American Educator, Activist, and Advocate

Kay Ann Taylor is associate professor of historical, philosophical, and comparative studies in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Kansas State University.

This brave book, which tells the story of a Black female educator through multiple philosophical lenses of oppression and liberation, comes at a time when Critical Race Theory (CRT) is being maligned by ultra conservative politicians who have purposely misrepresented the basic tenets of CRT and the importance of its inclusion in the education of Americans on the continued central role of race in U.S. society. It also comes at a time when these same politicians are redefining what it means to be ‘Woke’ and the history of oppression in U.S. society. Therefore, any mention of theories or even themes supported by Black Feminist Thought and other emancipatory analyses, as outlined by Taylor, have become grounds for firing superintendents and teachers and the erasure from school libraries of any historical accounts, such as the life of Eleanor, or any multicultural or ‘diverse’ books. While this is a challenging time for such emancipatory analyses and thinking, it is a perfect time for this publication to challenge these misrepresentations. American Educator, Activist, and Advocate: Eleanor Rebecca Powell Archer tells a full, rich, and compelling story and an accurate portrait of a Black female educator, all while educating us on the context of her journey and accomplishments.

• List of FiguresAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1: The Embeddedness of Racism: Maintaining the Status QuoChapter 2: The Foundation for Developing Black Woman’s StandpointChapter 3: Transforming an Institution: Confronting Barriers of Race and GenderChapter 4: Sumner High School: A Culture of Community and PotentialChapter 5: Reclaiming Self-Reliance and Black Woman’s StandpointChapter 6: Multicultural and STEM Activist and Advocate EducatorChapter 7: Community Service and Development, Family, and Learning through TravelChapter 8: Challenges Remain in the Ongoing Quest to Disrupt the Status QuoBibliographyAbout the Author