Parent Involvement, African American Mothers, and the Politics of Educational Care

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between notions of parent involvement and conceptions of care as they relate to educators’ deficit perceptions of African American mothers. Black feminist and womanist interpretations of the ethic of care are used to reframe the biased discourse on parent involvement in schools. Specific consideration is given to how educational scholarship can better acknowledge African American mothers’ race-based, gendered, and class-related contexts. Data from an in-depth, qualitative study of the educational experiences, values, and choices of low-income and working-class African American mothers inform the discussion. The study offers insight about the care and justice-seeking efforts of African American women. Implications for revising parent involvement typologies and strengthening school-family relationships according to a culturally relevant framework are emphasized.