Spooks, Saviors, and Saltwater: Counter-Narratives of Black Male Math Teachers

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of four Black male mathematics teachers in large U.S. urban areas, applying Critical Race Theory to examine the impact of education policies on their professional and political identities. The study aimed to contribute to the collection of narratives on the experiences of Black mathematics teachers, particularly Black men. To foreground these experiences, participant interview data is presented as a stage play in the form of instructive vignettes, centering the experiences, knowledge, and identity formation of Black male math teachers. By examining these intersecting identities across contexts, this study offers insights for policymakers and researchers to use in crafting supportive policies and practices that foster political identity development among Black men in the profession of teaching mathematics. Through interviews, the author explores participants’ relationships with mathematics, their responses to anti-Blackness in mathematics assessments, and the development of their professional identities, with each vignette serving as a counter-narrative for analysis and interpretation.