Date of Graduation

Spring 5-21-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Human Rights Education (HRE)

College/School

School of Education

Department/Program

International and Multicultural Education (IME)

First Advisor

Dr. Susan Katz

Second Advisor

Dr. Monisha Bajaj

Abstract

This thesis contextualizes public high school experiences of self-identified students of color during Trump’s presidency. The study features three recent high school graduates from the same campus, and their perspectives on a series of topics related to their racial identity. It was important that this research served as a space for marginalized voices to share their lived experiences, as they are frequently left out of American curriculum. More specifically in this case, the high school is located in a small, rural town where the population is majority white and politically conservative. Through the lens of critical race theory (CRT), data was collected via narrative methods for the purpose of restorying and counter storytelling. This paper addressed the following questions respectively; (1) how students navigate their racial identity in a predominately white school, (2) how Trump’s presidency impacted students of color, and (3) how students of color counter an education space that does not reflect their lived experiences. Findings include experiences of racialized behavior and how the ideologies of the 45th president of the United States of America infiltrated education.

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