Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy

It is no secret there are problems with the United States adequately reaching Black youth in our public education system. Many argue that the system is tailored to benefit white students, leaving the Black and Minority students with the options of conformity, or getting left behind. Many are quick to point out the problems of our education system but fail to offer any insight or solutions on how we can reach all students in our education system. Gholdy Muhammad book, Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy aims to find solutions to educating Black youth by drawing from how Blacks would educate on another and applying that framework to our modern-day education system.Although many black individuals were freed far before the conclusion of the civil war, they were freed from slavery but were not free to participate as active members of the United States society. Sure, they were free, but that is essentially like someone being held prisoner on a boat, and then stating they are free because they get left in open waters. They were not actively enslaved, but they were left on their own with little to no support. In time, they created their own life raft, through the forming of Black literary societies. The self-taught societies would learn to better understand their identities, learn what it means to live, and take their knowledge and use it in their fight for civil rights. The question of how Blacks educated themselves when left to their own devices is the basis of Muhammad’s book, where she examines these 19th century learning and how these individuals used literacy to change their lives and start defining their own narratives, applying this educational framework to the education system today.This framework Muhammad creates is known as Historically Responsive Literacy, where teaching and learning responds to students’ identities, the cultural identities of others, and the social times, both historical and current. The framework has four key objectives, which are the pursuit of identity, skill, intellect, and critically. In promoting identity, Muhammad advocates for more lessons focusing on how students see themselves, as well as seeing themselves in their learning through content that is applicable to their lives. Muhammad’s framework has a big push for literacy, as it is the foundation for developing all other skills. Cultivating Genius argues that instead of current standardized testing, which is tailored to a white audience, Black students need to be show that intellect is not something that is held dormant in one’s mind, but something to be used. opportunity to show their intellect through the power of doing. She advocates for in class debates and other activities which allow the students to witness firsthand the power of information and what can be done with it. Lastly, historically responsive literacy promotes criticality, to open the student’s eyes to the injustices around them, to learn and better our society.The most significant aspect of Muhammad’s book is the fact she not only creates a sound argument in the theory of using culturally and historically responsive literacy to reach black students, but she also provides concrete methods on achieving these goals. With insight on reading materials to select, lesson plans and lesson plan templates, Muhammad shows the current education does not need to be completely reformed to achieve the goals outlined in her book, as the current system can still offer opportunities to provide historically responsive literacy while still meeting CCSS standards. Merely, educators just need a change in classroom materials and perspectives to reach the Black youth our education system as been failing.

K-12 teachers and administrators who want their children to experience new levels of engagement and success in the classroom should read Cultivating Genius. As a veteran high-school educator of diverse youth, a teacher leader, and the parent of a third grader, this book challenged me to re-evaluate what and how children are taught in classrooms all over the county. While it is grounded in historical practices that support success for children of color, the book also calls for a shift in teaching students of all races and ethnicities. This book will make you rethink the terms "at risk" and "disadvantaged"; it will teach you the difference between good teaching and CRSE teaching; it will challenge you to teach more than just skills; and it will equip you with practical ideas to design instruction that truly supports students' personal and intellectual development across disciplines. Read this concisely-written book, and you will feel Dr. Muhammad's love for young people and her passion for a more complete and equitable vision for education in America.

Dr. Muhammad's "Cultivating Genius" is an incredible read! I thoroughly enjoyed your book! As I read the book, I found myself reevaluating my own teaching practices and thinking back on those opportunities where I didn't follow my gut and provide a more historically responsive experience for my Math students due to fear of consequence from my school leaders.Reading your book affirmed my belief that EVERY teacher is a literacy teacher regardless of the subject matter they teach and has given me the language to articulate the need for HRL and the courage to implement the framework because it's what my students need. This book will transform the way that we prepare preservice teachers, evaluate teacher performance, and rethink our pedagogical approaches to account for the cultural identities of BIPOC students.Every school district should get their teachers a copy of this book!

Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s Cultivating Genius was required reading for one of my literacy classes and it was one of the most helpful books I’ve ever read.The four pursuits of historically responsive literacy- identity, skills, intellectualism, and criticality- are essential for all children to be successful in the classroom, especially children of color. I know resources in this book will help me be a better teacher.Overall, this was an engaging and thoughtful text that I will definitely refer to in the future.

Worked well much better for notes reflections them pdf form from computer

A concise but important book outlining the role literacy plays in quality education. An interesting and enlighting read for all teachers who want to know how to reach all students.

Cultivating Genius is the book educators didn’t know they needed to read. There are so many books out there about teaching students of color and being culturally responsive but not until this book has anyone taught us to use black excellence as a model for good teaching. Once you read it, you will never go back to teaching the same. There is a reason why this book is a best seller. Teachers want to get it right for our young people. Gholdy Muhammad teaches us how like no one else has. Read this book, learn from the research presented and you will surely give students the education they deserve...an education that is real, life affirming and one that advances their lives. This book opened my eyes to my students’ genius.

This book is as much a call to action as it is a book. I really like the ideas, however I do think it's a bit too critical of people who have been in the author's presentations. It made me think that I would never respond to the author's questions in person. Even with that criticism, there is no doubt that this book is a labor of love from the author.