Siddle Walker, V. ,& Snarey, J. R. (2004). Race-ing moral formation, African American perspectives on care and justice. New York : Teachers College Press. (ISBN  0-8077-4449-2, 194 pages)  

Kimberly Hendry, M.A., LPC  

Race-ing moral formation, African American perspectives on care and justice, an enlightening text, increases one’s understanding of the role of race in moral formation and the contributions of African American voices to moral education.  Historically, moral theory and practice espouse only White attitudes, beliefs, and values.  Kohlberg’s theory of justice and Gilligan’s theory of care were highlighted in the introduction and interwoven throughout the remainder of the text as two orientations of moral development in continuous debate among scholars.  However, it was noted that African American scholars find it unnatural to sharply separate care and justice into two separate microcosms.  For example, in applying this to education African Americans seek educational environments espousing both orientations of justice and care. 

Five African American justice and basic care values were outlined in the introduction: (a) Race is Not Subordinate to Gender, (b) Resistance is Not Subordinate to Accommodation, (c) Religion is Not Subordinate to Ethics, (d) Agency is Not Subordinate to Legacy, and (e) Community is Not Subordinate to the Individual.  With these values in mind, a need for a closer examination of educational models of moral voices and practices was apparent.  Ultimately, an expansion of the models to embrace African American contributions and values was most necessary.  

Chapters one through three provided the reader with a psychological perspective on moral formation among African Americans during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.  In drawing from the work of scholars in chapter one, “Caring and Colortalk: Childhood Innocence in White and Black,” Audrey Thompson highlighted the differences in the childhoods of White and Black children.  She reiterated that Black children cannot be protected from the ills of racism as it is very often presumed through our colorblind society.  However, White children often are protected as they are not typically on the receiving end of racism.  Thompson further noted the importance of acknowledging racial identity, culture, racism, and racial privilege as factors that shape experience.  The author also implicated the importance of addressing these issues within educational theories of care.  Historically, educational theories of care have been oblivious to color, and have perpetuated racial inequalities.   

Utilizing Gilligan’s work (1982) in the latter section of chapter one Thompson revisited four moral themes that emerged from In a different voice.  The centrality of authentic, trustworthy relationships, the first theme, acknowledged the forthcoming voices of African American educators.  This provided students with the opportunity to hear about racial differences and discussion surrounding color.  Conversely, White educators have had a tendency to minimize opportunities for racial discussions.  

The second theme, the salience of the standpoint from which virtues and vices, illustrated the importance of African Americans developing ethical and epistemological positions predicted by their own experiences, ventures, values, and sense of dignity.  Further, the discussion noted the traditional lack of curriculum surrounding Black history, Black historical figures, and Black culture in the educational systems.  

Theme three, the adoption of a pragmatic orientation toward survival, acknowledged the struggle of preparing children for racism and protecting children against racism.  Often times, Black mothers seek to prepare children for racism through numerous discussions of racism and its ills.  Finally, the fourth theme, the issue of exploitive and oppressive social relations, was asserted through a discussion of the imminent need for Black students to challenge themselves to do twice as well in a White racist society.  Black educators often urge children to surpass each new endeavor with the hope of success in society.  

In chapter two, “The Play of Voices: Black Adolescents Constituting the Self and Morality,” Duncan emphasized the importance of understanding the extent to which Black adolescents contribute to our understanding of morality in the United States .  Data were gathered from various interviews, autobiographical accounts, and literary sources to provide the reader with substantive evidence of this contribution.  Interestingly, an interview with a young, Black adolescent highlighted the various classifications of his people.  He mentioned “African American” as being the latest classification.  However, this young adolescent noted his lack of choice in the matter, and his resistance to this classifying term.  At this time, Duncan interjected with a description of “the three conjunctive sets of diasporan African voices within a framework that expresses perspectives that affirm Black life and culture: subordinate-subjugated voices, unofficial-underground voices, and transgressive-profrane voices” (p. 43). 

In describing subordinate-subjugated voices, Duncan proceeded to provide examples of individuals displaying these voices.  Individuals refuting racist imagery conveyed through benign metaphors, such as, minorities, underclass, underprivileged, and at-risk use subordinate-subjugated voices.  Further, Ducan asserted that those using unofficial-underground voices refute official versions conveyed through mainstream media of past and present events.  The author noted the Black Panther Party as an example of media that would be portrayed differently through unofficial-underground voices.  Transgressive-Profane diasporan voices challenged many values of the United States .  Often times, these challenges enclosed many of the main United States institutions, such as, schools, religious institutions, government agencies, and news media.  Duncan provided an example referencing an interview with Frederick Douglass.  Routinely, it has been noted that Frederick Douglass provided major criticisms of the practice of Christianity.  However, through these criticisms, Fredrick Douglass was using his transgressive-profane voice to identify the slaveholding religion of the land.  

In summation, in chapter 2 Garrett Duncan reiterated that “Black adolescents, as part of a larger African American culture, bring diasporan African and ethnic American ethical voices to bear on their experiences” (p. 21-22).  In hearing these voices and understanding these values, one could only then genuinely hear their moral voices.  Certainly, one can understand the importance of listening and fully ingesting the value of our Black youth.  

Chapter three, “In a Different Room: Toward an African American Woman’s Ethic of Care and Justice,” continued to highlight voices, although strongly focused on the voices of African American woman.  Andrea D. Green, author of chapter two, outlined five central values to womanism.  These themes espoused the foundation of the values at the core of womanism.  Improvisation, the ability to “act spontaneously” and “think on one’s feet”, demonstrated the African American woman’s ability to succeed even in the presence of limited resources.  Unction, uncovered from African American culture, revealed the power of African American tradition.  In the face of racism and societal distrust, African American woman persisted forward and made strides through the utilization of this unearthed power.  Suspicion of Assimilation, resistance to White values and norms, perpetuated an adherence to one’s own set of values and cultural cues.  Interconnectedness, care for self and others, reflected the African American community, especially women in the African American community.  Spirituality, the final central value of womanism, has long been commonplace to the strength of African American woman.  In providing these central values it was evident to the reader that as Green suggested that womanist thought encompassed and moderated care-and-justice ethics.  

Transitioning into Chapter four, “Caring in the Past: The Case of a Southern Segregated African American School,” provided research to support care and justice themes within segregated schools.  Most often, educators in segregated schools demonstrated strong ethics of care and justice.  Teachers played a variety of roles to demonstrate these ethics, such as, counselor, encourager, benefactor, and racial cheerleader.  Teachers, in the segregated schools, were often known to not only play a role in the child’s life at school but also outside of the educational environment.  Principals were also known to take on many of the aforementioned roles to ensure a well-balanced educational environment for all students.   

Additionally, teachers and principals developed extracurricular programs for African American students to participate in often times supplementing the financial resources.  The intention was to not only provide Black students with the same opportunities as White students, but to create an environment of success for students.  Additionally, educators in segregated schools incorporated assembly and homeroom plans into the school day of these Black students.  In responding to academic needs, often times principals would seek a more rigorous curriculum for Black students.  Truly, educators in segregated schools demonstrated care and concern for the whole student through interpersonal interactions and institutional caring.  

In conceptualizing this, the author presented chapter five, “Justice and Care in Postdesegregation Urban Schools: Rethinking the Role of Teacher Education Programs.”  It illustrated the disheartened realities of desegregated schools at the present time.  The research literature has substantiated that many urban schools are in need of assistance to foster a more just and caring environment for students to succeed.  Aligned with this trend, the chapter focused on ways of broadening the fundamentals of teacher education to incorporate a more specific emphasis on African American teaching and learning traditions.  Accordingly, a case study is reviewed in which participants of a teacher education faculty examine personal beliefs about diversity.  

In the book, the faculty was open to discussion and demonstrated care and concern for the needs and voices of African American students.  In projecting into the future, St. John and Cadray outlined three types of actions that teachers, teacher educators, and university researchers could utilize to implement African American teaching and learning traditions into schools.  These actions were outlined as follows: (a) more teacher educators in urban schools of education need to reflect openly on the foundations for their teacher education programs, (b) integration of a better understanding of African American tradition into school restructuring processes, and finally (c) continuous research to examine the meaning of African American tradition in education.  

Chapter 6, “Crime and Punishment: Moral Dilemmas in the Inner-City Classroom,” posed many challenges for the reader.  It reinforced the necessary collaboration of justice and care within the school systems.  Educators were faced with dilemmas of crime and punishment in the urban school systems on a daily basis.  A case study was reviewed in the chapter to demonstrate conflicting moral understandings between a student and school officials.  It reiterated the need for schools to create institutional structures that foster caring environments.             

In the conclusion, Siddle Walker and Snarey revisited the “big five” primary dual values of justice and basic care, race-gender, resistance-accommodation, religion-ethics, agency-legacy, and community-individual, and discuss the virtues that potentially arise from each dual-natured set of values.  Finally, moral exemplars were highlighted to substantiate the mature balancing of values and embodiment of its resulting virtue.  

The text was enlightening as it encouraged the movement away from a color-neutral society.  It encouraged the reader to embrace color and bring forth discussion in educational environments.  Accordingly, educators could then potentially through this discussion and understanding respond to the needs of Black and White students alike.  Further, the text highlighted and expanded upon African American central values to moral formation.  This book substantiated the need for all educators to understand the necessity of incorporating these values into the existing White dominated educational practices.  Research substantiated the successful balance of ethics of care and justice in segregated schools.  This again encouraged us to re-examine our current ethical practices in schools.  In my opinion, this eye-opening text is essential for educators, policy-makers, and practitioners, alike, as imminent changes in the school systems must be made to successfully meet the needs of all students.  

About the Author:  Ms. Kimberly Hendry is a doctoral student in counselor education, with a school counseling focus, at The Ohio State University. Her research interests include school counseling services provided for students in urban school districts, allocation of educational funding and resources, and student opportunities for career assessment and exploration in preparation for postsecondary options.  Ms. Hendry can be reached via e-mail at hendry.3@osu.edu.