Gloria Ladson-Billings
Biographic Data
| ID | 1476837 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Gloria Ladson-Billings |
| GIVEN NAMES | Gloria |
| FAMILY NAME | Ladson-Billings |
| SIGNATURE | LADSON-BILLINGS G |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9371-2901 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 51 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 4158 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 49 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1990 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 18 |
Brown at 70: Commitment or Commemoration
The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision is iconic in American jurisprudence. It is taught in public schools as a part of our history and US Government courses. Legal professionals almost universally regard it as a rightly decided ruling that showcases the meaning of the 14 th Amendment. However, the decision has never been fully implemented and was regularly met with active resistance. This essay addresses some of the unfulfilled promises o…
The Past, Present, and Future of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: An Invitation to Teachers, Researchers, and Communities
In this Voices: Reflective Accounts of Education essay, Gloria Ladson-Billings, Django Paris, H. Samy Alim, and Na’ilah Suad Nasir speak to the past, present, and future of culturally sustaining pedagogies. This dialogue marks the tenth anniversary of the Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies Symposium, published in the Harvard Educational Review in 2014, where the authors illustrated how culturally relevant, sustaining, and revitalizing pedagogies ar…
How Pedagogy Makes the Difference in U.S. Schools
Emerging from the modern U.S. civil rights era, scholars have promoted ethnic and multicultural studies as strategies for improving the educational performance of students who have traditionally been marginalized in classrooms nationwide. Among the most marginalized are students who have experienced historic discrimination because of their racial, ethnic, linguistic, and immigrant status. The student population of United States comprises diverse …
Culture Centers in Higher Education: Perspectives on Identity, Theory, and Practice
Foundations of Critical Race Theory in Education
"Teacher Education and "Climate Change: In Navigating Multiple Pandemics, Is the Field Forever Altered
Critical Race Theory—What It Is Not!
The late Professor Derrick A. Bell is considered the “Father of Critical Race Theory,” perhaps because of his prolific writing on the topic, his instrumental role in educating many cohorts of law scholars who fostered the movement, and the principles by which he lived his life and his career. A policy example of interest convergence came about when President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 10925 in March 1961 that included a provision that…
Three Decades of Culturally Relevant, Responsive, & Sustaining Pedagogy: What Lies Ahead
Since 1988 I have been researching what I came to call, “Culturally Relevant Pedagogy” (CRP). This work, that examines the pedagogical expertise of those teachers who are successful with students w
I’m Here for the Hard Re-Set: Post Pandemic Pedagogy to Preserve Our Culture
The challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed many of the nation’s vulnerabilities—health care, economic, climate, and educational disparities—and put us all on alert. While many are scrambling for solutions to return to school in safe ways, this article speaks to the need to fundamentally rethink education and consider the pandemic as an opportunity to restart, or more precisely re-set, education using a more robust and culturally centered peda…
Policy Dialogue: Black Teachers of the Past, Present, and Future
In the second half of the twentieth century, the ranks of Black teachers and school administrators declined precipitously. Today, less than 7 percent of American teachers are Black. This loss has had a number of consequences for schools and communities, but perhaps especially for Black students. As recent research has found, Black students benefit socially and academically from having a Black teacher, are less likely to be suspended or expelled, …
Denzin, Norman
Critical race theory (CRT) is an interdisciplinary approach that seeks to understand and combat race inequity in society. The approach views race as a socially constructed identity that plays a hugely important role, which goes largely unrecognized by members of the majority population. CRT defines racism more broadly than is usual in the mainstream. Rather than seeing racism as an individual manifestation of hatred, CRT explores the social struc…
Apresentação - Formação De Educadoras/Es, Diversidade E Compromisso Social
The Social Funding of Race: The Role of Schooling
Our nation is suffused in questions of race and racism. Despite much scholarly and public discussion we struggle to undo long-held assumptions about race and how it functions. This article looks at race from the perspective of a public commodity that the society “funds” in order to make it seem real and intractable. Throughout the article there are multiple examples of the everyday, commonsense things people in this society do to fund the concept…
What Should High School Students Know
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Makes Me Wanna Holler: Refuting the "Culture of Poverty" Discourse in Urban Schooling
A common explanation of why urban students fail to succeed in the classroom is that they are coming from a "culture of poverty." This article argues that urban students, particularly those who are African American, face a series of structural and institutional barriers that impede their pathways to success. Lack of access to quality healthcare, affordable housing, and quality schools means that the nation's most disadvantaged children remain disa…
«Covenant Keeper»: Derrick Bell's Enduring Education Legacy
And Then There Is This Thing Called the Curriculum: Organization, Imagination, and Mind
Despite the long history of curriculum studies in the American Educational Research Association, few past presidents have used their presidential addresses to speak about the curriculum and its importance in education research and teaching. In this essay, I examined the presidential addresses (and paper) of three well-known curriculum theorists—Harold Rugg, Maxine Greene, and Eliot Eisner—to share their perspectives on the curriculum as a vehicle…
Getting to Sesame Street? Fifty Years of Federal Compensatory Education
Gloria Ladson-Billings, Getting to Sesame Street? Fifty Years of Federal Compensatory Education, RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, Vol. 1, No. 3, The Elementary and Secondary Education Act at Fifty and Beyond (December 2015), pp. 96-111
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: A.k.a. the Remix
In this article, Ladson-Billings reflects on the history of her theory of culturally relevant pedagogy and the ways it has been used and misused since its inception. She argues for the importance of dynamic scholarship and suggests that it is time for a “remix” of her original theory: culturally sustaining pedagogy, as proposed by Paris (2012). Ladson-Billings discusses her work with the hip-hop and spoken word program First Wave as an example of…
Stakes Is High: Educating New Century Students
Gloria Ladson-Billings, "Stakes Is High": Educating New Century Students, The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 82, No. 2, The 33rd Annual Charles H. Thompson Lecture"Stakes is High": Educating New Century Students (Spring 2013), pp. 105-110
Through a Glass Darkly: The Persistence of Race in Education Research & Scholarship
Although education researchers understand that race is a problematic concept of spurious value, the concept persists in our research and scholarship. Each of the social sciences that contribute to the field of education has a history of racialized understandings that make their way to both our research and practice. Until we begin to carefully examine the way race and racialized thinking influence our work, we will continue to perpetuate destruct…
The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children
Gloria Ladson-Billings revisits the eight teachers who were profiled in the first edition and introduces us to new teachers who are current exemplars of good teaching. She shows that culturally relevant teaching is not a matter of race, gender, or teaching style. What matters most is a teacher's efforts to work with the unique strengths a child brings to the classroom. --from publisher description.
Who you callin’ nappy‐headed?’ A critical race theory look at the construction of Black women
The spring 2007 furor over New York City syndicated radio personality Don Imus’ racist and demeaning characterization of a group of African American women on a college basketball team set off a firestorm of debate and discussion throughout US media. However, little of this discussion focused on the broader constructions of Black women as unattractive, undesirable, and morally suspect. These constructions from popular culture find their way into e…
City Kids, City Schools: More Reports from the Front Row
City Kids City Schools: More Reports from the Front Row
Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
In the midst of discussions about improving education, teacher education, equity, and diversity, little has been done to make pedagogy a central area of investigation. This article attempts to challenge notions about the intersection of culture and teaching that rely solely on microanalytic or macroanalytic perspectives. Rather, the article attempts to build on the work done in both of these areas and proposes a culturally relevant theory of educ…
Just what is critical race theory and what's it doing in a nice field like education
Critical race theory (CRT) first emerged as a counterlegal scholarship to the positivistand liberal legal discourse of civil rights. This scholarly tradition argues against the slow pace of racial reform in the United States. Critical race theory begins with the notion that racism is normal in American society. It departs from mainstream legal scholarship by sometimes employing storytelling. It critiques liberalism and argues that Whites have bee…
From the Achievement Gap to the Education Debt: Understanding Achievement in U.S. Schools
The achievement gap is one of the most talked-about issues in U.S. education. The term refers to the disparities in standardized test scores between Black and White, Latina/o and White, and recent immigrant and White students. This article argues that a focus on the gap is misplaced. Instead, we need to look at the “education debt” that has accumulated over time. This debt comprises historical, economic, sociopolitical, and moral components. The …
But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy
1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 34, Culturally Relevant Teaching, pp. 159-165
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: A.k.a. the Remix
In this article, Ladson-Billings reflects on the history of her theory of culturally relevant pedagogy and the ways it has been used and misused since its inception. She argues for the importance of dynamic scholarship and suggests that it is time for a “remix” of her original theory: culturally sustaining pedagogy, as proposed by Paris (2012). Ladson-Billings discusses her work with the hip-hop and spoken word program First Wave as an example of…
Landing on the Wrong Note: The Price We Paid for Brown
Silences as weapons: Challenges of a black professor teaching white students
1996). Silences as weapons: Challenges of a black professor teaching white students. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 35, Situated Pedagogies: Classroom Practices in Postmodern Times, pp. 79-85
Fighting for Our Lives: Preparing Teachers to Teach African American Students
The quest for quality education is a part of the ongoing struggle faced by African Americans. Few, if any, teacher education programs design programs that expressly meet the needs of African American students. Although some teacher preparation programs are designed for "urban" education, the significance of African American culture rarely is a feature of such programs. This article addresses the uniqueness of the African American cultural experie…
Liberatory Consequences of Literacy: A Case of Culturally Relevant Instruction for African American Students
Richards further asserts that culture is amazingly resilient. In spite of the most culturally destructive forces in history, it has not disappeared (p. 229). Indeed, Africans and their culture are a pervasive force throughout the world. Diaspora, a term most often attributed to the Jewish people and the Jewish community outside of Palestine, also refers to the dispersion of African descent peoples throughout the world. The African Diaspora is rea…
Reading between the lines and beyond the pages: A culturally relevant approach to literacy teaching
1992). Reading between the lines and beyond the pages: A culturally relevant approach to literacy teaching. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 31, Literacy and the African-American Learner/The Struggle Between Access and Denial, pp. 312-320
It's Not the Culture of Poverty, It's the Poverty of Culture: The Problem with Teacher Education
The preparation of novice teachers is dominated by psychological notions almost to the exclusion of other social science paradigms. The perspective that is least likely to be evident in teacher preparation is that of anthropology. However, prospective and novice teachers regularly and loosely use the word "culture" as an explanation for student patterns of behavior they cannot explain. This discussion focuses on the ways prospective and novice te…
The evolving role of critical race theory in educational scholarship
In 1994 the legal scholarship movement, critical race theory (CRT), was introduced in education. Since that time, a variety of scholars have taken up CRT as a way to analyze and critique educational research and practice. In this brief summary the author addresses the themes of the articles found in this issue and offers words of encouragement to a new generation of scholars who see CRT as a valuable tool for making sense of persistent racial ine…
Is the Team All Right? Diversity and Teacher Education
As an avid sports fan, I have sat through an incredible number of athletic contests watching the efforts of finely tuned athletes in competition. The athletes are supported by coaches, equipment, facilities, and of course, their fans. In high-profile sports such as football and basketball, the fans are encouraged by the enthusiasm and choreography of cheerleaders. As a teenager, I remember a call and response cheer that started with the cheerlead…
It's Your World, I'm Just Trying to Explain It: Understanding Our Epistemological and Methodological Challenges
Through a Glass Darkly: The Persistence of Race in Education Research & Scholarship
Although education researchers understand that race is a problematic concept of spurious value, the concept persists in our research and scholarship. Each of the social sciences that contribute to the field of education has a history of racialized understandings that make their way to both our research and practice. Until we begin to carefully examine the way race and racialized thinking influence our work, we will continue to perpetuate destruct…
Your blues ain't like mine: Keeping issues of race and racism on the multicultural agenda
1996). “Your blues ain't like mine”: Keeping issues of race and racism on the multicultural agenda. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 35, Multicultural Education: Cases and Commentaries, pp. 248-255
Like lightning in a bottle: Attempting to capture the pedagogical excellence of successful teachers of black students 1
Despite the dismal academic outlook for black students in urban schools, some teachers are capable of helping black students attain academic and cultural success. These teachers have notions of school success that transcend standardized tests. They engage in culturally relevant teaching ‐ in their conceptions of themselves and their students, in their classroom social relations, and in their conceptions of knowledge. Having successful teachers ta…
Who you callin’ nappy‐headed?’ A critical race theory look at the construction of Black women
The spring 2007 furor over New York City syndicated radio personality Don Imus’ racist and demeaning characterization of a group of African American women on a college basketball team set off a firestorm of debate and discussion throughout US media. However, little of this discussion focused on the broader constructions of Black women as unattractive, undesirable, and morally suspect. These constructions from popular culture find their way into e…
Makes Me Wanna Holler: Refuting the "Culture of Poverty" Discourse in Urban Schooling
A common explanation of why urban students fail to succeed in the classroom is that they are coming from a "culture of poverty." This article argues that urban students, particularly those who are African American, face a series of structural and institutional barriers that impede their pathways to success. Lack of access to quality healthcare, affordable housing, and quality schools means that the nation's most disadvantaged children remain disa…
Beyond Multicultural Illiteracy
One of the most hotly contested issues on America's college campuses today is the preservation of Western civilization in the minds of students via the infusion of the literature and history of Ancient Greece and Rome and western Europe. As two best-selling books, Cultural Literacy (Hirsch, 1987) and The Closing of the American Mind (Bloom, 1987) contend, America's youth are out of touch with this cultural heritage. Both Hirsch and Bloom raise th…
And Then There Is This Thing Called the Curriculum: Organization, Imagination, and Mind
Despite the long history of curriculum studies in the American Educational Research Association, few past presidents have used their presidential addresses to speak about the curriculum and its importance in education research and teaching. In this essay, I examined the presidential addresses (and paper) of three well-known curriculum theorists—Harold Rugg, Maxine Greene, and Eliot Eisner—to share their perspectives on the curriculum as a vehicle…
Teaching in Dangerous Times: Culturally Relevant Approaches to Teacher Assessment
Gloria Ladson-Billings, Teaching in Dangerous Times: Culturally Relevant Approaches to Teacher Assessment, The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 67, No. 3, Assessment in the Context of Culture and Pedagogy (Summer, 1998), pp. 255-267
"Teacher Education and "Climate Change: In Navigating Multiple Pandemics, Is the Field Forever Altered
Stakes Is High: Educating New Century Students
Gloria Ladson-Billings, "Stakes Is High": Educating New Century Students, The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 82, No. 2, The 33rd Annual Charles H. Thompson Lecture"Stakes is High": Educating New Century Students (Spring 2013), pp. 105-110
Policy Dialogue: Black Teachers of the Past, Present, and Future
In the second half of the twentieth century, the ranks of Black teachers and school administrators declined precipitously. Today, less than 7 percent of American teachers are Black. This loss has had a number of consequences for schools and communities, but perhaps especially for Black students. As recent research has found, Black students benefit socially and academically from having a Black teacher, are less likely to be suspended or expelled, …
Like lightning in a bottle: Attempting to capture the pedagogical excellence of successful teachers of black students 1
Despite the dismal academic outlook for black students in urban schools, some teachers are capable of helping black students attain academic and cultural success. These teachers have notions of school success that transcend standardized tests. They engage in culturally relevant teaching ‐ in their conceptions of themselves and their students, in their classroom social relations, and in their conceptions of knowledge. Having successful teachers ta…
Beyond Multicultural Illiteracy
One of the most hotly contested issues on America's college campuses today is the preservation of Western civilization in the minds of students via the infusion of the literature and history of Ancient Greece and Rome and western Europe. As two best-selling books, Cultural Literacy (Hirsch, 1987) and The Closing of the American Mind (Bloom, 1987) contend, America's youth are out of touch with this cultural heritage. Both Hirsch and Bloom raise th…
Reading between the lines and beyond the pages: A culturally relevant approach to literacy teaching
1992). Reading between the lines and beyond the pages: A culturally relevant approach to literacy teaching. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 31, Literacy and the African-American Learner/The Struggle Between Access and Denial, pp. 312-320
Liberatory Consequences of Literacy: A Case of Culturally Relevant Instruction for African American Students
Richards further asserts that culture is amazingly resilient. In spite of the most culturally destructive forces in history, it has not disappeared (p. 229). Indeed, Africans and their culture are a pervasive force throughout the world. Diaspora, a term most often attributed to the Jewish people and the Jewish community outside of Palestine, also refers to the dispersion of African descent peoples throughout the world. The African Diaspora is rea…
Toward a Critical Race Theory of Education
This article asserts that despite the salience of race in U.S. society, as a topic of scholarly inquiry, it remains untheorized. The article argues for a critical race theoretical perspective in education analogous to that of critical race theory in legal scholarship by developing three propositions: (1) race continues to be significant in the United States; (2) U.S. society is based on property rights rather than human rights; and (3) the inters…
But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy
1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 34, Culturally Relevant Teaching, pp. 159-165
Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
In the midst of discussions about improving education, teacher education, equity, and diversity, little has been done to make pedagogy a central area of investigation. This article attempts to challenge notions about the intersection of culture and teaching that rely solely on microanalytic or macroanalytic perspectives. Rather, the article attempts to build on the work done in both of these areas and proposes a culturally relevant theory of educ…
This Issue: Culturally relevant teaching
Your blues ain't like mine: Keeping issues of race and racism on the multicultural agenda
1996). “Your blues ain't like mine”: Keeping issues of race and racism on the multicultural agenda. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 35, Multicultural Education: Cases and Commentaries, pp. 248-255
Silences as weapons: Challenges of a black professor teaching white students
1996). Silences as weapons: Challenges of a black professor teaching white students. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 35, Situated Pedagogies: Classroom Practices in Postmodern Times, pp. 79-85
It Doesn't Add up: African American Students' Mathematics Achievement
Gloria Ladson-Billings, It Doesn't Add up: African American Students' Mathematics Achievement, Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Vol. 28, No. 6, Equity, Mathematics Reform, and Research: Crossing Boundaries in Search of Understanding (Dec., 1997), pp. 697-708
Just what is critical race theory and what's it doing in a nice field like education
Critical race theory (CRT) first emerged as a counterlegal scholarship to the positivistand liberal legal discourse of civil rights. This scholarly tradition argues against the slow pace of racial reform in the United States. Critical race theory begins with the notion that racism is normal in American society. It departs from mainstream legal scholarship by sometimes employing storytelling. It critiques liberalism and argues that Whites have bee…
Teaching in Dangerous Times: Culturally Relevant Approaches to Teacher Assessment
Gloria Ladson-Billings, Teaching in Dangerous Times: Culturally Relevant Approaches to Teacher Assessment, The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 67, No. 3, Assessment in the Context of Culture and Pedagogy (Summer, 1998), pp. 255-267
Preparing Teachers for Diverse Student Populations: A Critical Race Theory Perspective
Chapter 7: Preparing Teachers for Diverse Student Populations: A Critical Race Theory Perspective
Fighting for Our Lives: Preparing Teachers to Teach African American Students
The quest for quality education is a part of the ongoing struggle faced by African Americans. Few, if any, teacher education programs design programs that expressly meet the needs of African American students. Although some teacher preparation programs are designed for "urban" education, the significance of African American culture rarely is a feature of such programs. This article addresses the uniqueness of the African American cultural experie…
Critical Race Theory Perspectives on the Social Studies: The Profession, Policies, and Curriculum
Fourteen American and Canadian academics contribute 13 chapters placing race at the center of an understanding of social studies practices in education. They consider ways the curriculum, profession, policies, and the current embrace of technology conform to a racial script which makes race invisible. By using critical race theory for their analyses, they prevent readers from turning to other factors to explain the ongoing inequities in schools a…
It's Your World, I'm Just Trying to Explain It: Understanding Our Epistemological and Methodological Challenges
Landing on the Wrong Note: The Price We Paid for Brown
The evolving role of critical race theory in educational scholarship
In 1994 the legal scholarship movement, critical race theory (CRT), was introduced in education. Since that time, a variety of scholars have taken up CRT as a way to analyze and critique educational research and practice. In this brief summary the author addresses the themes of the articles found in this issue and offers words of encouragement to a new generation of scholars who see CRT as a valuable tool for making sense of persistent racial ine…
From the Desk of the President
Is the Team All Right? Diversity and Teacher Education
As an avid sports fan, I have sat through an incredible number of athletic contests watching the efforts of finely tuned athletes in competition. The athletes are supported by coaches, equipment, facilities, and of course, their fans. In high-profile sports such as football and basketball, the fans are encouraged by the enthusiasm and choreography of cheerleaders. As a teenager, I remember a call and response cheer that started with the cheerlead…
From the Desk of the President
From the Achievement Gap to the Education Debt: Understanding Achievement in U.S. Schools
The achievement gap is one of the most talked-about issues in U.S. education. The term refers to the disparities in standardized test scores between Black and White, Latina/o and White, and recent immigrant and White students. This article argues that a focus on the gap is misplaced. Instead, we need to look at the “education debt” that has accumulated over time. This debt comprises historical, economic, sociopolitical, and moral components. The …
It's Not the Culture of Poverty, It's the Poverty of Culture: The Problem with Teacher Education
The preparation of novice teachers is dominated by psychological notions almost to the exclusion of other social science paradigms. The perspective that is least likely to be evident in teacher preparation is that of anthropology. However, prospective and novice teachers regularly and loosely use the word "culture" as an explanation for student patterns of behavior they cannot explain. This discussion focuses on the ways prospective and novice te…
Sociology (34 works) · Political science (26 works) · Pedagogy (25 works) · Critical Race Theory in Education (24 works) · Psychology (24 works) · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies (17 works) · Mathematics education (15 works) · Gender Studies (14 works) · Law (13 works) · Critical race theory (11 works)