The arts of diversity and inclusion: African American representation in art classrooms

Abstract

The United States has a long, continuous history of oppression and racism toward African Americans and Black people. However, it can be difficult to incorporate anti-racist pedagogy into contemporary K-12 education. Art education presents an opportunity to address concepts of race and the history of racism in elementary, middle, and high school curricula by teaching their students about African American art and art history. In this thesis, I present African American artists whose work can be incorporated into the art education curriculum in age-appropriate ways in order to increase Black representation and a wide range of aesthetic strategies and art media. This will prepare K-12 art students for life and work in a more just, equitable, and creative society. ACKNOWL