Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

My use of the term Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) stems not only from a historical understanding of multiculturalism and Gloria Ladson-Billings’ definition of CRP, but from ideas surrounding Critical Race Curricula (CRC) and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) as well. The multicultural education movement has been in motion for decades with the aim of preparing all students to participate in a diverse nation and world (Banks, 1993, para. 2). Though Banks identified five dimensions of multiculturalism (para. 21), he observed that many people think of it only as the inclusion of “ethnic” content (para. 22). Originally publishing her work two years after Banks’ analysis of multiculturalism, Ladson-Billings coined the term Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, which she defined in three propositions: that students would achieve academic success, build fluency in their own culture and at least one other, and develop a critical consciousness to challenge existing power structures and make meaning of their own experiences (2021, pp.71-72). Just as content integration became the most used dimension of multiculturalism, so too did culturally inspired add-ons, such as the inclusion of Black History units, appear under the guise of CRP (p. 70). 

Pushing back against this misinterpretation of CRP, other theorists have emerged with student-centered anti-racist theories. Yosso (2002), for example, wrote about Critical Race Curriculum, which critiques misguided approaches that “trivialize histories of people of color into neat curriculum units” or that emphasize the myth of the “helpless” minority rather than supporting action alongside communities (p. 100). Instead, a Critical Race Curriculum would, among other things, use storytelling and family narratives to welcome the experiences of students of color into the classroom and develop counternarratives (p. 98). Paris and Alim (2014) also emphasize the importance of embracing students’ cultures and backgrounds. Together, they outline a Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy that recognizes and critically engages with students’ knowledge, culture, skills, and languages (officially recognized or otherwise) in an academic setting. Beyond recognizing students’ backgrounds, they focus on ways to ensure that students’ cultures remain in their “repertoires of practice,” supporting an explicit goal of multilingualism and multiculturalism (p. 88). 

For clarity and precision, I am using the term Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) throughout my work. I do so with the recognition that it has grown out of a legacy of multiculturalism and been in conversation with a large number of theories, including critical race and culturally sustaining theories. When I refer to CRP, I am envisioning curriculum and pedagogy that has rigorous learning as the goal for all students, sustains students’ nuanced cultural practices while adding another cultural fluency to their repertoire, and interweaves curriculum with real-world issues and students’ lived experiences to create counternarratives and challenge existing power structures.

Anderson, J.(Host) (2022, February 23). Harvard EdCast: The State of Critical Race Theory in Education. [Audio Pocast Episode]. In Harvard EdCast. Harvard Graduate School of Education. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/22/02/harvard-edcast-state-critical-race-theory-education 

Banks. (1993). Multicultural Education: Development, Dimensions, and Challenges. Phi Delta Kappan, 75(1), 22–28. 

Block, J. (2015, January 12). Educate to Liberate: Build an Anti-Racist Classroom. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/build-an-anti-racist-classroom-joshua-block 

Education Justice Research and Organizing Collaborative (EJ-ROC). (n.d.) Stories of Culturally Responsive Education. CRE Hub. https://crehub.org/stories#page-5bf4131670a6ad046bc5388b 

Ladson-Billings, G. (2021). I’m Here for the Hard Re-Set: Post Pandemic Pedagogy to Preserve Our Culture. Equity & Excellence in Education, 54(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2020.1863883   

Paris, & Alim, H. S. (2014). What Are We Seeking to Sustain through Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy? A Loving Critique Forward. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 85–100. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.1.982l873k2ht16m77  

Yosso. (2002). Toward a Critical Race Curriculum. Equity & Excellence in Education, 35(2), 93–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/713845283