Chenae is an Ohio native and PhD student in UW’s College of Education, Special Education department. Her previous teaching experiences include supporting school aged diverse learners in Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, DC, and Seattle, WA. In addition to being a student, Chenae currently supports with preparing master’s level teaching candidates to transition into teaching full time in the classroom and teaching classes focusing on early childhood education as an adjunct faculty member. Chenae’s current research highlights and celebrates Black girls’ voices and the unique practices they are using to outmaneuver inequitable and disproportionate school practices.
Chenae’s project summary:
Throughout our history, us Black girls have fought to create spaces uniquely different and unorthodox but compatible to meeting our needs such as reimagining community and caretaking. Our work of reimagining has often been a form of resistance when facing inequity and exclusionary practices, especially within education settings. Despite the existence of creatively constructed barriers, we have successfully navigated harmful education settings. We also remain aware that these spaces were not built with our successes in mind.
However, this poster illustrates a space built with us in mind, that considers our desires, needs, safety, care, and what we need to thrive. We need learning spaces that are intentional about protecting the being, existence, and safe navigation of Black girls. This poster of the gymnasium has been remodeled to fortify our development and unique existence. Creating an interpretation of the gymnasium (within a future reimagined school building) allows me to dream of different approaches to support the growth of Black girls in education settings that are tailored to prioritize incorporating our needs, center Black girlhood, and provide the support required to progress into Black womanhood.
I chose to focus this poster on the gymnasium because the space is a common area, accessible to people of all backgrounds especially when considering the many identities of Black girls, and can be a gathering place for local community members that represent the student population. Gymnasiums are a space where people vote, have community meetings, participate in various competitions and over time have remained safe and affirming spaces for many communities and now for Black girls.
In the background of the poster there are Black girls simply existing and being, announcements on the wall to remind students of ways that we are centering our school community around our own needs, and the image of a Fulani woman at center court. Looking forward we must focus on further conceptualizing how we will build spaces where Black girls can thrive.