ABSTRACT
The connection between race and teachers’ authority is often evoked as an important consideration in addressing student achievement gaps in schools and classrooms. It is posited that racial minority students, in particular, need to see themselves reflected in the diversity within the school and classroom. What is less frequently discussed is the potential for the teacher’s race to impact authority in the classroom in divergent ways. In classrooms where students identify with the teacher’s race, teachers can yield and command an authority that creates a space for meaningful teaching and learning. However, the same classroom context can also impede teacher authority and sometimes set up unrealistic expectations on the part of students when students expect differential treatment and solidarity because they identify with the teacher’s race, thus creating tensions with other teachers and students.
