; Black families; Black people; Critical race theory; Critical Theory; Disability; Disability Critical Race Theory; Disability discrimination; Discipline; Educational Environment; Educational Legislation; Equal Education; Expectation; Families & family life; Federal Legislation; Females; Girls; Marginality; Middle class; Parent Attitudes; parent involvement; Parent Participation; Parent School Relationship; Participation; Positioning; Race; Racial Bias; Racism; Resistance; School Role; Schools; Social Bias; Student Behavior; Student Needs; Students with Disabilities
• ISSN: 1361-3324; 1470-109X
• DOI: 10.1080/13613324.2021.1918403

Traditional conceptualizations of parent involvement are applied in paradoxical ways to Black families - schools ostensibly seek families' participation in schooling, while positioning multiply-marginalized Black families as deficient and disregarding their contributions. This article explores the experiences of Black families of Black girls using a Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) framing. Our exploration reveals how Black families experience and resist racism and ableism imbued in traditional conceptualizations of parent involvement grounded in white, middle-class families' norms. We describe ways Black families (1) relocated the problem from Black girls' behavior to schools' expectations and actions; (2) shifted schools' priorities from a focus on disciplining dis/abled Black girls to a focus on their support needs; (3) initiated dialogue to support Black girls; and, (4) assisted Black girls in recognizing, processing, and responding to racism and ableism. Through this discussion, we address ways to reconceptualize parent involvement to center multiply-marginalized Black families' priorities and contributions.