The Pedagogy of Carter G. Woodson as a Humanizing Approach to Maximizing Possibilities for Black Boys and Black Young Men

Many teachers struggle to meet the needs of Black boys. While much of the discourse regarding potential solutions include recruiting Black teachers, specifically Black men, very little discourse centers on the pedagogical practices Black teachers employ inside and outside of the classroom. The Woodsonian Conceptual Framework for Humanizing Pedagogy advanced in this essay emphasizes critical self-reflection to challenge dominant narratives about students who experience oppression and attempts to humanize teachers’ thinking and the pedagogical practices they enact inside and outside of classrooms. This essay concludes with a discussion and recommendations regarding how teachers can use this framework to foster spaces that equip all students with knowledge and skills they can use to disrupt oppressive societal structures.