ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents findings from case studies of community-based organizations in Ontario, Canada, and Massachusetts, U.S.A. It discusses the historical role of Black educators as institutional activists who developed and promoted anti-racist and multicultural policies and programs in Toronto and London in the 1970s and 1980s. The book examines teacher, community, and parent activism on both sides of the Atlantic. It focuses on social-movement literature and mobilization theory to highlight the role of leadership in union-based and community campaigns to challenge the establishment of academy and free schools in England. The book explores how educational leaders used their social and cultural capital to navigate boundaries between community organizations and government schools in efforts to advocate for increased educational opportunities and life chances for Black students. It recognizes families and community members as policy actors and researchers.
