Date of Award

6-1-2023

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Education and Human Development

First Advisor

Susan Piazza, Ed.D.

Second Advisor

Elizabeth Isidro, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Yvette Hyter, Ph.D.

Keywords

Black authors, black male protagonist, children's literatures

Abstract

This study seeks to explore the experiences of Black male protagonists in picture books. The following question guided this study: How do Black authors demonstrate a commitment to social justice? The theoretical framework that guides this study is Critical Race Theory (CRT), which aids in understanding how Black authors use experiential knowledge to represent experiences that challenge dominant ideologies about Black males. The sample consists of 20 pictures books all written by Black authors and published within the United States from 2018 to 2021. The deductive and inductive approaches to critical content analysis is used as it is effective for highlighting 1) the experiences of the Black male protagonists, 2) experiential knowledge of the authors, and 3) the experiences that challenge dominant ideologies. To determine each, language and images from each of the picture books were used as evidence. Exploring the representation of Black males in children’s literature informs how picture books can be utilized by educators and caregivers. Additionally, exploring how Black authors demonstrate a commitment to social justice through using experiential knowledge to represent experiences that challenge dominant ideologies about Black males influences the misrepresentation and underrepresentation of Black male protagonists in children’s literature.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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