Following Giroux ( Citation2000), public pedagogy understands political agency for social change in public spaces, social movements, and on the internet, as important sites of education and learning beyond the institutions of schools and classrooms. This paper presents an empirical study of critical public pedagogy on an internet discussion forum that aims to empower Black people, and to educate Whites to unlearn racism through transformative interracial dialogue. Honest confrontation and critical dialogue lead several White participants to acknowledge their subjectivity, become aware of White privilege, and examine and change dominating communicative behavior towards Blacks. Analysis of empirical examples shows how Blacks who follow Patricia Hill Collins’ Black feminist epistemology, and show emotions, speak from experience, and demand rhetoric to be translated into action challenge White people’s detached, Eurocentric perspectives, and dominating communicative behavior. It proposes that epistemological change is required from White participants to cross the perception gap. Drawing on Freire’s education for critical consciousness and bell hooks’ work on unlearning racism – understood as structural and interpersonal dominance relations – the paper shows how transformative interracial dialogues are possible despite difficulties. Presenting an empirical study of critical public pedagogy, this paper analyzes interracial dialogues on an internet forum run by conscious Black people who set the terms and challenge White participants who reflect a colorblind ideology.
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