Invisible Armor: Black Male Educators, Fugitive Pedagogy, and the Politics of Presence
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| Title: | Invisible Armor: Black Male Educators, Fugitive Pedagogy, and the Politics of Presence |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Michael J. Seaberry |
| Source: | Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education. 2026 24(1):89-104. |
| Availability: | Caddo Gap Press. 3145 Geary Boulevard PMB 275, San Francisco, CA 94118. Tel: 415-666-3012; Fax: 415-666-3552; e-mail: caddogap@aol.com; Web site: http://www.caddogap.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 16 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | African American Teachers, Navigation, Racism, Politics of Education, Culturally Relevant Education, Teacher Workshops, Faculty Development, Teacher Role, Resilience (Psychology), Resistance (Psychology), Recognition (Achievement), Social Justice, Critical Race Theory, Hidden Curriculum |
| ISSN: | 1080-5400 2164-7399 |
| Abstract: | This study examines how Black male educators navigate and resist the racialized politics of presence within educational institutions that often prioritize our physicality over our intellect (Ferguson, 2020; Dumas & Ross, 2016). Drawing from critical qualitative inquiry and anchored in BlackCrit, the hidden curriculum, and fugitive pedagogy (Givens, 2021; Kärner & Schneider, 2024), the study centers the voices and experiences of 23 Black male educators across the U.S. who participated in a survey and culturally responsive professional development workshop. Findings reveal recurring patterns of hypervisibility, labor exploitation, and reductive role assignments that cast Black men as disciplinarians or father figures rather than as pedagogical leaders (Brockenbrough, 2015; Brown, 2012). Despite these constraints, participating educators described strategies of resistance, including intellectual assertion, pedagogical refusal, and spiritual subversion, that align with a long-standing legacy of Black educational resilience (hooks, 1994; Lynn, 2006). These acts reflect what Givens (2021) terms fugitive pedagogy: subversive teaching rooted in Black cultural knowledge and survival. Ultimately, the study offers practical and policy recommendations that move beyond surface-level diversity efforts and toward structural transformation. Rather than asking to be managed or saved, we, as Black male educators in this study, call for recognition, respect, and restoration of our rightful place as leaders of just, humane, and liberatory classrooms. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Access URL: | https://taboo-journal.com/ |
| Accession Number: | EJ1496047 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This study examines how Black male educators navigate and resist the racialized politics of presence within educational institutions that often prioritize our physicality over our intellect (Ferguson, 2020; Dumas & Ross, 2016). Drawing from critical qualitative inquiry and anchored in BlackCrit, the hidden curriculum, and fugitive pedagogy (Givens, 2021; Kärner & Schneider, 2024), the study centers the voices and experiences of 23 Black male educators across the U.S. who participated in a survey and culturally responsive professional development workshop. Findings reveal recurring patterns of hypervisibility, labor exploitation, and reductive role assignments that cast Black men as disciplinarians or father figures rather than as pedagogical leaders (Brockenbrough, 2015; Brown, 2012). Despite these constraints, participating educators described strategies of resistance, including intellectual assertion, pedagogical refusal, and spiritual subversion, that align with a long-standing legacy of Black educational resilience (hooks, 1994; Lynn, 2006). These acts reflect what Givens (2021) terms fugitive pedagogy: subversive teaching rooted in Black cultural knowledge and survival. Ultimately, the study offers practical and policy recommendations that move beyond surface-level diversity efforts and toward structural transformation. Rather than asking to be managed or saved, we, as Black male educators in this study, call for recognition, respect, and restoration of our rightful place as leaders of just, humane, and liberatory classrooms. |
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| ISSN: | 1080-5400 2164-7399 |
