Subversive Scholarship: Exploring Fugitive Pedagogy at a Historically Black College and University in Texas. Do We Do it?

Abstract

Pre-service teacher curriculum represents the complex interplay between governance and teacher education. Current mandates for teacher certification include stricter certification and licensing provisions. Prioritizing cultural relevance and Black empowerment, HBCUs have a history of resisting oppressive societal attitudes and systems. Likewise, their teacher preparation courses offer Black preservice teachers the opportunity to practice their legacy of fugitive pedagogy openly and systematically. Nevertheless, they are required to confront their past accomplishments while adhering to state-sanctioned regulations on imparting educators with “official teacher knowledge” for certification. Using a conceptual framework that integrates official knowledge and fugitive pedagogy through the lens of governmentality, this chapter conducted a content analysis between the one course within a teacher preparation program at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Texas against standards of official knowledge provided by Texas Education Agency (TEA). The results suggest that HBCUs maintains their distinctive educational mission despite state control and regulation, albeit not fully. Accordingly, recommendations for further study and practice are provided.