⭐ Presented by African American and African Studies

Mathematics classrooms communicate powerful messages about who is capable, whose ideas matter, and who belongs. These messages take shape through everyday instruction and relationships, often reflecting broader racialized and gendered narratives about mathematical ability. This talk brings together two co-authored papers to explore how teachers can disrupt racial storylines about Black girls in mathematics and acknowledge students’ competence in ways that foster belonging. The presentation first examines teaching content and building relationships as interconnected opportunities to challenge limiting narratives about Black girls as mathematics learners. It then considers acknowledging competence as an instructional practice through which teachers make students’ mathematical thinking and contributions visible and valued. Bringing these perspectives into conversation, the talk explores how teachers’ responses to students’ ideas can shape opportunities for participation, recognition, and positive mathematics identity development. Centering questions of race, gender, and the construction of mathematical “smartness,” this talk invites discussion about how educators can create classrooms where Black learners are recognized as capable mathematical thinkers and experience a sense of belonging.

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