This paper centers Black Studies textbook and curriculum development as a pedagogical and praxis-driven act of resistance enacted through teaching, collective study, and instructional decision-making amid intensifying efforts to erase Black contributions from U.S. education. Drawing on a collaborative study of middle school Black Studies curriculum building in Illinois, we illustrate how educators and researchers mobilize liberatory pedagogy through their teaching practices and curricular choices. Using narrative inquiry and thematic analysis of focus group reflexive narration, findings illuminate Black Studies teaching as ancestral, testimonial, and deeply embodied work where pedagogy moves beyond content delivery toward ethical commitment, political refusal, and communal preservation. The study highlights how teaching practices are shaped by tension, resistance to institutional constraint, and collective responsibility amid ideological differences, revealing praxis as the sustained alignment of belief, action, and accountability to Black intellectual traditions. Implications speak directly to teacher preparation, curriculum design, and pedagogical strategy, positioning Black Studies teaching as a critical method of educational justice praxis rather than a neutral or supplemental curricular endeavor.

Authors:
Asif Wilson, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, United States
Kylee Coney, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, United States
Khalila Lomax, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, United States
Aliviyah Allen, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, United States
Mariela Reynaga, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, United States
Alissa Irvin, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Kylee Coney is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research centers educational reform and equitable policies and practices to benefit marginalized students across race, ability, and socioeconomic status.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alissa-irvin

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