Sensing the urgency: envisioning a black humanist vision of care in teacher education

This article builds on the growing body of research on preparing African‐American pre‐service teachers for culturally diverse urban environments. I specifically focus on a two year qualitative case study of Amy, an African‐American pre‐service teacher, to highlight five themes of a Black humanist vision of care. These themes emphasize the following: (1) culturally affirming practices of multiple cultures; (2) the ‘fortitude’ to persevere in the midst of adversity; (3) both the ability to recognize and the willingness to address difference and inequities; (4) the importance of the whole child; and (5) the ability to see oneself as a teacher engaging as part of a collective in challenging inequities. Amy's narrative underscores how these themes emerged within, between, and among her family experiences, K‐12 schooling experiences and experiences in the teacher education program. I conclude with implications of a Black humanist vision of care in within teacher education programs.