Using Queen Sugar as a Lens to Counter Hegemonic Conceptions of Black Fathers’ Involvement in P-12 Schools

The depictions of Black fathers and their relationships with their children on television sitcoms influence societal perceptions of Black fathers’ parenting practices, Black families’ configurations, and public policies on Black families. This paper sheds light on how excerpts of the show, Queen Sugar challenge narratives and images regarding Black fathers’ relationships with their children, particularly their Black sons. Revolutionary parenting and critical race media literacy are used as theoretical concepts to examine the interactions and experiences between Ralph Angel and Blue. Content analysis was employed to generate findings that examine the bond between Ralph Angel and Blue, Ralph Angel’s support for Blue’s toy choice, and his engagement in Blue’s education. Implications of this work illustrate how experiential learning activities, metacognitive activities, and popular culture sources that consider Black parents' voices and experiences with child-rearing and schools be used as an analytical and pedagogical tool in teacher education courses to counter deficit ideologies that aim to stereotype and marginalize Black parents in education settings.