Racialized Policy Patterns: Reparatory Justice in Educational Systems and Politics

This study examined the historical and ongoing racialized educational policy patterns that have shaped the recruitment and retention of Black, Brown, and Indigenous (BBI) educators. Utilizing a reparatory justice framework, we analyzed 398 archival materials to trace transhistorical continuities and illuminate two policy patternsin teacher hiring and firing practices, and the concealment of racialized logics. Our collective knowledge co-creation, specific to Minnesota and Twin Cities context, reveals how education systems can continue to evade atonement for past and present harm, often investing in superficial reforms rather than engaging in codified, systems-level repair. We argue educational policy actors and researchers must acknowledge what is owed to BBI communities and mobilize toward equitable futures through policymaking that connects past-present-future linkages.