Dr. Marva McClean | Creative Writer & Social Justice Educator

Papers by Dr. Marva McClean

Advances in educational marketing, administration, and leadership book series, Feb 22, 2018

As a result of the complex, multilayered, and problematic environment in which they work, two sch... more As a result of the complex, multilayered, and problematic environment in which they work, two scholars collaborating between the continents of Australia and North America complicate the data from standardized testing in their communities to argue for the implementation of indigenous knowledge epistemology as a strategy to achieve social justice and equity in global classrooms. The chapter explores the residual effects of imperialism on the formerly colonized and investigates postcolonial themes such as the indigenous self, gender constructs, cultural and communal identity. The study reveals just how critical it is to global research to have the benefit of scholars collaborating across borders. The study provides findings and offers recommendations in direct response to the question: How can educators engage students as collaborators within a third space that elevates their voices as successful students?

Advances in educational marketing, administration, and leadership book series, May 5, 2023

INDIGENOUS EPISTEMOLOGY- DESCENT INTO THE WOMB OF DECOLONIZED RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES , 2020

The authors deconstruct their engaged research process as experiential pedagogy necessary to deco... more The authors deconstruct their engaged research process as experiential pedagogy necessary to decolonize the research methodology and honor the inter-generational stories that have withstood centuries to remain with and empower Indigenous people across the globe. The tools of qualitative methodology utilized in the construction of this narrative facilitate this approach to researching and sharing with the world the Indigenous scholarship that supports the work of Indigenous scholars within the Western academy. The authors demonstrate the direct connection between Black Lives Matter, SOSBlakAustralia and the Maroons of Jamaica as examples of contemporary Indigenous people disrupting hegemony through agentive action that inspires global awareness and pushes for systemic change. While this book is ambitious in trying to link places, times, and histories that are not usually connected, the authors demonstrate the non-linearity of the unfolding co-mingling of their personal stories across the background of mounting protest against white supremacy in the United States and Australia and the agentive thrust of Indigenous people to counteract 21st century hegemony. The text asserts the power of intergenerational storytelling to disrupt and remove the false constructions of Indigeneity as enacted by Eurocentrism, highlighting the healing and transformative possibilities such an approach holds for a society in crisis. The authors demonstrate how digital tools including Skype, emails, Facebook, YouTube and the Smart Phone facilitate this collaborative inquiry allowing participants to investigate their subjectivities as they explore the aesthetics and politics of personal storytelling as valid research methodology.

THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE, EQUITY & PEACE IN THE GLOBAL CLASSROOM , 2023

https://www.igi-global.com/publish/call-for-papers/call-details/6084 Through a blend of non-tra... more https://www.igi-global.com/publish/call-for-papers/call-details/6084

Through a blend of non-traditional research methodologies and shifting paradigms, this book advances a plateau of transformational strategies to decenter curriculum and pedagogy into a vibrant platform of emancipatory strategies that embrace all children as change agents and co-collaborators in the global classroom. From across the continents; Australia and Oceania, Asia, North & South America, and Europe, researchers, authors, poets, community activists and artists delve into decolonized research methodologies including spiritual knowledge and ceremonial practices to demonstrate teaching and learning that honors historical empowerment and the agency of children in global classrooms.

Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, 2017

Our interest in asserting the validity of our Indigeneity within academia brought us together at ... more Our interest in asserting the validity of our Indigeneity within academia brought us together at the Annual International Maroon Conference, Jamaica in 2014. Here we recognized our common heritage rooted within the context of colonization and our want to move beyond the borders of geography in breaking down the hegemonic boundaries of Western education imposed upon us. Tirza, a US based Nanny of the Maroons scholar of Jamaican heritage, and Denzel, a First Nation Kamilaroi scholar from Australia, critically interrogated the inadequacy of academia to facilitate our scholarship and efforts to interrogate the dynamics of exclusion and alienation in claiming our rightful place within academia. Meditating on global matters, we explored themes of Indigeneity and resistance, questioning our physical location within respective continents where institutionalized racism maintained the hegemonic system of poverty, inequality and educational apartheid among our people--African Americans and Abo...

FROM THE MIDDLE PASSAGE TO BLACK LIVES MATTER: ANCESTRAL WRITING AS A PEDAGOGY OF HOPE , 2019

ABSTRACT McClean, Marva. (2019). From the Middle Passage to Black Lives Matter: Ancestral Writi... more ABSTRACT
McClean, Marva. (2019). From the Middle Passage to Black Lives Matter: Ancestral Writing as a Pedagogy of Hope. New York: Peter Lang Publishers.
In this narrative rooted in auto-ethnography, the author juxtaposes her personal story with that of international stories of resistance to oppression and calls on educators to include children’s personal stories as critical pedagogy to honor their funds of knowledge and foster their historical consciousness. With a focus on 18th century freedom fighter, Nanny of the Maroons, the text illuminates the resistance movement across the Black Diaspora and its historical connections with Indigenous people worldwide who have harnessed their ancestral roots to disrupt cultural hegemony. The author calls for a radical shift in the global curriculum to include stories of the historical empowerment of warriors of resistance.
From the Middle Passage to Black Lives Matter is a narrative of social justice which seeks to provoke the reader’s historical consciousness and provide authentic strategies to decolonize the global curriculum. Along with student writing samples, the book provides authentic strategies for an interactive teaching and learning process where the voice of the student becomes central to the discourse.

SOUND THE ABENG , 2021

Sound the Abeng is a small literary newsletter with big dreams for the future. This newsletter ai... more Sound the Abeng is a small literary newsletter with big dreams for the future. This newsletter aims to break down barriers and cross the line between scholarly work and general readership to present research based material, in small bites, focused on the historical empowerment of Black, Aboriginal & Indigenous peoples. This edition of the quarterly newsletter, presents poetry and prose; political commentary and artistic renderings with the objective of grabbing your attention & inciting you to delve into further research on the complexities of the African Diaspora.

SOUND THE ABENG: WRITING BLACK, ABORIGINAL & INDIGENOUS LIVES, 2021

The new year is a metaphor for renewal, for continuing the journey and carving new steps along th... more The new year is a metaphor for renewal, for continuing the journey and carving new steps along the path. As spiritual people connected to the land, we acknowledge the necessity of paying homage to the Universe and embracing the four corners of the Earth: North, South, East and West for we know the solace and guidance that this provides for us. As we commit to the journey, we also acknowledge the power and the beauty of our ancestral heritage and look to the sun in celebration of the joys we experience as members of the African Diaspora. In this issue we are writing into being our version of what it means to live and thrive within the complexities of the African Diaspora and a world choking on its own destruction erected on the tenets of capitalism and individualism. We present instead, a world of communal living where we are custodians of the Earth, taking care of it for our children to inherit. We believe in collaboration over competition. We strive to create a world where we live and thrive as our brothers' keepers. Ubuntu, as the great elder Nelson Mandela called it. We desire to be One in the Spirit and One in our Love. In poetry, prose, meditations, songs and reflections we share and elevate the nuances of Celebrating & Rising Up while living BLACK. Our history is a narrative we have committed to write continuing on the journey of others before us. In this time of a tumultuous history unfolding in the Age of the Pandemic and the rise of neo-colonialism we are scripting our narratives of humor, laughter, dance, relationships, family , friendship, politics, art, music, song, literature, and travel; critical elements of our journey; critical elements of our identity. I am emboldened to think that indeed we can lift our lives out of history into our self-described testimony based on our personal knowledge of that history and our capacity to embrace idealism and work towards a better future. This is the power of our imagination and the agency of writing our narratives. We are grateful that you have joined us.

SOUND THE ABENG, 2020

There is no future for a people who deny their past. Our old people did not suffer in giving us t... more There is no future for a people who deny their past. Our old people did not suffer in giving us the opportunities and education we have today to continue the division and oppression of our own people. First, we must recognise that whatever the education we have acquired, it is only out of their sacrifice and therefore in respecting this legacy, everything we do should be used for the salvation of our people. Personal endeavour that are of no benefit to others and cause division within our communities has to stop. As one people we have to reject the assumption that as a culture and as a people we remain inferior to the West.

Teaching Dialogue Journal , 2017

This paper examines the decolonizing methodology undertaken by two Indigenous scholars from diffe... more This paper examines the decolonizing methodology undertaken by two Indigenous scholars from different continents who utilize digital technology to collaborate and assert the efficacy of the Indigenous self within the academy. The journey inward into the liminal space of both scholars’ heritage and life experience empowers the research process with the tools to disrupt, challenge and renegotiate the hegemonic construction of the other to create a borderless world that is both inclusive and collegiate.

EDUCATION AS THE PRACTICE OF FREEDOM , 2017

As a result of the complex, multilayered and problematic environment in which they work, two scho... more As a result of the complex, multilayered and problematic environment in which they work, two scholars collaborating between the continents of Australia and North America, complicate the data from standardized testing in their communities to argue for the implementation of Indigenous Knowledge Epistemology as a strategy to achieve social justice and equity in global classrooms. The chapter explores the residual effects of imperialism on the formerly colonized and investigates postcolonial themes such as the Indigenous self, gender constructs, cultural and communal identity. The study reveals just how critical it is to global research to have the benefit of scholars collaborating across borders. The study provides findings and offer recommendations in direct response to the question: How can educators engage students as collaborators within a third space that elevates their voices as successful students?

In the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida this commentary urges K-20 educators to move... more In the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida this commentary urges K-20 educators to move beyond the rhetoric of social justice education and examine the extent to which they are prepared to include LGBT curriculum in classroom pedagogy. The discussion is extended to examine the need to create historical consciousness regarding the exclusion of certain groups of people and the ideology that asserts a Eurocentric worldview as most valid, ignoring the magnificent diversity of the people who inhabit this country. Educators are called to take action to validate the cultural life of children in their classrooms, to engage their stories as cultural spaces and lift up their voices in acknowledgment that they have a personal, historical, and cultural background that is valid, substantial, and of great merit. It is empowering for both student and teacher when their background and identity are relocated within the context of the space they co-inhabit; when they acknowledge their common humanity; when they recognize that challenges are not fixed, they can be confronted and overcome in creative ways. And that they have the support, the tools, and the capacity to prevail. While this stance is not a panacea for the ills that confront our society, it calls into question our accountability and encourages us to take action to become the agents of change we so easily call ourselves.

Marva McClean & five other panelists from the African Diaspora explore their roots and share the ... more Marva McClean & five other panelists from the African Diaspora explore their roots and share the methodology they have undertaken in investigating their heritage and bringing their stories to family, friends & general audiences.

In this personal essay the author examines the influence of place on the shaping of her identity ... more In this personal essay the author examines the influence of place on the shaping of her identity and her growing historical consciousness.

International Handbook of Educational Leadership & Social [In]Justice & Equity

These words spoken by Jamaican national hero Marcus Garvey, remind us of our accountability to ta... more These words spoken by Jamaican national hero Marcus Garvey, remind us of our accountability to take action to address the ills in our society. They are strong powerful words, evoking the graphic imagery of natural subversion even as they symbolically convey the writer's sense of urgency and commitment to fight forcefully for change. The truth is, Marcus Garvey, 1887-1940, was widely known for his subversive words and militant actions. An activist who fought for the rights of Black people through agentive action and publications like The Negro World, his memory and influence remain strong today among those involved in the continuing struggle for social justice and equity in our society. This was the consensus reached by the group of literary friends gathered this past Saturday at the Broward County South Regional Library, Florida to celebrate the word and their heritage in a literary expo hosted by cultural activist Vonnie McGowan. Interestingly,

Ring Ding! Ring Ding! Like the chimes of church bells these words echoed throughout Jamaican hous... more Ring Ding! Ring Ding! Like the chimes of church bells these words echoed throughout Jamaican households on a Saturday morning becoming a much anticipated punctuation point in our weekend schedule. Ring Ding, the popular cultural educational program for children that Miss

Advances in educational marketing, administration, and leadership book series, Feb 22, 2018

Advances in educational marketing, administration, and leadership book series, May 5, 2023

INDIGENOUS EPISTEMOLOGY- DESCENT INTO THE WOMB OF DECOLONIZED RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES , 2020

THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE, EQUITY & PEACE IN THE GLOBAL CLASSROOM , 2023

https://www.igi-global.com/publish/call-for-papers/call-details/6084 Through a blend of non-tra... more https://www.igi-global.com/publish/call-for-papers/call-details/6084

Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, 2017

FROM THE MIDDLE PASSAGE TO BLACK LIVES MATTER: ANCESTRAL WRITING AS A PEDAGOGY OF HOPE , 2019

SOUND THE ABENG , 2021

SOUND THE ABENG: WRITING BLACK, ABORIGINAL & INDIGENOUS LIVES, 2021

SOUND THE ABENG, 2020

Teaching Dialogue Journal , 2017

EDUCATION AS THE PRACTICE OF FREEDOM , 2017

International Handbook of Educational Leadership & Social [In]Justice & Equity

FROM THE MIDDLE PASSAGE TO BLACK LIVES MATTER: ANCESTRAL WRITING AS A PEDAGOGY OF HOPE, 2019

“It is important for our youth to be exposed to the rich history of Black people and to understan... more “It is important for our youth to be exposed to the rich history of Black people and to understand that we too have heroes and heroines worthy of a place in history,” writes Marva McClean. In her new book, From the Middle Passage to Black Lives Matter: Ancestral Writing as a Pedagogy of Hope, Dr. McClean celebrates Jamaica’s national heroine, Nanny of the Maroons as “the heroine who lights my path and the guide for my work as a social justice educator.” The book focuses on the ways in which schools can incorporate the historical empowerment of the heroes and heroines from the stories of students’ culture into the curriculum and improve their academic performance. The text elevates the work of freedom fighters who fought against slavery including Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, and those who continued the work throughout the ages, including Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley, and today, the warriors of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Dr. McClean comments on the statistics of Black and Indigenous children in schools in the United States and around the globe, and emphasizes how the enduring effects of racism and inequity continue to shape their performance in school. She draws parallels between the struggle for equality today and the resistance movement against slavery centuries ago, and emphasizes the importance of empowering our youth with the resources to raise their historical consciousness and provide them with the tools to unearth the inaccuracies written within the texts they use in schools and empower themselves to write truth into history by sharing and writing their own stories based on their cultural legacy.
The book offers guidelines to assist youth to think critically, question relationships of power and to become agents of social change. The voice of the child is elevated with students’ writing samples and authentic strategies teachers may use to collaborate with students and bring their culture into the daily lessons of the classroom. This text is a reminder that there are heroes and heroines from our heritage and that teachers and students, parents and children, community and youth can engage as cultural workers to embrace diversity, break down barriers and celebrate the unique gifts of our humanity.

Dr. Marva McClean | Creative Writer & Social Justice Educator (original) (raw)

Papers by Dr. Marva McClean