As a first-generation doctorate holder, educator and Black woman, Assistant Professor of Education Latoya Teague grew up never seeing herself in the literature she studied. This formative experience would go on to shape her career in education and the questions that drive her research. Now, her focus is on creating learning environments where everyone feels safe, seen, heard and valued.
Prior to joining the Department of Education in The University of Tulsa’s Kendall College of Arts & Sciences, Teague spent more than 12 years working with students as a teacher, reading specialist and librarian. Her experiences with learners from different communities have been foundational in her research.
Teague emphasizes that all learners can grow with the right tools: developing and implementing teacher education training; equitable text selection and curriculum creation; Black youth literacy development; and cultural and ancestral guidance in literacy.
Her research and the experiences of students she has worked with have led her to examine broader questions about representation in literature and education. “The core questions driving my area of research stem from my lack of representation in K-12 school curriculums,” Teague said. “My research begins with the question, ‘How have Black creators written themselves into existence in a world that has continually tried to write them out?’”
Her work responds by exploring a genealogy of Black writers over time and uplifting intergenerational memory and storytelling traditions from the early Americas to the modern age that have been overlooked or erased.
Teague also works to make sure students can see themselves reflected in what they learn. Since moving to Tulsa, she has partnered with local schools to examine and address the impact that these issues have had on their curricula. Her long-term goal is to build equitable curricula and learning materials for future generations.
Teague has found her own passion and commitment to educational equity reflected at UTulsa. “Our students are passionate and committed to education in Oklahoma,” she said. “They are brilliant and will shift education’s landscape. I have no doubts about this group of budding professional educators.”
Beyond all of her scholarship and academic work lies her own passion for creative writing and storytelling. Teague recently learned that her young adult manuscript was a winner in the We Need Diverse Books Revision Workshop and is being considered for a publishing contract. “This is just the beginning of my work to make sure that all readers see themselves represented in stories,” Teague said.