“This Ain’t Gonna Work For Me”: The Role of the Afrocentric Praxis of Eldering in Creating More Equitable Research Partnerships

Abstract

In this article, we unpack our interracial research relationship over the course of 2 years and how the Afrocentric pedagogy of eldering evolved as we grew our relationship into one of mutual mentorship, from professor and student to co-researchers, co-teachers, and friends. This shifting of roles contributed to our sense of communal responsibility as our dialogue about race and our racial identities evolved from surface-level conversations to open conversations that explored our biases, assumptions, identities, and then moved that work to conversations and curriculum with children.