Introduction and Conceptual Framework Critical Theory, Social Justice, Power, and Autoethnography

We, Felecia and Muhammad, began our academic careers as middle school science teachers in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Detroit, Michigan, respectively. Our teaching experiences led us to become deeply troubled by the systemic practices that disadvantaged minority and low-income students in these two very different cities. One of our primary goals in earning our doctoral degrees was to help develop knowledge that would create a more equitable educational system. Yet, more than 20 years after teaching in the public schools, I (Felecia) received the following e-mail from one of my brightest and most highly motivated teacher education students: