Chapter 1: Situating a Requisite Purple Rain in Multicultural Education

This chapter is the combined effort of three female educators—all women of color; one teaches at the elementary level; one teaches in a middle school; and one is a teacher educator in a graduate school of education. All three are located on the eastern seaboard of the United States. There are several unifying themes around which these three individuals’ paths intersect. The most demonstrative is their commitment in their lived experiences to shaping and creating spaces for culturally, linguistically, and cognitively diverse learners to be able to “laugh in the purple rain.” In other words, ensuring that all learners are taught by responsible, caring individuals who approach their work assured that every student is capable of succeeding. In this chapter we set out to examine the shifting demographics across U.S. K–12 public schools followed by recent trends in teacher preparation and their impact on multicultural education. We then shift to a closer of examination of teacher preparation in multicultural education and focus on two model programs that are specifically designed to approach teaching and learning through a more inclusive lens that both enhances and embraces dialogic inquiry and community partnerships with schools. Next we each share our “story” as meaningful pieces of the “Purple Rain” metaphor. Finally, we conclude with suggestions and recommendations that situate a purple rain in multicultural education with culturally, linguistically, and cognitively diverse learners.