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Acknowledgments T his work was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation and the Ford Foundation, as well as resources from the University of Texas at Austin and from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. First, I must thank the Honorable Representative Dora Olivo, whose unyielding commitment to quality educational experiences for all children was truly inspiring and transformational, and whose openness, kindness and mentorship made it possible for me to do this project. I also thank Vivian, Mary, and Angie, who also made this project possible, for providing me with invaluable knowledge, help, and camaraderie. I also thank those tireless activists who worked over the course of the 78th session of the Texas Legislature for equity in education, especially those that frequented Representative Olivo’s office to offer help. I am extremely grateful to the people who most helped and inspired me in the research and writing process: Edmund T. Gordon, Angela Valenzuela , Charles Hale, João Costa Vargas, and Asale Angel-Ajani. Thanks for teaching me not only what activist scholarship is, but also, by example, how it is done. I also thank Justine Dymond, who helped me refine my writing. I give special thanks to Katya Gibel Mevorach for her mentorship and invaluable wisdom, and to others who have shaped my thinking, including Richard Valencia, Kamala Visweswaran, Melbourne Tapper, Sheila Walker, Mary S. Black, and the late and wonderful teacher Enrique (Henry) Trueba. To the Center for African and African American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, thank you for providing me support and the space to develop my research. In particular, I hope that this work honors the memory of Vincent Woodard, a beautiful writer and poet whose encouragement keeps me going to this day. I would not have been able to complete this project without the peer mentors at the Center who helped me secure funding, find the courage to begin writing, and see how to balance activism and scholarship, especially Jemima Pierre, Stephen Ward, Keisha-Khan Perry, Shaka McGlotten, Whitney BattleBaptiste , Lisa Moore, Paula Saunders, Kevin Foster, and B.C. Harrison. I am indebted to Maria “Cuca” Robledo Montecel and Roy Johnson of the Intercultural Development Research Association and the entire IDRA staff, who provided me with tremendous warmth and support to be able to finish the initial writing stage. I also wish to acknowledge the tremendous teachers I met over the course of this project, especially Ms. Smith, whose love for her students and passion for teaching have been inspiring. I must also thank all the students I tutored, who helped me remember why I was writing. Thanks to Micah Kleit and Temple University Press for giving me this tremendous chance, and to the University of Massachusetts Amherst for giving me the opportunity to continue my work and develop as an engaged scholar, especially the faculty, staff, and students of the Anthropology Department. Finally, I thank my parents Adonica and Lawrence Walker, and also Rowena and John Roby and James Phillip Johnson for showing so much support along the way, and my sisters Erika Williams, Angela Walker, and Tina Walker and my “other-sister” Rukiya Surles for their unending support , for listening to my ideas and frustrations and helping me to get through the rough patches. Also, I thank my great friend Nadia Heredia, who was always there to help me and provide moral support. To Nygel, Mayme, and Mason, thanks for helping me stay grounded, particularly after long hours of writing. I thank especially Phillip Johnson, who has been my rock and source of courage during this whole process and without whom this project would not have been possible. viii \ Acknowledgments ...

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