A Womanist Experience of Caring: Understanding the Pedagogy of Exemplary Black Women Teachers

In recent years, a compelling discussion in education has centered on caring. In this paper, I contribute to this dialogue by suggesting that there is a particular form of caring exhibited in the pedagogy of exemplary black women teachers. It is the purpose of this paper to illuminate central aspects of their pedagogy as facets of womanism, an epistemological perspective based on the collective experiences of black women. As educators who exhibit womanist caring, such teachers demonstrate the following three characteristics: an embrace of the maternal, political clarity, and an ethic of risk. In describing each characteristic, I provide both contemporary and historical evidence to demonstrate that womanism is part of a long-standing tradition among African-American women teachers. I conclude the paper by suggesting that we can better inform pre- and in-service educators about the types of teachers that our students need from an understanding of how and why exemplary teachers exhibit their womanist caring.