Toward a BlackBoyCrit Pedagogy

Book excerpt: Critical and necessary, this book provides a window into the education and lives of Black boys in early childhood settings. Drawing on Black Critical Theory and Black Male Studies, and applying portraiture methodology, Bryan explores experiences of Black boys and their male teachers in ways that affirm their humanity and acknowledge the consequences of existing in a white supremacist system. Bryan’s nuanced and comprehensive portraits honor the voices of Black boys and their male teachers, and counter the one-dimensional and essentialist perspectives that proliferate in our schools, which Bryan identifies as anti-Black misandry. Introducing BlackBoyCrit Pedagogy, Bryan addresses the impact of socially constructed stereotypes and perceptions in the classroom and highlights the importance of educators who challenge such practices. In so doing, he provides a much-needed in-depth examination of pedagogies, literacies, and practices Black male teachers employ, as well as a perceptive view of the academic and social landscapes Black boys must navigate.