Black Consciousness and Professionalism

Black consciousness, with its reformation of the self-concepts of Black Americans, represents the emergence of a critical phase in a new Black insurgence. The social force of Black consciousness presents a host of challenges to school administrators, in general, and to Black school administrators in particular. Black Americans now require that educators-white and black-demonstrate an identification with Black-directed endeavors to resolve the problems and needs of Black Americans in a racist society. Black consciousness has produced a termination of the period of grace in which educators could, free from serious confrontations, deliberate as to their respective roles in the Black revolt. Not unlike his white counterpart, the Black school administrator desires to be received as a professional by the general public. In the engagement of the issues and conditions inherent in the crisis in Black and White, the Black school administrator seeks relevancy and professionalism. This quest has surfaced some pertinent questions which require exploration: are Black consciousness and professionalism compatible manifestations of behavior; if Black consciousness and professionalism are not incompatible, how can the Black school administrator best effect a satisfactory integration of the two; if Black consciousness and professionalism are incompatible, are there viable options open to the Black school administrator

Consciousness · Sociology · Education Discipline and Inequality · Education Systems and Policy · Psychology · Social Psychology · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

• Parallels, particularities, problems and positive possibilities related to institutional sexism and racism

  Open Access•Bobbie M Anthony•Women s Studies International…•1980

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