White Supremacy Culture and Teachers’ Pedagogical Choices After the 2021 U.S. Capitol Insurrection

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Published: Apr 13, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14288/workplace.v37i1.187057
Keywords:
Days After Pedagogy, White Supremacy, Teachers' Work, Teacher Beliefs

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Alyssa Dunn
University of Connecticut
Ellie Friedman
Kristina Brezicha
Neumann University
Mariah Kornbluh
University of Oregon

Abstract

Within hours of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, teachers were “floundering,” trying to figure out if and how they would discuss what happened with their students the next day. Through the lenses of Days After Pedagogy and white supremacy culture, we examine the following research questions: (1) How, if at all, did teachers pedagogically address January 6, 2021 in their classrooms? (2) What language did they use to describe their choices? We utilized an open-ended online questionnaire to learn about teachers’ experiences around the U.S. and analyzed their responses through Critical Discourse Analysis. Findings illustrate that educators’ beliefs about the purposes of schooling, teachers’ roles and responsibilities, and students’ abilities and skills manifest in teachers’ discourse about their pedagogical choices in critical moments on days after, as they did after the Capitol Insurrection. These beliefs are often rooted in the characteristics of white supremacy culture and represent a critical facet of teachers’ work in contentious times. 

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 37 No. 1 (2026): Teachers’ Work in Contentious Political Times (Part 2) + Global Labour Research Centre Student Symposium
Section
Teachers’ Work in Contentious Political Times
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Author Biographies

Alyssa Dunn, University of Connecticut

Alyssa Hadley Dunn is the Director of Teacher Education and Professor at the University of Connecticut. Her research and teaching interests include racial and social justice, educational equity, urban teacher preparation, and the sociocultural and political contexts of teaching and learning.

Ellie Friedman

Ellie Friedman is a first-year English teacher in Michigan whose path was shaped by strong mentorship, meaningful field experiences and early opportunities to engage in education research. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2024 with a degree in Social Relations and Policy. 

Kristina Brezicha, Neumann University

Kristina Brezicha is an Associate Professor at Neumann University in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership. Her research focuses on the relationship between education and democracy.

Mariah Kornbluh, University of Oregon

Mariah Kornbluh is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon. Her research focuses on 1) how children and adolescents marginalized or socially excluded surrounding the intersections of race or ethnicity, social class, gender, and other forces develop beliefs, feelings, and actions that challenge systemic inequities (critical consciousness development), and 2) how this critical consciousness empowers marginalized youth to negotiate structural constraints surrounding educational attainment and wellness.