The power of intersectional interventions for Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers

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It’s well understood that people’s identities are complex and that no single marker can define who a person is. Similarly, a variety of power dynamics shape how people live within our society, specifically the ways they are relegated to the margins and rendered invisible. The term intersectionality is often used to describe these various and sometimes competing identities that affect how individuals navigate societal structures, cultural differences, and interpersonal relationships.

An awareness of these intersectional dynamics is important when considering how teachers are developed and supported over the trajectory of their careers; otherwise, discussions about how best to support teachers can easily become dominated by the experiences of white female teachers, given their large numbers within the profession. Yet, when attempting to consider nondominant perspectives, we must be careful not to view Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers as monolithic groups. Efforts to expand the conversation to include Teachers of Color (Waite, Mentor, & Bristol, 2018) should not distract us from conversations about how race interfaces with these teachers’ sexuality or sexual orientation, gender, class, nationality, immigrant status, indigeneity, racio-linguistic status, and (dis)ability.