The participation of Black students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, is an issue of national concern. Educators and policymakers are seeking to promote STEM studies and eventual degree attainment, especially those from underrepresented groups, including Black students, women, economically disadvantaged, and students with disabilities. Literature shows that this has been of great interest to researchers, policymakers, and institutions for several years (Nettles & Millet, 2006; Council of Graduate School (CGS), 2009; National Science Foundation (NSF), 2006), therefore an extensive understanding of access, attrition, and degree completion for Black students in STEM is needed. According to Hussar and Bailey (2014), the Black and Latino postsecondary enrollment rates will increase by approximately 25% between 2011 and 2022. It is critical that this projected enrollment increase translates into an increase in Black student STEM enrollment, persistence and consequently STEM workforce. In view of the shifting demographic landscape, addressing access, equity and achievement for Black students in STEM is essential. Institutions, whether they are secondary or postsecondary, all have unique formal and informal academic structures that students must learn to navigate in order to become academically and socially acclimated to the institution (Tyler, Brothers, & Haynes, 2014). Therefore positive experience with the academic environment becomes critical to the success of a student persisting and graduating. Understanding and addressing the challenges faced by Black students in STEM begins with understanding the complexities they face at all levels of education. A sense of urgency is now needed to explore these complexities and how they impact students at all educational levels. This book will explore hidden figures and concerns of social connectedness, mentoring practices, and identity constructs that uncover unnoticed talent pools and encourage STEM matriculation among Black STEM students' in preK-12 and post-secondary landscapes. Section 1-Socialization Social discourse concerning how male and females are supposed to enact their socially sanctioned roles is being played out daily in educational institutions. Individuals who chose STEM education and STEM careers are constantly battling this social discourse. It is necessary for P-20 STEM spaces to examine and integrate understanding of socialization within the larger societal culture for systemic and lasting change to happen. Section 2-Mentoring A nurturing process in which a more skilled or more experienced person, serving as a role model teaches, sponsors, encourages, counsels, and befriends a less skilled or less experienced person for the purpose of promoting the latter's academic, professional and/or personal development. Section 3-Identity Research focusing on identity constructs in STEM has become more common, especially as it relates to student retention and attrition. Researchers have been able to use identity as a way to examine how social stigma can cause students to (dis)identify within STEM spaces.

The participation of Black students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, is an issue of national concern. Educators and policymakers are seeking to promote STEM studies and eventual degree attainment, especially those from underrepresented groups, including Black students, women, economically disadvantaged, and students with disabilities. Literature shows that this has been of great interest to researchers, policymakers, and institutions for several years (Nettles & Millet, 2006; Council of Graduate School (CGS), 2009; National Science Foundation (NSF), 2006), therefore an extensive understanding of access, attrition, and degree completion for Black students in STEM is needed. According to Hussar and Bailey (2014), the Black and Latino postsecondary enrollment rates will increase by approximately 25% between 2011 and 2022. It is critical that this projected enrollment increase translates into an increase in Black student STEM enrollment, persistence and consequently STEM workforce. In view of the shifting demographic landscape, addressing access, equity and achievement for Black students in STEM is essential. Institutions, whether they are secondary or postsecondary, all have unique formal and informal academic structures that students must learn to navigate in order to become academically and socially acclimated to the institution (Tyler, Brothers, & Haynes, 2014). Therefore positive experience with the academic environment becomes critical to the success of a student persisting and graduating. Understanding and addressing the challenges faced by Black students in STEM begins with understanding the complexities they face at all levels of education. A sense of urgency is now needed to explore these complexities and how they impact students at all educational levels. This book will explore hidden figures and concerns of social connectedness, mentoring practices, and identity constructs that uncover unnoticed talent pools and encourage STEM matriculation among Black STEM students' in preK-12 and post-secondary landscapes. Section 1-Socialization Social discourse concerning how male and females are supposed to enact their socially sanctioned roles is being played out daily in educational institutions. Individuals who chose STEM education and STEM careers are constantly battling this social discourse. It is necessary for P-20 STEM spaces to examine and integrate understanding of socialization within the larger societal culture for systemic and lasting change to happen. Section 2-Mentoring A nurturing process in which a more skilled or more experienced person, serving as a role model teaches, sponsors, encourages, counsels, and befriends a less skilled or less experienced person for the purpose of promoting the latter's academic, professional and/or personal development. Section 3-Identity Research focusing on identity constructs in STEM has become more common, especially as it relates to student retention and attrition. Researchers have been able to use identity as a way to examine how social stigma can cause students to (dis)identify within STEM spaces.

Historically, white women have had a tremendous influence on establishing the ideological, political, and cultural scaffold of American public schools. Pedagogical orientations, school policies, and classroom practices are underwritten by white, cisgender, feminine, and middle to upper class social and cultural norms. Labor trends suggest that students of color are likely to sit in front of many more white women teachers than males or non?white teachers, thus making it imperative to better understand the nature of white women's work in culturally diverse settings and the factors that most profoundly impact their effectiveness. This book examines how white women teacher dispositions (i.e. knowledge, beliefs, and skills) intersect (and/or interact) with their racial identity development, the concept of whiteness, institutional racism, and cultural perspectives of racial difference. All of which, as the authors in this volume argue, matter for nurturing a teaching practice that leads to more equitable schooling outcomes for youth of color. While it is imperative that the field of education recruits and retains more nonwhite teachers, it is equally important to identify research?supported professional development resources for a white woman?dominated profession. To that end, the book's contributors present critical insight for creating cultural contexts for learning conducive to effective cross?cultural and cross?racial teaching. Chapters in the first section explore white women's role in establishing and maintaining school environments that cater to Eurocentric sensibilities and white racial preferences for learning and social interaction. Authors in the second section discern the implications of white images, whiteness, and white racial identity formation for preparing and professionally developing white women teachers to be effective educators. Chapters in the third section of the book emphasize the centrality of race in negotiating academic interactions that demonstrate culturally responsive teaching. Each chapter in this book is written to investigate the intersectionality of race, cultural responsive pedagogies, and teaching identities as it relate to teaching in multiethnic environments. In addition, the book offers solution?oriented practices to equip white women (and any other reader) to respond appropriately and adequately to the needs of racially diverse students in American schools.

Historically, white women have had a tremendous influence on establishing the ideological, political, and cultural scaffold of American public schools. Pedagogical orientations, school policies, and classroom practices are underwritten by white, cisgender, feminine, and middle to upper class social and cultural norms. Labor trends suggest that students of color are likely to sit in front of many more white women teachers than males or non?white teachers, thus making it imperative to better understand the nature of white women's work in culturally diverse settings and the factors that most profoundly impact their effectiveness. This book examines how white women teacher dispositions (i.e. knowledge, beliefs, and skills) intersect (and/or interact) with their racial identity development, the concept of whiteness, institutional racism, and cultural perspectives of racial difference. All of which, as the authors in this volume argue, matter for nurturing a teaching practice that leads to more equitable schooling outcomes for youth of color. While it is imperative that the field of education recruits and retains more nonwhite teachers, it is equally important to identify research?supported professional development resources for a white woman?dominated profession. To that end, the book's contributors present critical insight for creating cultural contexts for learning conducive to effective cross?cultural and cross?racial teaching. Chapters in the first section explore white women's role in establishing and maintaining school environments that cater to Eurocentric sensibilities and white racial preferences for learning and social interaction. Authors in the second section discern the implications of white images, whiteness, and white racial identity formation for preparing and professionally developing white women teachers to be effective educators. Chapters in the third section of the book emphasize the centrality of race in negotiating academic interactions that demonstrate culturally responsive teaching. Each chapter in this book is written to investigate the intersectionality of race, cultural responsive pedagogies, and teaching identities as it relate to teaching in multiethnic environments. In addition, the book offers solution?oriented practices to equip white women (and any other reader) to respond appropriately and adequately to the needs of racially diverse students in American schools.

The purposes of this book are rooted in the move from invisibility to visibility and silence to voice. This work uses auto ethnography as an enterprise to break down traditional barriers that support the invisibility of diverse epistemologies (Altheide & Johnson,2011). The reality of invisibility and silence has plagued scholars of colour in their attempt to make known the cultural significance found in the planning and execution of research. As a result, this book purposes to support the visibility and voice of scholars of colour who conduct auto ethnographic research from a racial, gendered, and critical theoretical framework. This work further supports the research community as it examines and re-examines culturally indigenous epistemologies as a viable vehicle for rigorous and authentic inquiry (Dillard, 2000). The significance of this book can be grafted from its attention to new ways of thinking about doing research. While much of the previous scholarship on auto ethnography highlights the importance of personal narrative and voice, this book includes the latter but also examines the concept of race and culture as undisputable factors in the doing of research. Burdell & Swadener (1999) contends that auto ethnography should interrogate the subjective nature and question master narratives and empirical assumptions. Spry (2011) emphasizes auto ethnography as a moral discourse that foster intimate experiences grounded in historical processes. Authoethnographic research then, has the potential to provide a lens by which researchers can delve into research with a greater sense of personal experiences and critical understanding of the inquiry context.

The purposes of this book are rooted in the move from invisibility to visibility and silence to voice. This work uses auto ethnography as an enterprise to break down traditional barriers that support the invisibility of diverse epistemologies (Altheide & Johnson,2011). The reality of invisibility and silence has plagued scholars of colour in their attempt to make known the cultural significance found in the planning and execution of research. As a result, this book purposes to support the visibility and voice of scholars of colour who conduct auto ethnographic research from a racial, gendered, and critical theoretical framework. This work further supports the research community as it examines and re-examines culturally indigenous epistemologies as a viable vehicle for rigorous and authentic inquiry (Dillard, 2000). The significance of this book can be grafted from its attention to new ways of thinking about doing research. While much of the previous scholarship on auto ethnography highlights the importance of personal narrative and voice, this book includes the latter but also examines the concept of race and culture as undisputable factors in the doing of research. Burdell & Swadener (1999) contends that auto ethnography should interrogate the subjective nature and question master narratives and empirical assumptions. Spry (2011) emphasizes auto ethnography as a moral discourse that foster intimate experiences grounded in historical processes. Authoethnographic research then, has the potential to provide a lens by which researchers can delve into research with a greater sense of personal experiences and critical understanding of the inquiry context.