The recipient of numerous honors, including the AERA Fellows Award from the American Educational Research Association in 2009, Allen came to UCLA in 1988 as a Professor of Sociology after serving on the faculty of the University of Michigan from 1979 to 1991. He is the Allan Murray Cartter Professor of Higher Education at UCLA's Graduate School of Education & Information Studies (GSE&IS) and is the 2011-12 Fellow of the Sudikoff Family Institute of Education & New Media, an initiative for the public engagement of GSE&IS faculty. Address: Los Angeles, California, United States
In this Special Issue introduction, I share lessons from five trailblazing scholars who contribut... more In this Special Issue introduction, I share lessons from five trailblazing scholars who contributed to developing CRT in education fields – Laurance Parker, Tara Yosso, David Gillborn, William Smith, and David Stovall. I put their reflections into conversation with the contributing authors of the Special Issue, which include Daniel Solórzano, Walter Allen, María Ledesma, Chezare Warren, Rican Vue, , and many more. As the host, of what I envisioned as sort of a dinner-party style introduction, I also share my own coming into CRT moments and the legacy I am proud to carry forward. We gather here to honor the liberatory impact of CRT, speak its intergenerational stories, and learn its lessons about our past, present and future: to name racism; to be in collective struggle; to create spaces of support, freedom, and possibility.
Page 1. Sociodemographic and Environmental Correlates of Racial Socialization by Black Parents Mi... more Page 1. Sociodemographic and Environmental Correlates of Racial Socialization by Black Parents Miehael C. Thornton University of WisconsinMadison Linda M. Chatters School of Public Health, University of Michigan Robert ...
The Second ISA Forum of Sociology (August 1-4, 2012), Aug 3, 2012
... University of Mexico. Es la universidad una garantía de futuro? los efectos de la educación s... more ... University of Mexico. Es la universidad una garantía de futuro? los efectos de la educación superior en licenciados de sectores populares Gabriel TOLOSA CHACON, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Access to Higher Education ...
Using an Opportunity to Learn (OTL) framework, this study examines the col- lege preparatory expe... more Using an Opportunity to Learn (OTL) framework, this study examines the col- lege preparatory experiences of Latina high and non-high achievers at an urban Latina/o majority high school. Findings indicate that students relied almost exclusively on school resources to navigate their college preparation process. However, the school provided dif- ferential OTL based on class ranking and perceived eligibility for selective colleges. Resumen: Usando el marco de una oportunidad para aprender (OTL), este estudio examina las experiencias de escuela preparatoria de estudiantes latinas asiduas y no asiduas de una preparatoria urbana con estudiantes latinos mayoritarios. Los hallazgos indican que las estudiantes se apoyan casi exclusivamente en los recursos de la escuela para navegar su proceso preparatorio universitario. Sin embargo, la escuela propor- ciono una oportunidad para aprender (OTL) diferencial basada en el lugar ocupado en la clase y la elegibilidad percibida para universidades selectas.
Journal of Comparative Family Studies, Mar 1, 1998
WALTER R. ALLEN * and ANGELA D. JAMES ** During the past three decades, well over a thousand publ... more WALTER R. ALLEN * and ANGELA D. JAMES ** During the past three decades, well over a thousand publications have been added to the research record on African American families in the United States (for detailed reviews of the literature, see: Staples and Johnson,1993; Hill et al., 1993; Billingsley, 1992; Taylor et al., 1990; McAdoo, 1988; Staples and Mirande, 1980; Allen, 1978; Staples, 1971). The literature on Black families across the African Diaspora has also grown exponentially (Allen et al., 1986). Despite this enormous volume of research on Black family life, we are very uneasy about the nature and consequences of past research, as well as our own attempts to enter the fray. This uneasiness is caused by continued references to "The Black Family." Such references ignore the extensive regional, ethnic, value, and income differences among Black families. It is an uneasiness with the theoretical and methodological assumptions underlying so many published, widely circulated studies of Black families. This uneasiness is bred by entrenched, stereotypic portrayals of Black family life which not only persist, but dominate popular as well as academic discourse about Black families. It is an uneasiness due to a frequently demonstrated ignorance concerning the internal dynamics and motives of Black family life in this society. We are uneasy that our own attempt to "tell the story" of African American family life will err too much in one direction or another. On the one hand, the statistical and ethnographic data on Black families present a picture of tremendous changes in the manner in which men, women and children organize themselves into family and household arrangements. We recognize that these changes have been accompanied by widespread concern of community members and often, feelings of social dislocation and personal difficulty among individual Black men, women and children. On the other hand, we also want to keep at the forefront of any discussion of the dislocating effects of recent changes in Black family organization the understanding that these families continue to be community mainstays. "The Black Family" is in no danger of "disappearing," even as families change in response to increasingly difficult economic, social and cultural circumstances. We seek to balance concern with what has been lost in the midst of current transformations, with an accurate telling of the varieties of African American family stories emerging from the storm's midst. DIVERSITY AND STEREOTYPES IN THE STUDY OF BLACK FAMILY LIFE Much that is written about Black American families is flawed by the tendency of researchers to gloss over within-group differences. While prior research has extensively explored Black/White family differences, information is relatively sparse regarding differences among African American families of different structure, incomes, regions, life-cycle stages, and value orientations. The record comparing African American families to Black families across the African Diaspora is also woefully inadequate (Allen et. al., 1986). Although this Special Issue's primary focus is on African American families, of necessity we incorporate studies of African, West Indian, and other racial ethnic families. The rationale for examining the African American experience (i.e., values, institutions) within the context of the larger African Diaspora is certainly well established (Du Bois, 1990; Drake, 1987). It is our premise that one best understand Africa American families by exploring both their specific and universal features. By focusing so much attention on comparing the experience of family among Blacks with Whites, much of the richness, complexity and subtleties of African American family systems have been ignored. This has resulted in widespread academic and popular acceptance of crude categories, poorly defined concepts, and negative stereotypes. Apparent in the literature are abundant references to "family disorganization," the "underclass," "culture of poverty," and "the Black Matriarchy. …
ROBERT T. TERANISHI is an Assistant Professor at the Steinhardt School of Education, New York Uni... more ROBERT T. TERANISHI is an Assistant Professor at the Steinhardt School of Education, New York University. MIGUEL CEJA is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at California State University, Sacramento. ANTHONY LISING ANTONIO is an Assistant Professor of Education and Assistant Director of the Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research at Stanford University. WALTER R. ALLEN is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. PATRICIA MCDONOUGH is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. The preparation of this report was supported by the CHOICES Project, a study of educational access and achievement by Black, Latino, and Asian American students in California. Funding for the project was provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the American Educational Research ...
This volume considers African-American education in the 21st century through the lens of the Chic... more This volume considers African-American education in the 21st century through the lens of the Chicago School Tradition, at the University of Chicago.
The monitoring of public opinion economic&social changes, 2018
This article examines how and why Blacks continue to be severely underrepresented in United State... more This article examines how and why Blacks continue to be severely underrepresented in United States colleges and universities. Longitudinal analysis of Black student enrollment and degree completion at public, four-year institutions reveals the proportion of Blacks in state populations is consistently below the proportion Blacks attending state universities. The number of African American students at flagships has declined; but more Black students attend Black- Serving institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The theory and research of the great twentieth century intellectual W. E.B. DuBois helps to frame and explain the barriers to Black access and success in U. S. higher education.
In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), Justice O'Connor's majority opinion held that the United ... more In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), Justice O'Connor's majority opinion held that the United States Constitution “does not prohibit [a] law school's narrowly tailored use of race in admissions decisions to further a compelling interest in obtaining the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body.” Educational diversity, including student body racial/ethnic diversity, is a key precondition for these educational benefits. We review existing legal and social science research on educational diversity, its conceptual and operational definitions, and its behavioral, interpersonal, and learning outcomes. Recent evidence linking race and educational diversity among incoming law students and later at graduation is reviewed.
In this Special Issue introduction, I share lessons from five trailblazing scholars who contribut... more In this Special Issue introduction, I share lessons from five trailblazing scholars who contributed to developing CRT in education fields – Laurance Parker, Tara Yosso, David Gillborn, William Smith, and David Stovall. I put their reflections into conversation with the contributing authors of the Special Issue, which include Daniel Solórzano, Walter Allen, María Ledesma, Chezare Warren, Rican Vue, , and many more. As the host, of what I envisioned as sort of a dinner-party style introduction, I also share my own coming into CRT moments and the legacy I am proud to carry forward. We gather here to honor the liberatory impact of CRT, speak its intergenerational stories, and learn its lessons about our past, present and future: to name racism; to be in collective struggle; to create spaces of support, freedom, and possibility.
Page 1. Sociodemographic and Environmental Correlates of Racial Socialization by Black Parents Mi... more Page 1. Sociodemographic and Environmental Correlates of Racial Socialization by Black Parents Miehael C. Thornton University of WisconsinMadison Linda M. Chatters School of Public Health, University of Michigan Robert ...
The Second ISA Forum of Sociology (August 1-4, 2012), Aug 3, 2012
... University of Mexico. Es la universidad una garantía de futuro? los efectos de la educación s... more ... University of Mexico. Es la universidad una garantía de futuro? los efectos de la educación superior en licenciados de sectores populares Gabriel TOLOSA CHACON, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Access to Higher Education ...
Using an Opportunity to Learn (OTL) framework, this study examines the col- lege preparatory expe... more Using an Opportunity to Learn (OTL) framework, this study examines the col- lege preparatory experiences of Latina high and non-high achievers at an urban Latina/o majority high school. Findings indicate that students relied almost exclusively on school resources to navigate their college preparation process. However, the school provided dif- ferential OTL based on class ranking and perceived eligibility for selective colleges. Resumen: Usando el marco de una oportunidad para aprender (OTL), este estudio examina las experiencias de escuela preparatoria de estudiantes latinas asiduas y no asiduas de una preparatoria urbana con estudiantes latinos mayoritarios. Los hallazgos indican que las estudiantes se apoyan casi exclusivamente en los recursos de la escuela para navegar su proceso preparatorio universitario. Sin embargo, la escuela propor- ciono una oportunidad para aprender (OTL) diferencial basada en el lugar ocupado en la clase y la elegibilidad percibida para universidades selectas.
Journal of Comparative Family Studies, Mar 1, 1998
WALTER R. ALLEN * and ANGELA D. JAMES ** During the past three decades, well over a thousand publ... more WALTER R. ALLEN * and ANGELA D. JAMES ** During the past three decades, well over a thousand publications have been added to the research record on African American families in the United States (for detailed reviews of the literature, see: Staples and Johnson,1993; Hill et al., 1993; Billingsley, 1992; Taylor et al., 1990; McAdoo, 1988; Staples and Mirande, 1980; Allen, 1978; Staples, 1971). The literature on Black families across the African Diaspora has also grown exponentially (Allen et al., 1986). Despite this enormous volume of research on Black family life, we are very uneasy about the nature and consequences of past research, as well as our own attempts to enter the fray. This uneasiness is caused by continued references to "The Black Family." Such references ignore the extensive regional, ethnic, value, and income differences among Black families. It is an uneasiness with the theoretical and methodological assumptions underlying so many published, widely circulated studies of Black families. This uneasiness is bred by entrenched, stereotypic portrayals of Black family life which not only persist, but dominate popular as well as academic discourse about Black families. It is an uneasiness due to a frequently demonstrated ignorance concerning the internal dynamics and motives of Black family life in this society. We are uneasy that our own attempt to "tell the story" of African American family life will err too much in one direction or another. On the one hand, the statistical and ethnographic data on Black families present a picture of tremendous changes in the manner in which men, women and children organize themselves into family and household arrangements. We recognize that these changes have been accompanied by widespread concern of community members and often, feelings of social dislocation and personal difficulty among individual Black men, women and children. On the other hand, we also want to keep at the forefront of any discussion of the dislocating effects of recent changes in Black family organization the understanding that these families continue to be community mainstays. "The Black Family" is in no danger of "disappearing," even as families change in response to increasingly difficult economic, social and cultural circumstances. We seek to balance concern with what has been lost in the midst of current transformations, with an accurate telling of the varieties of African American family stories emerging from the storm's midst. DIVERSITY AND STEREOTYPES IN THE STUDY OF BLACK FAMILY LIFE Much that is written about Black American families is flawed by the tendency of researchers to gloss over within-group differences. While prior research has extensively explored Black/White family differences, information is relatively sparse regarding differences among African American families of different structure, incomes, regions, life-cycle stages, and value orientations. The record comparing African American families to Black families across the African Diaspora is also woefully inadequate (Allen et. al., 1986). Although this Special Issue's primary focus is on African American families, of necessity we incorporate studies of African, West Indian, and other racial ethnic families. The rationale for examining the African American experience (i.e., values, institutions) within the context of the larger African Diaspora is certainly well established (Du Bois, 1990; Drake, 1987). It is our premise that one best understand Africa American families by exploring both their specific and universal features. By focusing so much attention on comparing the experience of family among Blacks with Whites, much of the richness, complexity and subtleties of African American family systems have been ignored. This has resulted in widespread academic and popular acceptance of crude categories, poorly defined concepts, and negative stereotypes. Apparent in the literature are abundant references to "family disorganization," the "underclass," "culture of poverty," and "the Black Matriarchy. …
ROBERT T. TERANISHI is an Assistant Professor at the Steinhardt School of Education, New York Uni... more ROBERT T. TERANISHI is an Assistant Professor at the Steinhardt School of Education, New York University. MIGUEL CEJA is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at California State University, Sacramento. ANTHONY LISING ANTONIO is an Assistant Professor of Education and Assistant Director of the Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research at Stanford University. WALTER R. ALLEN is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. PATRICIA MCDONOUGH is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. The preparation of this report was supported by the CHOICES Project, a study of educational access and achievement by Black, Latino, and Asian American students in California. Funding for the project was provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the American Educational Research ...
This volume considers African-American education in the 21st century through the lens of the Chic... more This volume considers African-American education in the 21st century through the lens of the Chicago School Tradition, at the University of Chicago.
The monitoring of public opinion economic&social changes, 2018
This article examines how and why Blacks continue to be severely underrepresented in United State... more This article examines how and why Blacks continue to be severely underrepresented in United States colleges and universities. Longitudinal analysis of Black student enrollment and degree completion at public, four-year institutions reveals the proportion of Blacks in state populations is consistently below the proportion Blacks attending state universities. The number of African American students at flagships has declined; but more Black students attend Black- Serving institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The theory and research of the great twentieth century intellectual W. E.B. DuBois helps to frame and explain the barriers to Black access and success in U. S. higher education.
In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), Justice O'Connor's majority opinion held that the United ... more In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), Justice O'Connor's majority opinion held that the United States Constitution “does not prohibit [a] law school's narrowly tailored use of race in admissions decisions to further a compelling interest in obtaining the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body.” Educational diversity, including student body racial/ethnic diversity, is a key precondition for these educational benefits. We review existing legal and social science research on educational diversity, its conceptual and operational definitions, and its behavioral, interpersonal, and learning outcomes. Recent evidence linking race and educational diversity among incoming law students and later at graduation is reviewed.
In this article, my co-authors and I point to the dehumanizing nature of typical college-going pr... more In this article, my co-authors and I point to the dehumanizing nature of typical college-going processes embedded within many K–12 environments, which foster an oppressive college-going culture. We document counter-narratives of community agency and resistance to exclusionary schooling practices and their subsequent impact on the college-going processes of black students and other students of color. We present an alternative model, rooted in community and student resistance, that is a humanizing pathway nurtured by a liberatory college-going culture, where community cultural wealth is a catalyst for cultural integrity and transformative resistance and ultimately allows students of color to enter college as a challenge to social reproduction.
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