School controversy and student protest centered around a Black History program: a phenomenological study of student activists

Abstract

Since 1926 there has been controversy around the implementation of Black History into the school curriculum. Currently, schools are faced with the controversy that surrounds the implementation of activities associated with Black History and multicultural education. The purpose of this dissertation was to find out the narrative experience of student activists involved with a school controversy and student protest centered around a Black History Program in a Louisiana school. Seven student activists were interviewed about their experiences. A modified Seidman (1998) interviewing technique was used to give the researcher the necessary data. Two students from an additional school were used for triangulation purposes, which further added validity to the study. Thematic analysis was used to develop themes for this study. Once the themes were developed, excerpts and analysis allowed for the voices of student activists to be heard. Six themes emerged from this study: 1) Misinformation, 2) Monocultural attitudes, 3) Awareness, 4) Empowerment, 5) Teachers who care, and 6) Voice in the curriculum.