Dancing between two worlds: a portrait of the life of a black male teacher in South Central LA

This article offers a portrait of a young black male teacher in an urban school in South Central Los Angeles. In the portrait, the words of the subject are intertwined with the thoughts and reactions of the researcher as a way in which to capture his life history narrative and offer his reading of the world. The article discusses the participant’s reflections on growing up in South Central, Los Angeles and how it shaped his identity. In particular, the portrait discusses the participant’s experiences in middle school, high school and college. The article concludes with some reflections about how Critical Race Theory—as a discourse on race and racism in the law and society—helps us to better understand the lives black men lead.