Danny C. Martinez Honored for Research on Black and Latino Youth’s Language and Literacy Practices

In recognition of his scholarship on the use of language among Black and Latino youth in urban English Language Arts classrooms, the National Council of Teachers of English Assembly for Research (NCTEAR) has honored Danny C. Martinez, assistant professor of education, with an award for his continued work to increase diverse perspectives into how we examine language and literacy in multicultural and multilingual communities.

This award is given to scholars who were former “Cultivating New Voices Among Scholars of Color” (CNV) fellows who are involved with NCTEAR. Martinez was a CNV fellow from 2010-2012. The award is for “Sustaining Our Communicative Repertoires: The Linguistic Work of Black and Latino/a Youth in Urban ELA Classrooms,” a paper he delivered at the annual meeting of the National Council for Teachers of English Assembly for Research in January.

“While larger narratives tend to describe the language practices of Black and Latino youth through a deficit lens, my research aims to add to our understanding of how the language practices of non-dominant communities are complex and useful,” said Martinez. “My hope is that my work will also contribute to language and literacy research in education that treats the language and literacy practices of non-dominant youth as a resource for learning by demonstrating how our urban youth are already taking on additive approaches to learning languages, even if these languages are viewed as ‘marginal.’”