As alt-right politics and education privatization dismantle equity gains globally, cross-racial solidarity is an urgent imperative for educational justice. Using a critical, co-constructed autoethnography, three South Asian educational leaders (a racial justice scholar, a school administrator, and a senior district leader) examine the challenges and possibilities of cross-racial solidarity (CRS) within urban schooling contexts in Ontario, Canada. Positioning CRS as an integral competency of anti-racist, activist leadership that moves beyond performative representation, we analyze the complexities of navigating power across political, pedagogical, and personal/relational realms. Our findings extend anti-racist, activist leadership frameworks by highlighting horizontal readings of power, rhizomatic mappings of intersecting oppressions, embodied spiritual practices, and the necessity of movement-building.
This qualitative study examines the educational aspirations and advocacy practices of five mothers of color in and around Jackson Heights, Queens. Framed by Collins's motherwork and Yosso's aspirational capital, the analysis centers on how mothers enact care, resistance, and cultural transmission within school systems not built for their families. Drawing on three semistructured interviews per participant (August 2022–February 2023) alongside local policy and media documents, I identify four themes: (1) intergenerational lessons and transformation; (2) advocacy against systemic barriers; (3) parenting through transition and crisis (relocation, selective admissions, pandemic disruptions); and (4) safety, belonging, and stability as prerequisites for educational success. Mothers described protecting children from racialized harm, supplementing instruction, securing opportunities, and sustaining identity-affirming spaces. Findings reframe “family engagement” as political, emotional, and strategic labor—everyday motherwork that converts aspirational capital into concrete practices. This article discusses implications for leaders and policy makers, arguing for structures that recognize parent expertise, reduce institutional burden on families, and resource culturally sustaining partnerships.
This scholarly work details the conceptual development of an inclusive instructional tool for educator preparation programs. Created by a group of faculty members through critical conversations, the Tool aims to foster inclusive pedagogy and equity for culturally and linguistically diverse populations. This work presents a mechanism to prepare future educators for diverse classrooms, highlighting the potential for systemic change. It emphasizes that enduring allyship and reflexive practice are vital to disrupting structural inequities and fostering a more equitable educational environment for all learners.
This qualitative study examines how educators in California public schools conceptualize and respond to the needs of Central American unaccompanied minors. Using a sociohistorical trauma-reducing framework, we analyze interviews with 29 teachers, counselors, social workers, and afterschool providers. Findings highlight structural barriers to resources and identification, academic and linguistic challenges shaped by interrupted schooling, unmet mental health and socioemotional needs, and the burden educators assume as advocates within trauma-producing systems. Despite employing relational, justice-oriented practices, educators work within conditions that undermine sustainability, underscoring the need for trauma-reducing, equity-driven reforms.
