One School Community\u27s Journey Through Conversations on Race: A Critical Family Histories Study

A school principal expressed a direct interest for having research conducted to assist their school\u27s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in their desire to learn how to best address their children\u27s questions about racial differences with their children. The design of this proposed research is a qualitative analysis using Critical Family Histories. This study stems from a school community-based Critical Participatory Action Research (C-PAR) project focused on adults learning from and leading one another in dialogue concerning race, racial bias, and racism in education. Participants in the C-PAR study included the school\u27s principal, assistant principal, guidance counselor, school resource officer, principal\u27s secretary, multiple teachers and various other school community members. The evidence I plan to gather is from five focus groups each consisting of one participant from the C-PAR study accompanied by the adults with whom they are raising elementary school age children. I aim to develop a deeper understanding for how parents/guardians and/or educators engage one another as members of a family and school community while attempting to sustain a dialogue focused on race, racial bias, and racism