Sarah McVoy Miller, a 2024 graduate of the EdD in Educational and Professional Practice program, has written and published a dissertation titled Designing a Transdisciplinary, Critical Place-Based Ethnic Studies Curriculum Around a Historic Black Neighborhood in St. Louis.
Systemic racism has contributed to negative outside perceptions of Black neighborhoods when, in reality, they have played a critical role in creating safe spaces and fostering resistance for Black individuals. Despite the contributions that Black communities have made and continue to make, the common curriculum often excludes positive stories about Black communities.
Using anti-racist pedagogy and strength-based perspectives, Miller proposed a curriculum based on critical race theory to address the common misperceptions of Black spaces. Her curriculum examines the historical and current context of one historically Black neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri: the Ville.
The curriculum leads students through exercises to unpack systems of oppression that have shaped perceptions of this community as well as centralize the stories of community members. Miller’s curriculum will act as a model for other teachers around the country who might want to design a curriculum celebrating a local historic Black neighborhood in their city.
Miller is a sixth-grade social studies teacher who also serves as the district’s National Education Association representative and the vice president of Educators for Social Justice, a nonprofit that offers professional development in social justice, equity, and inclusion. Miller leads the local chapter of RESULTS, a national advocacy group focused on policies to alleviate poverty, and volunteers for an organization working to end displacement in St. Louis.
Read and download Miller’s dissertation, Designing a Transdisciplinary, Critical Place-Based Ethnic Studies Curriculum Around a Historic Black Neighborhood in St. Louis.
