Learning from the Past:
Why Oral Histories?

Central to the Trajectories project is the premise that contemporary reality and current policies are informed by history, especially given the unique and complicated history of Black people’s quest for education (Perry, 2003) and their varied paths to teaching in the United States (Siddle Walker, 2001). Richard Milner (2006), noted scholar on Black teachers and their success in urban schools, stated that educators and researchers should look to “Black teachers’ experiences and success both pre- and post-desegregation for insights about how all teachers can deepen and broaden their knowledge and understanding to better meet the needs and situations of students at present, particularly among Black students” (p. 90). 

Black teachers have made significant contributions to the field of education in the United States; however, limited research examines these experiences from a content-specific perspective. Oral history is one method of qualitative research methodology that gathers thick description from information-rich participants who worked within specific historical moments across space and time.

By conducting oral histories of retired Black mathematics teachers, Trajectories explores the lived experiences of these educators both individually and collectively. Furthermore, this methodology honors the generative power of spoken word, which has been noted as central to Black peoples’ collective way of knowing. Trajectories is honored to amplify the voices of retired Black mathematics teachers. These voices provide a foundation for understanding the contemporary racialized experiences and practice of Black mathematics educators.

Data Collection

The team recruited former mathematics teachers starting with personal recommendations and through solicitations of colleagues at institutions of higher education (especially those at historically Black colleges and universities) as well as via other professional organizations outside of BBA (e.g., National Council for Teachers of Mathematics, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers) and school districts. The team also employed social media and snowball-sampling methods, by asking the research participants to recommend colleagues who taught mathematics during the desired time periods to participate (Babbie, 2001).

We conducted one pre-interview by telephone and one follow-up interview face-to-face with each participant. The pre-interview primed participants to recall their educational journeys and ensuing career paths as mathematics teachers. By scheduling the follow-up interview several weeks after the pre-interview, participants had additional time for reflection. During the second interview, they shared their experiences in detail and placed them within a local and national. Many shared artifacts such as yearbooks, lesson plans, and letters from students. 

With the permission of the participating teachers, the research team audio recorded and video recorded their second interview. The research team worked with KMC Productions to produce high-quality recordings for the publicly available digital archive and interactive website. 

Participants

To date, our team has conducted 13 oral histories. The participants taught mathematics in Atlanta, Washington, DC, and Maryland schools between the 1950s and the 2000s. Their ages ranged from the mid-60s to late-80’s. The average teaching experience was 40 years, meaning a cumulative total of over 400 years of teaching mathematics to Black children. Presenting  the stories of those teaching across varying political and racial contexts allows the team to generate a more complete picture of the lived experiences of Black mathematics teachers.