WE SPEAK LIFE INTO THEIR LANGUAGE: BLACK EDUCATORS’ APPROACHES TO LINGUISTIC JUSTICE IN URBAN SECONDARY ELA CLASSROOMS

This study explores how Black educators navigate linguistic justice, deficit thinking, and stereotypes in urban secondary English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, it examines how teachers affirm Black Language (BL) while balancing the demands of White Mainstream English (WME) in academic spaces. Findings reveal that although educators employ culturally affirming strategies, they face challenges from restrictive language policies and standardized assessments. To counteract these barriers, they adopt negotiation practices that support students’ linguistic and cultural identities. From these findings, the study proposes Dynamic Linguistic Uplift (DLU)—a new theoretical framework that illustrates how Black educators sustain BL and promote equity through responsive, justice-oriented pedagogy. DLU captures the creative and strategic work educators do to affirm students' full linguistic repertoires while navigating institutional constraints. This research calls for teacher education and policy reform that centers linguistic diversity and affirms the cultural identities of Black students.