Recognizing Intergenerational Assets Within Religious Communities of Colour

Abstract

Religious organizations within communities of colour have traditionally been ignored by educational institutions, even though they provide community cultural wealth and literacy assets. While churches are often considered as having nothing to do with school, intergenerational experiences fostered by religious networks positively influence academic achievement and should be considered. In an effort to confront the minority deficit myth and promote a responsive pedagogy, this literature-based position paper promotes the acknowledgment of religion’s role in the cultural makeup of many children of colour, and the recognition of the intergenerational assets within marginalized religious social networks.