Reflection Paper #2 — Black Liberatory Practice (50 points)
Due: May 5th, 2026 @ 3:00pm
Purpose
This assignment invites you to explore Black liberatory frameworks as tools for understanding, questioning, and transforming social work practice. Grounded in Africana-centered ways of knowing, including frameworks introduced in class such as the work of Dr. Greg Carr and the principles of Ma’at, this assignment encourages you to engage perspectives that center history, culture, and collective responsibility.
Black liberation is not only about Black communities. It challenges us to examine systems of power, oppression, and the possibilities for collective freedom.
As discussed in class, some of these frameworks may feel unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or even contradictory to your own beliefs. That is okay. This assignment is not about agreement. It is about engagement, reflection, and critical thinking.
Instructions
2–3 pages
APA 7th edition formatting
Minimum of 2 scholarly or credible sources
Select ONE of the following:
Africana Studies framework (focus on ONE of the six conceptual categories: Social Structures, Governance, Ways of Knowing, Science and Technology, Cultural Meaning-Making, or Movement and Memory)
OR
ONE principle of Ma’at (truth, order, balance, harmony, reciprocity, justice, or righteousness)
Your paper should address the following
Understanding the Framework (10 points)
Clearly describe the framework, category, or principle
Demonstrate understanding of its meaning and core ideas
Historical and Contemporary Relevance (10 points)
Briefly explain its historical grounding
Connect it to a current social issue, system, or practice context
Critical Analysis (15 points)
What does this framework reveal about power, oppression, or resistance
How does it challenge or disrupt traditional social work approaches
Who is centered and who has been historically excluded
Reflection and Application (10 points)
How does this framework challenge or expand your thinking
How might it shape the kind of social worker you are becoming
What does liberation look like in your future practice
Writing and APA Style (5 points)
Clarity, organization, and grammar
APA formatting and citation accuracy
You may draw connections to other frameworks discussed in class if it supports your analysis, but your paper should remain grounded in your selected focus.
Final Note
This is not about getting it right. This is about how you think, how you reflect, and how you begin to connect your learning to your practice.
Sit with it. Wrestle with it. Be honest.
Black Liberatory Frameworks and Integrative Practice
Primary Text: Freedom Is a Constant Struggle – Angela Y. Davis
Supplemental Text: Between the World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates
Assigned Readings
Read selected essays from Davis that center abolition, collective liberation, and sustained resistance.
Revisit selected excerpts from Coates that reflect on history, memory, and Black embodiment.
Purpose of Readings
These texts anchor Black liberatory frameworks by connecting theory, lived experience, and praxis. Students are encouraged to synthesize these readings with course concepts and global examples discussed in class.
Supports
Reflection Paper #2 – Black Liberatory Theoretical Framework
Group Presentation – Applying the Pillars
Final Portfolio (Capstone) – Integrating the Pillars
ASSIGNMENT 2 Group Presentation: Please create speakers for my group presentation. The following slides i have to present, I will share.