A Search Past Silence
The Literacy of Young Black Men
David E Kirkland author Donna E Alvermann editor Celia Genishi editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Teachers' College Press
Published:8th Apr '13
Should be back in stock very soon

This beautifully written book argues that educators need to understand the social worlds and complex literacy practices of African American males in order to pay the increasing educational debt we owe all youth and break the school-to-prison pipeline. Moving portraits from the lives of six friends bring to life the structural characteristics and qualities of meaning-making practices, particularly practices that reveal the political tensions of defining who gets to be literate and who does not. Key chapters on language, literacy, race, and masculinity examine how the literacies, languages, and identities of these friends are shaped by the silences of societal denial. Ultimately, A Search Past Silence is a passionate call for educators to listen to the silenced voices of Black youth and to re-imagine the concept of being literate in a multicultural democratic society.
“An essential read for anyone interested in equity, social justice, and the value of Black lives.”
—TC Record
ISBN: 9780807754078
Dimensions: 229mm x 156mm x 10mm
Weight: 295g
208 pages