(En)Countering White Noise: A Narrative Study Of How Students Of Color Experience And Navigate Rural, Predominantly White High Schools
The omission of students’ of Color experiences from education research reconstitutes political and social narratives that determine who belongs in literal and symbolic spatial contexts in the United States. Meanwhile, racial opportunity gaps emerge in the schoolhouse and endure over the course of the lifespan because educational attainment is a catalyst for economic mobility and other positive life outcomes. The problem addressed in this study was the dearth of research exploring the experiences of students of Color who attend rural, predominantly White high schools. Using narrative inquiry, the aim of this study was to disrupt normative White perspectives (individual and institutional) by building counternarratives that center experiences of students of Color to inform school structures (processes, policies, procedures, curriculum, climate, culture) that impact the overall wellbeing and outcomes resulting from students’ of Color sense of belonging in rural, predominantly White high schools. Underwritten by theories of visibility and belonging, this study explored the experiences of six students of Color who attended rural, predominantly White high schools across the state of Maine. Analysis of semi-structured interviews with participants revealed four findings: (1) the complexity of and synergism between hypervisibility, invisibility, and singularity, (2) reflections on and understandings of White peer (pathways toward and intentions of) engagement with race, (3) navigational strategies designed toward belonging, and (4) expressions of advocacy for systems level change. These findings suggest policy and practical implications for school districts and educational leaders to consider as they work to cultivate inclusive educational environments where all students feel a sense of belonging.
Rural schools, predominantly White high schools, students of Color, colorblind, divisive concepts, visibility, belonging, Education
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