ABSTRACT
I begin this chapter by sharing an update from Warren, Raheem, and Robert. The conclusion aims to place students at the heart of school transformation. Recognizing students’ promise and potential, even when troubled by problematic behaviors, is essential to educating Black and other minoritized children. Moreover, understanding the history of Black education is critical to reaching solutions. This chapter revisits the journey to education in the Black community following the period of enslavement and segregation. This history situations the stories that Warren, Robert, and Raheem shared, illuminating modern suffering across locations. More specifically, the educational harm and spirit murder Black students experience in school is addressed in this chapter with attention to race, time, and social factors. I offer my insights as a mother with Black sons. I provide suggestions for building relationships with students. Lastly, I provide suggestions for creating classrooms where students feel seen, heard, and valued. The book concludes with a call for educators to advance social justice efforts that are humanizing, student-centered, and address the needs of minoritized people.
