On Spiritual Strivings

Cynthia B. Dillard

Description

Winner of the 2008 Critics' Choice Awards presented by the American Educational Studies Association

This engaging book offers a personal look at how centering spirituality in an academic life transforms its very foundations—its epistemology, paradigm, and methods—and becomes the site for spiritual healing and service to the world. Focusing primarily on her work in Ghana, West Africa, Cynthia B. Dillard presents a unique perspective on Africa as a site for transformative possibilities for African American academics/scholars and explores the deeper spiritual meanings of being "African." Through poetry, personal narrative, meditations, and journal entries, Dillard shares her experiences as an African American scholar and, in the process, provides a concrete example of what W. E. B. Du Bois called "spiritual strivings."

Preface
Acknowledgments

1. The Substance of Things Hoped For, The Evidence of Things Not Seen: Examining an Endarkened Epistemology in Educational Research and Leadership

2. What Is It and Where Does It Live? Toward Defining Spirit within a Research and Teaching Paradigm

3. Walking Ourselves Back Home: The Education of Teachers With/In the World

4. Looking at the Real Nature of Things: Life and Death as One Eternal Moment in Teaching and Research

5. Suddenly but Always Queen: Embracing a Methodology of Surrender in Research and Teaching

6. Akwanbo: From Speaking Words to Inviting the Voice of Spirit in Research

7. Out of My Darkness I Find My Light: Naming Self, Naming Spirit

8. Coming "Full Circle": Creating and Being on Purpose

Notes
Bibliography
Index

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791481479
• Langue: English

Extrait

S

C Y N T H I A B. D I L L A R D

O N S P I R I T U A L T R I V I N G S

Transforming an African American Woman’s Academic Life

On Spiritual Strivings 

SUNY serîes în Women în Educatîon

Margaret Grogan, edîtor

On Spiritual Strivings



Transformîng an Afrîcan Amerîcan Woman’s Academîc Lîfe

CYNTHIA B. DILLARD

S U N Y P TATE NIVERSITY OF EW ORK RESS

Cover photo taken by the author

Pubîshed by State Unîversîty of New York Press, Abany

© 2006 State Unîversîty of New York

A rîghts reserved

Prînted în the Unîted States of Amerîca

No part of thîs book may be used or reproduced în any manner whatsoever wîthout wrîtten permîssîon. No part of thîs book may be stored în a retrîeva system or transmîtted în any form or by any means încudîng eectronîc, eectrostatîc, magnetîc tape, mechanîca, photocopyîng, recordîng, or otherwîse wîthout the prîor permîssîon în wrîtîng of the pubîsher.

For înformatîon, address State Unîversîty of New York Press 194 Washîngton Avenue, Suîte 305, Abany, NY 12210-2384

Productîon by Judîth Bock Marketîng by Anne M. Vaentîne

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Dîard, Cynthîa B., 1957–  On spîrîtua strîvîngs : transformîng an Afrîcan Amerîcan woman’s academîc îfe / Cynthîa B. Dîard.  p. cm. — (SUNY serîes în women în educatîon)  Incudes bîbîographîca references and îndex.  ISBN 0-7914-6811-9 (hardcover : ak. paper)  1. Afrîcan Amerîcan women—Educatîon (Hîgher) 2. Femînîsm and educatîon— Unîted States. 3. Dîscrîmînatîon în hîgher educatîon—Unîted States. I. Tîte. II. Serîes.

LC2781.D48 2006 378.1'.9822—dc22

2005026770

ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-6811-1 (hardcover: ak. paper)

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

In memory of my father-teachers on both sîdes of the water, Cyde Dîard and Emmanue Kwaku Oboe

May theîr sous rest în perfect peace. May the ancestors smîe upon them. And may theîr spîrîts contînue to watch over our earthy journeys.



This page intentionally left blank.

Preface Acknowedgments

Contents 

Chapter 1 The Substance of Thîngs Hoped For, The Evîdence of Thîngs Not Seen:an Endarkened Epîstemoogy Examînîng în Educatîona Research and Leadershîp

Chapter 2 What Is It and Where Does It Lîve? Toward Deinîng Spîrît Wîthîn a Research and Teachîng Paradîgm

Chapter 3 Wakîng Ourseves Back Home: The Educatîon of Teachers Wîth/In the Word

Chapter 4 Lookîng at the Rea Nature of Thîngs:and Death Lîfe as One Eterna Moment în Teachîng and Research

Chapter 5 Suddeny but Aways Queen:a Methodoogy Embracîng of Surrender în Research and Teachîng

Chapter 6 Akwanbo:Speakîng Words to Invîtîng the Voîce From of Spîrît în Research

îx xvîî

1

29

47

65

77

87

vîîî

CPornetfeanctes

Chapter 7 Out of My Darkness I Fînd My Lîght:Sef, Namîng Namîng Spîrît

Chapter 8 Comîng Fu Cîrce:Creatîng and Beîng on Purpose

Notes Bîbîography Index

95

109

119 123 131

Preface

Preface 

îx

For many teachers, researchers, and eaders, an often unspoken but present desîre în our academîc îves îs to îve wîth the deepest of întîmacy, a desîre to îve cose to and wîth reverence for the îfe that îs wîthîn and around us. However, gîven the weîght of hîstory and the meanîng that both spîrîtuaîty and Back womanhood have wîthîn the spheres of academîc îfe, speakîng the truth of theîr împact and theîr grace too often renders women of coor afraîd of the rîsks învoved în embracîng spîrîtuaîty în our academîc îves—and sometîmes, even more afraîdnot to. On spîrîtua strîvîngs: Transformîng an Afrîcan Amerîcan woman’s academîc îfeappîes a spîrîtua îmagînatîon and cutura framework to the examînatîon of Afrîcan Amerîcan women’s academîc îves and to the foowîng questîons. How does the embrace of spîrîtuaîty affect what we, as Afrîcan Amerîcan women do (and mîght do) în our academîc îves? How does what we do în our academîc îves affect and shape who we become as Afrîcan Amerîcan women and what we then can offer the word as a resut of these îves? These questîons draw much înspîratîon from the brîîance of esteemed Afrîcan Amerîcan înteectua and actîvîst W. E. B. Du Boîs (1989). I remember my irst encounter wîth hîs îfe-changîng book, The sous of back fok. It was în the ate 1970s and I was takîng an Amerîcan hîstory course at Centra Washîngton Unîversîty, ocated în a sma rura town în my home state of Washîngton. In the course, we were aowed to choose an author whose work we beîeved had made a major hîstorîca împact on Amerîcan educatîon. And as an educatîon major wîth a growîng Back conscîousness, I chose to study the work of W. E. B. Du Boîs. Now, neary thîrty-ive years ater as

îx