Intersectional Care for Black Boys in an Alternative School

Book excerpt: Intersectional Care for Black Boys in an Alternative School is an exploration of the possibilities that exist within educational spaces for Black male students when teachers care for these students while also acknowledging the intersectionality of Black male identity and the potential oppression and resilience that they experience as the result. Through examples from adolescent Black males and their teacher in an urban alternative school for those pushed out of traditional high school settings, ways that teachers can embody and enact intersectional care are revealed. This book explores the importance of the ethic of care in teacher student relationships for young Black men and the influence of identity constructions that produce positive and negative educational experiences of Black boys who are outside of traditional schooling. The voices of the young Black men are centered in this story as they describe experiences of marginalization in traditional high schools prior to attending their alternative school, which for them was a caring space. Cultivating positive environments and student teacher relationships with intersectional care represent important strategies to engage young Black men in education.