Abstract
The current state of American society and the future of its democracy have caused many Americans to develop feelings of hopelessness, especially pertaining to education. In the spirit of Sankofa and using Dillard’s (2021) Spirit of Our Work, we (re)member the work of Septima Clark to seek what can be learned and applied during this period of societal unease and educational uncertainty. By (re)membering Septima Clark, we provide recommendations for thought practice that formal K-12 and community educators might consider as we navigate educational spaces amid an open and direct period of intellectual warfare.
Author Biography
Terrance J. Lewis
Terrance J. Lewis is a former K–12 educator. During his time as a classroom teacher, a few roles in which he served included student council sponsor, robotics coach, and wrestling coach. Terrance now works as a teacher- educator, researcher, and assistant professor at The University of Alabama, where he is responsible for preparing the next generation of social studies teachers. Terrance studies the historiography and pedagogical practices of Black teachers in the American South and the role of public art in the meaning-making of space and expression.
Alex E. Chisholm
Alex E. Chisholm is a former middle and secondary social studies educator who also served as a football, basketball, and track and field coach. Currently, Dr. Chisholm is an Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education at Clemson University, where he is a faculty fellow with the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute. His scholarship examines the intersection of sport and social studies, with a particular focus on Black teacher-coaches and how sport functions as a pedagogical tool for engaging students’ learning with the complex issues of race, power, identity, history, and civic action.
Kristen E. Duncan
Kristen E. Duncan, PhD, is an associate professor of Social Studies Education at Clemson University. Her research focuses on the ways Black teachers help Black students navigate civic estrangement, as well as the ways race is presented in texts, in media, and at historic sites. A former middle school social studies teacher and instructional coach in Georgia, Dr. Duncan’s research has been published in various journals and edited volumes. Her edited volume, Civic Engagement in Communities of Color: Pedagogy for Learning and Life in a More Expansive Democracy, was released by Teachers College Press in 2023.
Recommended Citation
Lewis, T. J.,
Chisholm, A.,
&
Duncan, K. E.
(2026).
(Re)membering the work of Septima Clark amid the gift of chaos.
Occasional Paper Series,
(56), 55-63.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1615
Included in
African American Studies Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, Social Justice Commons