#SayHerName: Black Women Physical Education Teachers of the Year
in Journal of Teaching in Physical EducationClick name to view affiliation
Purpose: Black women are devalued in many aspects of American culture—physical education (PE) is no exception. Platforms to celebrate Black women’s excellence in PE are scarce. Drawing on Black feminist thought and critical race theory, the purpose of this article is to describe and explain the experiences of Black women physical educators who earned PE Teacher of the Year. Participants: Two Black women share their experiences as physical educators and PE Teachers of the Year. Methods: Qualitative narrative inquiry consisting of semistructured, virtual group interviews was employed. Results: Four core themes were identified: (a) invisibility, (b) superwoman syndrome, (c) affirming role models, and (d) culturally responsive pedagogies. Discussion/Conclusion: Elevating Black women’s voices in PE requires a deconstruction of limited exposure opportunities. Normalizing Black excellence in PE acknowledges that Black women’s intersectionalities create enormous challenges yet foster students’ success. Black women physical educators benefit students and society.
Blackshear (tblackshear@towson.edu) is with the Department of Kinesiology, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA
© 2023 Human Kinetics