E35: Creating a “Beloved Community” in the School House: Centering Black Women Leaders and Girls for Just and Inclusive Education with CCNY’s Prof. Terri N. Watson

This episode focuses on challenges facing K-12 education, particularly at the intersection of racism and sexism in the US education system today.  Dr. Watson—Associate Professor of Education Leadership, Provost Fellow, and inaugural Director of the Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging—discusses Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s idea of the “beloved community” and a framework for education based on care, courage, critical reflection, and community. She engages the disproportionate suspension of Black girls, adultification, and the imposition of oppressive norms and expectations. Prof. Watson finds that the voices of Black girls are essential to realizing just and inclusive education. She also discusses her research on Black women leaders in education, the limitations often imposed on their leadership, and their rich contributions in all spheres of society, and the positive impact of Black teachers on education outcomes. She focuses on improving the educational experiences of all children, especially the most marginalized, emphasizing the importance of seeing the strengths, cultural wealth, talents, and assets of children.