Abstract
Writing instruction at HBCUs has transitioned from being solely focused on traditional composition pedagogy to culturally responsive pedagogy that includes an awareness of student identities, dialects, and literacies. Centering cultural responsiveness in connection with social justice issues and hip-hop pedagogies puts HBCU writing programs and writing centers in a unique position to serve as cultural safe spaces for HBCU students. This chapter informs on historical foundations in writing at HBCUs and the pedagogies currently used in meeting the needs of students of diverse linguistic and literacy experiences. The chapter illustrates the wide range of practices facilitated within HBCUs to foster the writing skills and abilities of its students. In examining writing pedagogy, writing assessment, experiences of HBCU students and writing faculty, and literary legacies birthed from HBCUs, the chapter highlights sustaining practices and philosophies that seek to push HBCU writing forward.
TopBackground
A study of HBCU student’s perception of their readiness for college composition concluded that student’s low self-concept about their sentence structure and grammar, leads to fear of having their writing evaluated (Taylor, 2013). Therefore, HBCU student’s beliefs about their writing abilities and how these abilities are being assessed can impact their learning outcomes. Taylor (2007) envisions an ideal writing major at an HBCU, the University of the District of Columbia which focuses on the importance of writing curriculum that centers on space and place, to acknowledge where and how student writers live and play outside of the college environment. Researchers note that HBCUs have not been widely represented at academic conferences on composition studies and writing centers (Jackson & Jackson, 2016). Howard University English professor, Teresa M. Redd (2003) established that her writing instruction combined with curriculum to bridge English composition with technology, is a cultural safe space for students where both Standard English and African American English (AAE) is embraced.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Racial Inequities: Oppressive policies and structures in society that impact marginalized groups of people based on racial identity.
Literary: Writing and works of literature.
Hip Hop Studies: Related to the incorporation of hip hop music, aesthetics, scholarship, and media merging with the teaching of academic disciplines.
Literacies: The writing and reading skills and understanding of these skills that students exhibit in the classroom.
Composition Studies: Related to the instruction, curriculum, and scholarship related to college composition.
Rhetoric: Effective writing and speaking.
Black Lives Matter: A social justice movement in protest to racial and inequities impacting Black and brown people.
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: A theory created by scholar, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings which characterizes curriculum and instruction that is student-centered and embraces the cultures and diverse identities of students.
Social Justice: Equal access and fairness for all people regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or economic background.