Critical Race Theory in Mathematics Education

Critical Race Theory in Mathematics Education brings together scholarship that uses critical race theory (CRT) to provide a comprehensive understanding of race, racism, social justice, and experiential knowledge of African Americans’ mathematics education. CRT has gained traction within the educational research sphere, and this book extends and applies this framework to chronicle the paths of mathematics educators who advance and use CRT. This edited collection brings together scholarship that addresses the racial challenges thrusted upon Black learners and the gatekeeping nature of the discipline of mathematics. Across the ten chapters, scholars expand the uses of CRT in mathematics education and share insights with stakeholders regarding the racialized experiences of mathematics students and educators. Collectively, the volume explains how researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can use CRT to examine issues of race, racism, and other forms of oppression in mathematics education for Black children and adults.

Julius Davis is Associate Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development at Bowie State University. His research critically examines Black students’ mathematics experiences and how policies shape their experiences. His research also focuses on Black mathematics teachers’ content and pedagogical knowledge, academic and professional experiences, and policies that shape their praxis, and critical race theory permeates throughout his scholarship.

Christopher C. Jett is Associate Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Mathematics at the University of West Georgia (UWG) in Carrollton, GA. In 2017, he became the first African American to earn tenure in UWG’s College of Science and Mathematics. His research investigates the experiences of high-achieving African American male STEM majors at different institution types coupling critical race theory with qualitative methods. His current research project has been funded via the National Science Foundation’s prestigious Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. Dr. Jett’s research utilizing critical race theory has been published in the Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Urban Mathematics Education, Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men, and the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (in press). He is the 2019 Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) Early Career awardee, and he has a host of other distinguished accomplishments as an emerging mathematics education scholar.