School experiences and outcomes for Black students have chronically lagged behind their peers from other ethnic and racial groups for decades. There is a long history and established body of literature that details the myriad ways that schools have fallen short in addressing the education needs of Black students (Ladson-Billings, 2022).
Issues such as legally sanctioned segregated schools, inadequate funding, low teacher expectations, anti-Black racism, and non-responsive curriculum have all contributed to disparate outcomes for Black students (Spencer & Ullucci, 2024). The COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on Black learners, largely due to a lack of resources at home and within schools. Additionally, over the past several years, there have been growing efforts to exclude Black history and perspectives in schools via book banning and erroneous anti-Critical Race Theory campaigns. Some argue that focusing on the mistreatment, undereducation, and marginalization of Black students in school is necessary because it increases the visibility of these problems. Dumas (2013) argues that centering Black suffering is essential because:
[For] many black children and families in the United States . . . and elsewhere, schooling is a site of suffering. I believe it is the suffering that we have been least willing or able to acknowledge or give voice to. (p. 2)
While we understand these sentiments, the reality is that not all Black students are underperforming—many are thriving, academically and socially. A growing number of researchers have discussed the importance of Black joy in schools, where students are able to experience school in a fun, stimulating, expressive, and culturally affirming way (Muhammad, 2023). The persistent focus on Black student failure in many ways only contributes to a narrative that Black student success is not happening anywhere.