Scholar Perspective

One For All: The Intergenerational Exploration of Racialized Experiences in School for a Shapeshifted Black Family

Author: John A. Williams III, Domino A. M. Williams, Soledad A. J. Williams, Matthew A. Williams, Marilyn Green

Published in: Educational Justice Journal, Special Edition — Volume 3, Issue 2 (Spring 2025)

DOI:

10.64262/c2y727

Abstract:

The racialized experiences of Black folx in the U.S. and abroad are well documented in the literature, yet, the richness of these experiences is best articulated through stories passed down throughout the years. With each passing generation, there exists a parallel phenomenon where different generations of Black folx in the U.S. experience similar trials and triumphs as it relates to various societal systems. One such system that continues to define and redefine, traumatize, liberate, and restrict is education. The purpose of this narrative exploration rests with one research question: How are the intergenerational experiences of racialization in education shaping the individual and collective identities of a multigenerational Black family? While the concept of shape shifting (Cox, 2015) often centralizes the phenomenon or action to one person transforming themselves to protect their identity in hostile spaces, this study sheds light on how the refinement of shapeshifting has become a transferrable legacy within our family.

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https://edjusticeinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/partb-121212.pdf

Citation:
Williams III, J., Williams, D., Williams, S., Williams, M., & Green, M. (2025). One For All: The Intergenerational Exploration of Racialized Experiences in School for a Shapeshifted Black Family Educational Justice Journal, 3(2), 1-35.