Community Teachers
Peter C. Murrell Jr. defined community teachers as those who are accomplished urban teachers who “develops the contextualized knowledge of culture, community, and identity of children and their families as the core of their teaching practice” (2000, pg. 340).
In other words, community teachers are those who be knowing. They know what we got and what we need; they center our children and credit their experiences as valuable information which contributes to the lessons learned in the classroom. They reimagine what education looks like and create waves of tangible change in classrooms for Black children and youth.
Community teachers may not always be certified teachers who work for public and private school systems - and that’s fine! If you’ve ever attended extracurricular activities and courses offered by the YMCA, Urban League, or Boys and Girls. . . guess what? You’ve came into contact with several community teachers! Same if you visit the Public Library.
How dope is that?!
Listen to the kids, bruh!
Black children and youth are NOT deficit learners. Our children possess the ability to think critically and assess the world around them. Even more, they can teach us!
One of the many ways community-based/centered/influenced radically differs from traditional schooling is youth agency is encouraged and reinforced, which enables students to be co-teachers and active in the development of curriculum and classroom/building policies.
the Whole Community
In 1913, Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald partnered to open six public schools for Black children down South. They were the first of the Rosenwald Schools - 5,000 schools in over 15 states which housed Black students well until 1932.
Every single one of these schools were funded by Black communities across the U.S. Rather than wait for state and local governments to provide their children with a proper education, Black people took matters into their own hands.
The Rosenwald Schools is just one example of the many times the whole community devote their money, time, and efforts to protecting their children’s right to education.