2011 Articles

The use of educational documentary in urban teacher education: A case study of Beyond the Bricks

Sealey-Ruiz, Yolanda

This article draws from a qualitative case study of 22 teachers of African American males who participated in a screening event of the documentary Beyond the Bricks as part of a community engagement project in three cities: New Orleans, New York, and Oakland Through the lenses of critical race theory and the Matrix Achievement Paradigms typology, this article highlights three major themes connected to teaching Black male students: (a) recognizing and removing the blind spot, (b) resisting the normalization of failure, and (c) fulfilling the need for (practicing) culturally responsive educators. This article seeks to contribute to the scholarly discussion on the use of film in urban teacher education, and puts forth Beyond the Bricks as a critical, solutions-oriented discussion tool that offers concrete ideas about what Black males need to achieve social and academic success in America's schools.