Countering common-sense understandings of ‘good parenting:’ women of color advocating for their children

Commonsense understandings of school practices have historically painted parents of color as inattentive and non-participatory actors in public school settings. Racist implementations of policy and individual actions, based on teacher ideology and deficit paradigms of race, force parents of color to take an oppositional stance in public school settings. The commonsense notion of “good” parenting is countered by descriptions of how parents of color, particularly mothers, remain involved and active leaders in the lives of their children by pursuing schooling options and opposing enactments of school policies and practices that further marginalize their children. Using data from two studies in different countries, the authors explore how women of color enact racial justice by advocating for their children and preparing them to face racism in public school settings.