Shantelle Browning-Morgan is a high school teacher and Joint PhD student (S. BROWNING-MORGAN/University of Windsor)
By Kate Hargreaves
Shantelle Browning-Morgan describes her passion for Black Canadian history as “rooted in blood memory, fuelled by a duty to honour the past, present and future.”
A descendant of Underground Railroad freedom seekers, Browning-Morgan has long worked to share that history through her work as a high school teacher and curriculum developer.
Now also a first-year PhD student in the Joint PhD in Education — a collaborative program between the University of Windsor, Lakehead University and Brock University — Browning-Morgan brings these roles together in her research on access to and integration of Black history in curriculum.
“My research direction grows directly out of my work with the school board and extends beyond it through my work with community parters and educators in other contexts,” she explains.
Teaching English as a Second Language at Kennedy Collegiate in Windsor, Browning-Morgan will mark her 25th year as an educator in 2026.
In addition to her regular teaching duties, she has worked in curriculum development, presented at conferences in Canada and the United States and created professional development materials focused on teaching Black history.
“I have spent many years developing Black history resources, including serving as a lead researcher and writer for the Greater Essex County District School Board’s (GECDSB) Canadian Roads to Freedom curriculum since its inception,” she explains.
Browning-Morgan has also taken lead roles in the development of educational resources for the Detroit River Project, Jackson Park Project, Across the River to Freedom, McDougall Street Corridor, OSSTF’s Black Canadian Lives, TEACH Canada Magazine and a host of others.
“This work allows me to bridge my roles as educator, historian and curriculum developer and ensure that Black histories are taught with care and accuracy,” she says.
At the same time, her teaching role helps to emphasize the need for such curricula.
“Teaching English language learners keeps me closely connected to students from diverse backgrounds and reminds me daily of the importance of inclusion, belonging and culturally responsive pedagogy,” Browning-Morgan says.
Her proposed research as part of her PhD ties directly into her teaching and educational development work, focusing on Ontario’s newly mandated curriculum including Black history in Grades 7, 8 and 10.
“I am particularly interested in examining the curriculum expectations, how local Black histories are accessed and integrated and how pre-service and in-service teachers are trained and supported to teach this content effectively and accurately,” says Browning-Morgan.
“In many ways, my doctoral research formalizes and deepens the questions I have been asking for years.”
While she has been doing this work for decades, Browning-Morgan's path to formally pursuing a PhD has been a winding one.
“Applying to the Joint PhD program was a long-held personal goal,” she explains, noting that due to a serious motor vehicle collision and ongoing illness, that goal had to be placed on hold.
“During that time, I learned a great deal about patience, resilience and healing, but the desire to return to school and to research never left me,” she says.
With encouragement from her doctoral supervisor and Joint PhD program director Dr. Andrew Allen, as well as program alumna and GECDSB superintendent Dr. Clara Howitt, Browning-Morgan was motivated to apply and begin the program in July 2025.
“I also had a lot of support and encouragement from family and close friends,” she adds.
In addition to the collective support of her community, Browning-Morgan credits her joy in learning and researching and belief in the power of education as key to her pursuing her PhD.
“I see myself as a creative and deeply inquisitive learner — someone who asks a lot of questions and persists even when the journey is challenging,” she says.
“Becoming a mother 31 years ago while still a high school student at W.D. Lowe High School shaped my understanding of perseverance and purpose, qualities that continue to guide my academic journey. All of these experiences have brought me to this program at this moment in my life.”
Browning-Morgan adds, “since becoming a mother at the young age of 16, knowing that my children’s eyes have always been on me has been a powerful motivating force in pursuing my goals and continuing my education.”
Part of what attracted Browning-Morgan to the Joint PhD program in particular is its flexibility for working professionals, with two in-person courses held in July of the first and second years, and all other work completed online or through self-directed study with a faculty supervisor.
Returning to school nearly 20 years after completing her master’s in education also reminded Browning-Morgan of how much she missed the intellectual and personal fulfillment of a graduate program.
“I have been fortunate to have wonderful, supportive professors who have expanded my knowledge, challenged my thinking and introduced me to new ways of learning,” she says.
“The Joint PhD program offered the intellectual rigour and interdisciplinary grounding I was looking for, while also providing the flexibility to continue teaching full-time, to remain an active and present single mother, and to stay engaged in my community.”
Browning-Morgan was also struck by the relationships she was able to build with peers in her cohort throughout their summer course at Brock University.
“My supervisor spoke with me early on about the importance of building connections, but as an introvert by nature, I fully expected to spend most of my time alone, either in my dorm room or at the library,” she explains.
“While I did indeed value that quiet space, I also pushed myself beyond my comfort zone. In doing so, I formed connections and friendships that I believe will be lifelong. That sense of scholarly community has been one of the most meaningful and unexpected parts of the experience.”
This act of sharing and collaboration ties directly to the ultimate goals of her research and teaching work.
“My goal is to help teachers feel more prepared, confident and supported in teaching Black history, especially as I’ve observed increasing resistance to including this content in classrooms.”
While her project is much-needed and incredibly timely, Browning-Morgan describes her research plans as “shaped by anticipation” due to a delay in the release of the new curriculum.
“I am eager to review the new curriculum expectations once they are available and to begin a deeper analysis,” she says.
In the meantime, Browning-Morgan will continue preliminary stages of her research under the guidance of Dr. Allen and re-connect with her peers this summer with the July 2026 doctoral seminars hosted in Windsor this year.
“Since they will be in Windsor, I hope to expose them to some of the rich local Black history in our community,” she says.
“I’m excited to share ideas, collaborate on projects and continue learning from such a diverse and talented group of peers.”
To learn more about the Joint PhD in Education, visit the program's website.