Research

COVID-19 has further exposed the racial inequalities within the U.S., notably in the disproportionate mortality rates of Black people. Black families must adapt to a new racialized landscape that includes the precarious intersections of public health, economic, and racial crises. This project uses a mixed methods case study design to amplify how Black families make decisions and leverage resources in support of their children’s mathematics education during COVID-19. This project will examine:

• how Black families navigate decision-making related to educational offerings during the pandemic;
• everyday forms of school participation;
• whether and how parents and children may refuse to participate in everyday school activities; and
• resources families may access to support their children’s educational success.

Findings from this project will be used to build and improve communication channels to district officials, develop reparative solutions for schools and communities in the post-COVID academic year, and devise policy proposals to support Black homeschooling movements.

Maisie L. Gholson, assistant professor, School of Education, University of Michigan
Danny Martin, professor, College of Education, University of Illinois at Chicago
Erika Bullock, assistant professor, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison