It is no secret there are problems with the United States adequately reaching Black youth in our public education system. Many argue that the system is tailored to benefit white students, leaving the Black and Minority students with the options of conformity, or getting left behind. Many are quick to point out the problems of our education system but fail to offer any insight or solutions on how we can reach all students in our education system. Gholdy Muhammad book, Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy aims to find solutions to educating Black youth by drawing from how Blacks would educate on another and applying that framework to our modern-day education system.
Although many black individuals were freed far before the conclusion of the civil war, they were freed from slavery but were not free to participate as active members of the United States society. Sure, they were free, but that is essentially like someone being held prisoner on a boat, and then stating they are free because they get left in open waters. They were not actively enslaved, but they were left on their own with little to no support. In time, they created their own life raft, through the forming of Black literary societies. The self-taught societies would learn to better understand their identities, learn what it means to live, and take their knowledge and use it in their fight for civil rights. The question of how Blacks educated themselves when left to their own devices is the basis of Muhammad’s book, where she examines these 19th century learning and how these individuals used literacy to change their lives and start defining their own narratives, applying this educational framework to the education system today.
This framework Muhammad creates is known as Historically Responsive Literacy, where teaching and learning responds to students’ identities, the cultural identities of others, and the social times, both historical and current. The framework has four key objectives, which are the pursuit of identity, skill, intellect, and critically. In promoting identity, Muhammad advocates for more lessons focusing on how students see themselves, as well as seeing themselves in their learning through content that is applicable to their lives. Muhammad’s framework has a big push for literacy, as it is the foundation for developing all other skills. Cultivating Genius argues that instead of current standardized testing, which is tailored to a white audience, Black students need to be show that intellect is not something that is held dormant in one’s mind, but something to be used. opportunity to show their intellect through the power of doing. She advocates for in class debates and other activities which allow the students to witness firsthand the power of information and what can be done with it. Lastly, historically responsive literacy promotes criticality, to open the student’s eyes to the injustices around them, to learn and better our society.
The most significant aspect of Muhammad’s book is the fact she not only creates a sound argument in the theory of using culturally and historically responsive literacy to reach black students, but she also provides concrete methods on achieving these goals. With insight on reading materials to select, lesson plans and lesson plan templates, Muhammad shows the current education does not need to be completely reformed to achieve the goals outlined in her book, as the current system can still offer opportunities to provide historically responsive literacy while still meeting CCSS standards. Merely, educators just need a change in classroom materials and perspectives to reach the Black youth our education system as been failing.
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Cultivating Genius and Joy begins here!
This is groundbreaking and life-changing reading and learning. All educators need to read, highlight, take notes, and DO THE WORK in Cultivating Genius. Dr. Muhammad teaches you how to frame and center teaching around Black genius and joy, gives sample lessons, and shares useful sources. I ordered my first book, then had to order 2 more to give as gifts. If you're looking for a tool to help you change the trajectory of your curriculum, your practice, and your mindset, this is the book! Once you get into it, I suggest you attend any webinars/workshops by Dr. Muhammad to better strengthen your knowledge and skill set.
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