The American Dream for Students of Color: Myths and Barriers to Educational Success - Paperback

by Gretchen Givens Generett (Author), Amy M. Olson (Author)

In The American Dream for Students of Color, the tenets of the American Dream as a merit narrative enacted in schools are examined to better understand how beliefs about talent, hard work, and perseverance support the status quo rather than critical analyze barriers to educational success for students of color and students from a poverty context. Using narrative methodologies, this book explores the connections and consistencies within and between their personal narratives and the narratives of school youth and educators that work with them. Based on analysis of these shared stories, the authors argue for the importance of moving from individualized success stories that reify hard work and perseverance to collective, communal stories that serve to break down myths of meritocracy, critically examine inequities, and move educational advocates forward in authentic, audacious, hopeful ways.

Author Biography

Gretchen Givens Generett is the Interim Dean and professor in the School of Education at Duquesne University.

Amy M. Olson is associate professor of educational psychology and classroom assessment in the department of educational foundations and leadership at Duquesne University.