What I Learned and What I Learnt

African Americans have viewed literacy as a key to upward mobility and freedom since before America’s Reconstruction Era. However, African American’s academic achievement continues to be plagued by the ever-widening achievement gap especially when their literacy skills are measured by standardized assessments that do not consider or value their culture, their experiences It is common to think that this is an issue in K-12 settings. However, research and practical experiences suggest that African American students’ achievement continues to be affected at the post-secondary level where they are likely to be taught by faculty who have limited experience with the nuances of Black English (or African American Vernacular English AAVE). This book steps into that gap by offering a resource for teaching speakers of AAVE at the post-secondary level.

What I Learned and What I Learnt: Teaching English While Honoring Language and Culture at a Predominantly Black Institution is edifying scholarship that explores the important connection between race, class and literacy. Williams and Magras combine history, pedagogy and activist education to provide a seminal text on African American literacy and the strategies needed to insure student readiness and success. Well researched and comprehensive, What I Learned and What I Learnt is necessary for all educators.

Concetta A. Williams is an assistant professor of English at Chicago State University. Her research focuses on using literature to examine the experiences of urban youth, broadening the definition of literacy in an effort to better identify and understand perceptions of literate behavior in academic settings, and working with diverse student populations (first-year, first-generation). Lydia Magras is an independent scholar whose research interests include Urban and Cultural Literacies, Spirituality and Literature, and Women’s Literature. She has presented her research before the National Council of Black Studies, the Association for the Study of African American History and Life, and the Conference of Religion, Literature, and the Arts.