Black Women Be Knowing

Send us Fan MailWelcome to the Season 2 Finale! In this episode of BWBK, we dive into the intricate relationship between Black hair and education. We explore how hair journeys mirror personal and professional growth, discuss the resurgence of diverse Black hairstyles in media, and reflect on the cultural significance of hair in Black communities. The conversation also touches on the impact of literature on Black women's lives, featuring book recommendations that resonate with our experiences. Join us for an insightful discussion that celebrates identity, community, and the power of Black hair.Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we sit down with a powerful guest—a Black woman principal whose journey has taken her through multiple roles both inside and outside the classroom. She shares her lived experiences navigating school spaces where Black women are often underrepresented, reflecting honestly on the struggles she’s faced and the resilience required to keep going.Our guest speaks candidly about what sustains her as a leader, how her identity shapes her leadership, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. She offers wisdom and encouragement for Black women in school leadership, as well as practical and affirming advice for classroom teachers who are trying to survive—and thrive—in similar environments.This conversation is a reminder that while the work is challenging, Black women continue to lead with purpose, care, and courage. Whether you’re an aspiring administrator, a current school leader, or a classroom teacher, this episode will leave you feeling seen, validated, and inspired.Scholarship: Dr. Jenn M. Jackson https://jennmjackson.com/"Reimagining Teacher Education: Addressing the Developmental Needs of Black Women Preservice Teachers through a Hauntology Framework" by Mariah Deans Harmon https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2025.2565486"The Space Traders" by Derrick Bell in his book Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence Of Racism https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/466460.Faces_at_the_Bottom_of_the_WellSupport the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailWelcome back, BWBK crew! This week's conversation explores the profound impact of loss and grief within the educational system, particularly focusing on the experiences of teachers and students. It delves into the complexities of navigating racism and capitalism in education, the complicity of educators in a flawed system, and the need for community support and advocacy for Black children in predominantly white spaces. The speakers reflect on their personal experiences with loss, the importance of valuing life, and the necessity of creating a supportive environment for both students and teachers.Scholarship:Some of us die: a Black feminist researcher’s survival method for creatively refusing death and decay in the neoliberal academy by Dr. Esther O. Ohitohttps://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2020.1771463Check out the Miiriya app: https://www.miiriya.com/download-app/Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we explore the charge of Black education outside of the classroom. We were lucky enough to have Dr. T. Gertrude Jenkins join us to talk about her experience providing extra-curricular education and her scholarship on the creation of Black Liberatory Educational Subversive spaces. We highlight the need for Black-centered spaces in predominantly white institutions and reflects on the significance of community engagement and scholarship in fostering Black joy and identity.Scholarship:Follow Dr. Jenkins on Instagram @your_favorite_damn_teacherJoin Dissertating While Black @DissertatingWhileBlackFind out more about Making Us Matter @MakingUsMatter or at https://makingusmatter.com/Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailThis conversation explores the profound impact of black women on American culture, the unique challenges they face, and the importance of education in empowering future generations. We discuss the concept of 'black girl magic,' the commodification of black bodies, and the need for reclaiming intellectual property in educational spaces. We also delve into the dynamics of anti-blackness and whiteness, emphasizing the necessity of creating safe and affirming environments for black students.Scholarship: Check out our Essential Booklist! https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/190364270-bwbk?shelf=black-women-be-knowing&utf8=%E2%9C%93Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we delve into the legacy of Assata Shakur, discussing her impact on Black joy and excellence. We explore the challenges faced in education, particularly regarding ethnic studies and social justice curricula, amidst rising political scrutiny. The discussion emphasizes the importance of community advocacy and collective action in resisting educational oppression and fostering inclusive learning environments.Scholarship: "Remembering an Apocalyptic Education: Revealing Life Beneath the Waves of Black Being" by Dr. Tiffani Marie and Dr. Kenjus Watson https://www.rootworkjournal.org/marie-watsonApocalyptic Education by Dr. Kenjus Watson and Dr. Tiffani Marie https://www.apocalypticeducation.org/cultureSupport the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we dive deep into the often overlooked — but deeply rooted — phenomenon of white rage, and how these reactions to Black progress or visibility frequently come at the direct expense of the Black community. We explore how this whitelash, even when unwarranted, shapes policies, classrooms, and everyday interactions.We examine the urgent need to integrate Black history, culture, and experiences into school curricula — not as a side note, but as foundational to any meaningful education. We also discuss why teacher preparation programs must be equipped to dismantle biases, confront systemic inequities, and truly serve diverse student populations.Finally, we unpack the critical role of Black affinity spaces — in schools, workplaces, and communities — as sites of healing, empowerment, and resistance. These spaces aren’t exclusionary; they’re essential for survival and growth in systems not built with Black people in mind.Tune in for a raw, necessary conversation that challenges the status quo and calls for transformative change in both education and community structures.Scholarship:“'It’s the who and what are you afraid of?' for me: Centering Blackness in teacher education to equip preservice teachers for Black student success" by Shamaine Bertrand https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2025.2452986“The ‘Hidden Injuries’ of School Desegregation: Cultural Trauma and Transforming African American Identities” by Karida L. Brown https://doi.org/10.1057/ajcs.2016.4"Research, ideology, and the Brown decision: Counter-narratives to thehistorical and contemporary representation of Black schooling" by Jerome E. Morris https://doi.org/10.1177/016146810811000406"Learning in a Burning House: The Disintegration of American Education" by Sonya Horsford https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz4iYmM7Txs Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailWe're back and want to welcome you home this school year! In this episode we explore the hidden labor of Black women and the lack of infrastructure we tend to deal with while still being expected to succeed. Join us as we think about how Black women will face their circumstances in world that has the privilege to not consider their needs.Literature for the Week:"Deepening Black Celebration and Life in a Dying Empire: A Letter to Black People (and the people who love them)" by Justin A. Coles and Keisha L. Green https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10665684.2025.2504001?src=School Clothes: Black Student Witness by J.R. Givens https://www.jarvisgivens.com/books/school-clothes-a-collective-memoir-of-black-student-witnessSupport the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailIn this powerful episode, we sit down to answer pressing, real-world questions from our audience. Together, we reflect on the unique challenges and deep rewards of bringing the Black experience into classrooms and work spaces that often lack racial diversity.Listeners ask: How do you approach discussions about race, culture, or equity in a setting where students might have limited exposure to Black folks? And have you found solidarity with other women of color or do you still feel like no one else gets it?With honesty, heart, and hard-earned wisdom, we explore the possibilities of cross-racial solidarity, the emotional labor of representation, and the everyday strategies we use to affirm Black identity in predominantly white spaces. We were also asked for our essential reading list for the summer and while we listed six in the episode, we made an even more extensive on for you on GoodReads that you can find here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/190364270-bwbk?shelf=black-women-be-knowing&utf8=%E2%9C%93Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailAs we mark the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, this episode dives deep into the legacy and unfinished promise of school desegregation. While the 1954 Supreme Court ruling was hailed as a milestone for civil rights, we explore the complex realities that followed—from the mass displacement of Black female educators to the resegregation of schools under the guise of "color-blind" policies often championed by conservative agendas.We discuss how research continues to affirm the academic benefits of students having Black women as teachers, and we highlight how project-based and community action-driven learning approaches can foster equity and engagement in today's classrooms. The episode also celebrates the power of student voice through participation in research symposiums and conferences—transformative spaces where both students and educators grow as scholars and changemakers.Tune in for a powerful conversation about history, policy, and the radical potential of education when it is rooted in justice, identity, and action.Scholarship:Leslie T. Fenwick's Jim Crow's Pink Slip  https://hep.gse.harvard.edu/9781682537190/jim-crows-pink-slip/Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we unpack the dual realities of community and capitalism in the United States. On one hand, we explore the undeniable power of collective action—how safety, support, and real change are most often found when we show up for one another in community. But what happens when allyship becomes more about optics than solidarity?We take a critical look at how relationships in the U.S. are often shaped by a transactional mindset—fueled by a capitalist framework that values productivity over people. From performative allyship to fleeting support movements, we question the sustainability and sincerity of connection in a system designed to commodify it.Then we zoom out and examine the concept of planned obsolescence—not just in our tech and consumer goods, but in our social structures. Is our access to health insurance, education, and even our worth as workers designed to degrade over time? Are we only valuable as long as we’re profitable?Join us as we dig into these layered dynamics and challenge what it means to build true community in a world that profits off of disposability.Scholarship in this episode:Ruha Benjamin's Imagination: a Manifesto  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/imagination-ruha-benjamin/1143473094?ean=9781324020974Ruha Benjamin's Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want  https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691222882/viral-justiceHey, y'all! We're doing a call fpr submissions for our final episode of the season! Please send any questions, advice, stories, etc. that you may have on Instagram @BlackWomen.BeKnowing or on whichever platform you listen to us on. Thanks!Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailVenture through a variety of topics with us this week as we discuss the way we as Black women are viewed vs. how we see ourselves in and how that impacts us in the workplace, the lack of understanding Black women educators experience because of the luxury others have to not know our histories and traumas, and in particular how that lack of understanding impacts us in times like the current political climate. We cover a lot of ground this episode, but hope to spark some much needed conversation as we reflect on what feels all to real today. Fine this week's scholarship here:Bettina Love's We Want to Do More Than Survive  https://www.beacon.org/We-Want-to-Do-More-Than-Survive-P1446.aspxJarvis R. Givens' Fugitive Pedagogy: Carter G. Woodson and the Art of Black Teaching https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674278752Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we unpack how we navigate everything from being hired into spaces that claim to value diversity but lack the necessary infrastructure to support Black teachers, to experiencing racial gaslighting that undermines our professional and personal experiences. We dive deep into how we confront and cope with the toxic behaviors and microaggressions that often go unchecked in these spaces. How do we maintain our sense of self and continue to show up for our students, while also protecting our well-being in environments that were not built with us in mind?Tune in to hear our stories and gain a deeper understanding of the emotional labor Black women educators carry every day.Find the scholarship we explore here:Ruha Benjamin's Imagination a Manifesto  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/imagination-ruha-benjamin/1143473094?ean=9781324020974Natalie Morris' "What is ‘racial gaslighting’ – and why is it so damaging for people of colour?" https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/18/what-racial-gaslighting-why-damaging-people-colour-12866409/Jacquelyn Ogorchukwu Iyamah's Racial Gaslighting 101  https://www.instagram.com/p/CA82O3YlqUS/Letisha Engracia Cardoso Brown's Say Her Name: Centering Black Feminism and Black Women in Sport https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/search-results-grid/?contributor=letisha-engracia-cardoso-brownSupport the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailThe Jezebel and the Sapphire are caricatures of Black women that continue to cause harm today. Hang out with us as we discuss these enduring caricatures and the stereotypes they have planted in society as well as the treatment of Black women they have caused. From Megan the Stallion and Sojourner Truth to Black women educators, there is a consistent invisible weight that we carry as we try to navigate a world stacked against us. Find the scholarship we discuss here:Sharena Stevenson's "Black Female Educator: Underappreciated, Overworked, and the Indelible Quest for Agency Within the Educational System" https://irl.umsl.edu/dissertation/1428/Tyah-Amoy Roberts' "Black Woman Ungendered: How Society Failed Megan Thee Stallion" https://ojs.stanford.edu/ojs/index.php/theword/article/view/1983Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailWhat do we bring with us as adults working in predominantly white suburban institutions, when we spent our formative adolescent years in such similar environments? In today's episode, we reflect on our own high school years and how those experiences shaped, not only our adolescence, but our ongoing work as educators. We offer a unique perspective on the challenges and triumphs of educating the next generation in spaces where we once felt isolated. From navigating microaggressions and cultural dissonance to developing resilience and self-advocacy, we share personal stories and insights on how our high school selves inform the Black women educators we are today.  Join us for a conversation about the impact of these environments on both personal and professional growth.Check out the scholarship we discuss in this episode:Signithia Fordham's “Those Loud Black Girls”: (Black) Women, Silence, and Gender “Passing” in the Academy. https://doi.org/10.1525/aeq.1993.24.1.05x1736t Joy L. Lei's "(Un)Necessary Toughness?: Those "Loud Black Girls" and Those "Quiet Asian Boys" https://doi.org/10.1525/aeq.2003.34.2.158Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailIntroducing, Black Women Be Knowing, the podcast where we talk teaching in the 'burbs. Join us as we unpack the struggles of being two of the only Black women in our school and the emotional tole they take as we endure tokenism, microaggressions, and beyond! This week we will be discussing G.T. Reyes' (2022) article "A love letter to educational leaders of Color: “CREWing UP” with critical whiteness studies" and how having kin in a treacherous work environment is crucial to our survival. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09518398.2022.2061073Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!

Send us Fan MailJoin us every other Saturday starting this Saturday, Feb 8th as we dive into the lives of Black women educators working in the suburbs!Support the showThis is difficult work that we're doing, and even though we can't always be with you to bear witness, trust us, we know... Welcome home!