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This article offers a portrait of a young black male teacher in an urban school in South Central Los Angeles. In the portrait, the words of the subject are intertwined with the thoughts and reactions of the researcher as a way in which to capture his life history narrative and offer his reading of the world. The article discusses the participant’s reflections on growing up in South Central, Los Angeles and how it shaped his identity. In particular, the portrait discusses the participant’s experiences in middle school, high school and college. The article concludes with some reflections about how Critical Race Theory—as a discourse on race and racism in the law and society—helps us to better understand the lives black men lead.
Acknowledgment
The author wishes to thank the editors and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive and helpful feedback on earlier versions of this article.
Notes
1. This story will be told in the language of the major character who, at times, spoke what some might refer to as Ebonics. Not only does Ebonics provide a new lexicon within which to operate, it also provides a different linguistic structure—one that is, at times, at odds with what is considered ‘standard’. Like many who skillfully code‐switch, his speech patterns were not necessarily consistent all the time. Kashari was well versed in both Black English and Standard English. As with most African‐Americans, Kashari’s use of one mode or the other was context dependent. See Geneva Smitherman’s book, Black talk (2000).
2. The names of all schools are fictionalized to protect the identity of the subject.
3. California State University has 23 campuses across the state. The campuses are identified according to their geographic location. The specific campus that he attended will not be identified.