Unabashed African American High School Students Discuss Race, Racism, and Politics

African American high school students' erudition of Black history, including the events and individuals who afforded them freedoms, enhances their informed decision making and impacts them as citizens. The purpose of this article is to detail how African American high school students engage in critical discourse regarding how historical events pertaining to African Americans serve as a conduit for developing into productive citizens. This study was conducted at Way to Go (WTG), a K-12 public charter school with a 100% Black student population located in a mid-large size urban city in the southeastern region. The study participants consisted of eight students in grades 9-12. The data collection included a 90-minute focus group interview with the participants. Each participant noted how African Americans, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Barack Obama, Dr. Mamie Clark, Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks, were individuals they aspired to be like. Each student's articulation of why they chose these individuals derive from the verity that these African American's tenacious, impactful selflessness helped to eradicate racial injustices and benefited future generations. The significance of this study demonstrates how African American high school students' historical knowledge prompts civic engagement facilitating change towards a racially justice society.