Beyond Niceties: Urban Black and Latiné High School Students’ Racially and Culturally Situated Perceptions of Care

There are complexities in how care in schools is perceived by students and how achieving culturally relevant caring necessitates a deeper level of engagement. This case study delves into the perspectives of thirteen Black and Latiné students attending a justice-themed high school, focusing on their perceptions of caring orientations within the teacher-student relationship from the lens of culturally relevant caring. The findings highlight caring manifested through Knowledge, Receptivity, and Engrossment, noting that caring doesn't always serve as a pathway to justice. Furthermore, it explores caring through a critical community-based justice curriculum and caring through the building of racial solidarity. The implications for pedagogy are also discussed.