Toward a Critical Race Theorization of Cultural Capital for Black Education Studies Research.

This article examines the potential merger of Cultural Capital Theory (CCT) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) to create a more race-conscious framework for understanding cultural oppression and educational inequality experienced by Black students in the United States. It argues that CCT's traditional focus on class and its colorblindness limit its explanatory power regarding racialized educational disparities, and that integrating CRT—particularly its concepts of whiteness as property and antiblackness—can address these gaps. The author proposes three key theoretical propositions: (1) whiteness and antiblackness constitute components of dominant cultural capital; (2) antiblackness restricts Black Americans' access to the economic capital necessary for acquiring dominant cultural capital; and (3) Black Americans face permanent exclusion from full acquisition of dominant cultural capital and dominant group membership due to antiblackness. These propositions aim to enhance Black Education Studies by providing a more precise analysis of how race and racism intersect with cultural capital to perpetuate educational inequality, and they suggest directions for future research and educational practice focused on affirming Black students' experiences and combating systemic oppression.