Critical Perspectives on Black Education

A volume in New Directions in Educational Leadership:Innovations in Research Teaching and LearningSeries Editors Noelle Witherspoon-ArnoldWhile nation engages in debates concerning central issues of religion and religious diversity ineducation the historic saliency of religion and spirituality in the Black community and in theeducation of its children continues to be largely ignored. Historically religion and spiritualitywere foundational to the development and understanding of social justice issues including butnot limited to issues of protest community up-lift notions of care and anti-oppression. Takinginto account the historical significance of religion and spirituality in the Black community it isessential for education scholars to cultivate these long-standing connections as a means for advancing contemporary struggles for socialjustice religiosity in education and counter-hegemonic praxis.The purpose of this book is to expand our understanding of spirituality and religion as related to the p-20 schooling of Blacks students.Educational scholarship continues to explore the workings of social justice to ameliorate inequities for those who have not been wellserved in schools. Although the concept of social justice remains a somewhat inchoate term in educational literature this book seeks toexplore the historicity of religion and spirituality while offering a scaffold that links ordinary everyday acts of justice religion andspirituality in education to a culture that systematically and institutionally assaults the worth of Black students. It is important to notethat this book is grounded in a broad concept of religion and spirituality and the editors seek to be inclusive of all types styles andtraditions of religiosity and spirituality.