Holding the Gate Open: Black Teachers Upholding and Extending Democracy
Given all that lies at the intersection of race and citizenship, Black teachers have always had a unique relationship with democracy. Black teachers in the United States have historically had to teach Black students about a democracy that they could not fully participate in, helping them gain an understanding of what it meant to civically engage in a nation where they were relegated to second-class citizenship (Preston-Grimes, 2007). Contemporarily, Black teachers in the United States help Black students navigate civic estrangement (Duncan, 2025; Tillet, 2012) and teach students important lessons about citizenship and belonging in rapidly changing political contexts. This is not unique to the United States as Black teachers work to help Black students navigate contentious political and social contexts across the globe, all while dealing with isolation (Wilkins & Lall, 2011) and having racialized stereotypes projected onto their bodies (Callender, 2020).
This special issue will highlight the role Black teachers play in helping students understand democracy and the connections between race and citizenship in the current global political context. The current global political context is one in which teaching about race and racism has become illegal in numerous U.S. states, politicians around the world wilfully spew racism and xenophobia, and politicians and powerful groups are attempting to revise history, erasing the contributions of marginalized groups. Articles published in this special issue will examine how Black teachers, in the U.S. and beyond, approach discussing race in their classrooms and how they help students make connections between race and citizenship. This includes how they help students understand democracy and their place in it, as well how they work to make democracy more accessible for their students.
This special issue invites both conceptual and empirical articles about Black teachers upholding and extending democracy by helping students better understand and navigate the intersection of race and citizenship. Potential topics include (but are not limited to):
- Black teachers’ civic understandings
- Black teachers’ responses to curricular mandates that erase Black historical contributions
- Black teachers helping students understand how race impacts citizenship
- Black teachers helping students understand expanded notions of citizenship
- Black teachers helping students navigate the current political climate
Submissions Information
Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available here: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jfme
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see here: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/jme
Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to ““Please select the issue you are submitting to”.
Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.
Key Deadlines
Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 08/09/2025
Closing date for manuscripts submission: 03/06/2026
For more details refer here
