Racially Just Policy Change: Examining the Consequences of Black Education Imaginaries for K–12 Policy

Abstract

This comparative case study examines two out-of-system education programs created by Black community organizers during the 2020–2021 school year. Applying a unique framework based on the Black radical imagination, I examine how the communities experienced these programs and the potential of the programs to shape advocacy and local policy reforms. This critical policy analysis expands our understating of how racially minoritized communities build political power in education systems and offers educators, policymakers, and researchers guidance for advancing racially just policy change at the local level.