Gwendolyn Thompson McMillon is a professor of literacy in the Department of Reading & Language Arts at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Her research examines the literacy experiences of African American children in their classrooms at school, and in out-of-school learning environments (especially the African American Church), to improve their academic achievement and ability to negotiate cultural border-crossing. She is project director of the I Read, I Lead, I Succeed – a faith-based literacy program that trains and utilizes church volunteers to teach children how to read. Gwen and her son Joshua are co-founders of ROOTEDin HOPE – a non-profit organization that works to ensure that all children have access to culturally responsive literature that highlights Black culture. They also provide support for parents and training for tutors and classroom teachers. Dr. McMillon is a writer for Mission Quarterly, the study guide for the National Baptist Convention, vice-president of the Wolverine State Missionary Baptist Convention Women’s Auxiliary, and past president of the Literacy Research Association.
Session Description
Globally, the Black Church is considered the most influential institution in the Black community. It has successfully educated Black students and families across generations. Yet, the voice of the Black Church has been excluded from the conversation concerning the best way to educate Black students in the place called “school.” Historically, the value of education was emphasized and perpetuated in the Black Church where members were taught to read and write. Reading is a human right, and many members have sacrificed their lives to fight for equitable access to literacy for the Black Community.
This presentation will begin with the question: “What can educators, particularly literacy researchers, learn from the Black Church?” A close examination of the Black Church will reveal the complex interconnectedness of beliefs, communication systems, literacies, and politicized realities, bonded by relationship ties. This multifaceted community was intentionally established by committed ancestors whose descendants have continued to fight for literacy and equity for all based on a black theological approach. Studies conducted by the presenter have identified how Black Theology is developed and perpetuated in the learning environment of the Black Church and how it is steeped in its rich literacy practices giving birth to Black Church Pedagogy. An in-depth discussion of Black Church Pedagogy will highlight sources of incongruence and points of connection between church and school settings for many Black students and families and serve as a reminder of the role of the Black Church as the established expert in the education of Black people.