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http://www.socialjusticetoolbox.com/

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How to open space for reflection and conversation amid difficult events

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When the news is filled with racialized rhetoric or violence, teachers need to be prepared to discuss these topics with their students - especially when those students are people of color, economically disadvantaged, immigrants, or undocumented.

It may be tempting to think of your classroom as an unaffected space, but students are going to hear about traumatic events anyway. Many may feel anxious or fearful, making it hard for them to engage academically. And for the students who identify with targeted groups, it can be "dehumanizing not to have their experiences addressed in schools and by their teachers who they spend so much time with," says former teacher and school administrator Aaliyah El-Amin, now a lecturer and researcher on educational justice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

We asked El-Amin to talk about how educators can create space for reflection and conversation about these challenging events - and how they can help students respond. Here, we share guidance and perspectives:

Helping students process racialized or violent events

Acknowledge traumatic events or circumstances. Bring up news with students the day after it breaks, even if details or consequences are still uncertain.

Process and name emotions together. Help students identify their emotions through discussion circles or individual writing prompts. Describe your own emotions, whether they be outrage, fear, numbness, or uncertainty.

Ask students what they know and what they need. Some students may have a thorough grasp of what's going on, but little idea of how it could impact them. Others may feel very affected, but lack a nuanced understanding of the details. Open up the discussion to figure out what students want to know, and let them ask questions.

Teach relevant information. Where possible, integrate current events into lesson plans to explain to students what's happened. Draw connections among the various forces facing communities of color. If you're unclear about details, be honest with your students, and work to investigate the details together.

Connect students to resources. Show all students, including those who may be affected by new policies or rhetoric, that their school and teachers are there to help. Connect vulnerable students with local lawyers, social workers, and advocates who can provide them with the assistance they need.

Empowering students to take action

Remind each student that he or she has a voice that matters. Children of color may feel marginalized, not only by racism or stereotypes, but because they're young. Communicate to them that they are not powerless, and that their beliefs are valid and significant.

Introduce students to different types of political action. Make sure students are aware of the ways in which people can protest and resist injustice, such as by voting, marching, calling elected representatives, and writing letters and op-eds. Make them aware of how organizations fight for racial justice, through lawsuits, advocacy work, and grassroots campaigns.

Give students opportunities to take action. Ask students what they want to do to make their voices heard. Show younger students how to write letters to Congress, or encourage older students to figure out which person or organization they can call to advocate for justice.

Think local. As a class, explore the issues that are deeply affecting your school and community, and discuss ways to create change close to home.

Additional Resources

Resources for educators for talking about race and bias, strategies for leading these conversations at the higher ed level, advice for parents for talking about trauma and community violence, from Usable Knowledge

Guidelines for discussing controversial topics in the classroom, from the Center for research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan

Resources for standing up to hate and intolerance, advice on preparing students for difficult conversations, and a lesson teaching different forms of civic participation, from Facing History

Strategies for educators for preparing for conversations about race and racism, a guide for responding to biased language, and an essay on fostering students' moral and civic development, from Teaching Tolerance

We Want to Hear from You
Our country is polarized: How is that showing up in your school? What are you doing to protect students, confront discrimination, prevent bullying, and foster inclusion? Usable Knowledge would like to hear from you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, using #OneAllHGSE. Send your advice and resources to uknow@gse.harvard.edu, and we'll share as much as we can. Read more at One and All.

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When the news is filled with racialized rhetoric or violence, teachers need to be prepared to discuss these topics with their students - especially when those students are people of color, economically disadvantaged, immigrants, or undocumented. It may be tempting to think of your classroom as an unaffected space, but students are going to hear about traumatic events anyway.

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There Is No Apolitical Classroom: Resources for Teaching in These Times

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There Is No Apolitical Classroom: Resources for Teaching in These Times

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The following post was created by members of NCTE's Standing Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English.
The members of NCTE's Standing Committee Against Racism and Bias have felt an urgency since we each joined the committee to stand against racism and bias. We have been working on ways to encourage each member of NCTE to speak out against the systemic and individual acts of racism that disenfranchise our students in and out of the classroom.

We know that racism exists in our classrooms and in our communities. We feel that silence on these issues is complicity in the systemic racism that has marred our educational system. We see no place for neutrality and urge each member of NCTE to educate as many people as possible about the ways that systemic racism affects all of us in negative ways.

There is no apolitical classroom. English language arts teachers must examine the ways that racism has personally shaped their beliefs and must examine existing biases that feed systems of oppression. In light of the horrific events in this country that continue to unfold, and the latest terrorism in Charlottesville, Virginia, we would like to share resources that we hope will encourage all NCTE members to speak out against the racism and bias that have been a part of our nation's fabric since the first immigrants disembarked from European ships.

Our Action Subcommittee has been working this year on creating classroom resources for teachers to use as statements of love and support. Printable classroom posters and bookmarks for NCTE members will be available at the 2017 Annual Convention, as well as available for download after Convention. Until then, we offer this incomplete resource to help continue the daily work that is antiracism. Please share other resources in the comment box below.

"I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

- Elie Wiesel, Acceptance Speech on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, December 10, 1986

Resources for Working with White Students

Raising Race Conscious Children
"A resource to support adults who are trying to talk about race with young children. The goals of these conversations are to dismantle the color-blind framework and prepare young people to work toward racial justice."

Dismantling Racism in Education
Heinemann Dedicated to Teachers Blog
Sara Ahmed, Sonja Cherry-Paul, and Cornelius Minor talk about what racism looks like and how we can begin to break up the assumptions we make about racism.

Resources for Teaching in These Times
On June 14, 2016, in response to the Orlando shootings, NCTE began collecting teaching resources from its members that continue to build in relevance given the ongoing struggles and critical conversations taking place across the country.

Race Forward: The Center for Racial Justice Innovation
"Race Forward's mission is to build awareness, solutions, and leadership for racial justice by generating transformative ideas, information, and experiences." Check out their video that explains systemic racism.

This resource was contributed by Kristin Beers
Online PLC: Read Aloud as an Anti-Bigotry Tool
Suggestions for using read aloud as an anti- bigotry tool with our youngest learners. This resource provides questions to prompt conversation, as well as a list of categorized titles that support this work.

Resources for Understanding White Supremacy
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Confront Antisemitism
Resources on anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial and distortion
Southern Poverty Law Center
"The SPLC is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy, the SPLC works toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality."

Ten Ways to Fight Hate
" Ten Ways to Fight Hate, which has been updated for 2017, sets out 10 principles for taking action, including how to respond to a hate rally that has targeted your town. It urges people not to engage white supremacists at their rallies. Instead, it offers tips for creating alternative rallies to promote peace, inclusion and justice."

Oath and Opposition: Education under the Third Reich
"The Museum has developed . . . materials . . . to help today's educators explore the pressures teachers felt under the Nazi regime, the range of decisions individuals made in the face of those pressures, and the relevance of this history now." (This rich resource includes a number of case studies you could use with your classes.)

Yad Vashem-The World Holocaust Remembrance Center
Read their working definition on anti-Semitism, which "encompasses both traditional and contemporary manifestations of antisemitism."

Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
"Founded in 1913, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is our nation's premier civil rights/human relations organization. We have a distinguished history of reminding the world just how tenuous civil rights are and we mobilize people to engage in reasonable discourse as together we find solutions to serve our diverse society." See their website's extensive Education & Resources section as well as their definition and historical explanation of anti-Semitism.

University of Southern California Shoah Foundation Lesson Plans
"Dedicated to making audio-visual interviews with survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust and other genocides a compelling voice for education and action."

Antisemitism and the Bystander Effect
"Students will watch testimonies from survivors of and witnesses to historical and contemporary antisemitism who describe the consequences of the bystander effect in their own lives. Students will construct a social media message for the #BeginsWithMe campaign that describes their own plan to counter bystander behavior."

100 Days to Inspire Respect
"At a time of heightened political uncertainty and polarization, middle and high school teachers are in need of easy-to-use resources that encourage their students to grapple with some of the most difficult but important topics: hate, racism, intolerance and xenophobia. '100 Days to Inspire Respect' provides educators with 100 thought-provoking resources that tackle these challenging topics and more."

The following book was recommended by Jenny Cameron Paulsen
Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
"By the time Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, 3.5 million children belonged to the Hitler Youth. It would become the largest youth group in history. Susan Campbell Bartoletti explores how Hitler gained the loyalty, trust, and passion of so many of Germany's young people. Her research includes telling interviews with surviving Hitler Youth members."

Charlottesville-Specific Resources

The Charlottesville Syllabus
"The Charlottesville Syllabus is a resource created by the Graduate Student Coalition for Liberation to be used to educate readers about the long history of white supremacy in Charlottesville, Virginia. With resources selected and summaries written by UVa graduate students, this abridged version of the Syllabus is organized into six sections that offer contemporary and archival primary and secondary sources (articles, books, responses, a documentary, databases) and a list of important terms for discussing white supremacy."

" How to Talk to Your Kids about the Violence in CharlottesvilleAugust 12, 2017, Los Angeles Times article by Sonali Kohli
Mental health experts and parents discuss developmentally appropriate ways to address the issues raised over the weekend.

#CharlottesvilleCurriculum
A growing list of resources posted by educators from around the country.

"''Blood and Soil': Protesters Chant Nazi Slogan in Charlottesville"
August 12, 2017, CNN article by Meg Wagner

" Charlottesville Murder Suspect's Teacher: 'He thought Nazis were pretty cool guys'"
August 13, 2017, ABC News article by Michael Edison Hayden

Resources for Understanding Bias
The following resources were contributed by Susi Long on behalf of the Early Childhood Education Assembly
The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB)
"The People's Institute believes that racism is the primary barrier preventing communities from building effective coalitions and overcoming institutionalized oppression and inequities. Through Undoing Racism®/Community Organizing Workshops, technical assistance and consultations, The People's Institute helps individuals, communities, organizations and institutions move beyond addressing the symptoms of racism to undoing the causes of racism so as to create a more just and equitable society."

Don't Be a Sucker - 1947
"In this anti-fascist film produced by [the] US Military in the wake of WWII, the producers deconstruct the politically motivated social engineering of Germany by the Nazi regime."

Teaching Tolerance Social Justice Standards
"The Social Justice Standards are a road map for anti-bias education at every stage of K-12 instruction. Comprised of anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes, the Standards provide a common language and organizational structure educators can use to guide curriculum development and make schools more just and equitable."

Anti-Racism Educational Consultants Network
"The ECEA is honored to present a network of some of the country's most respected professionals. They are experts in helping educators examine issues of race and racism in schools, childcare settings, and teacher education programs as they consider new possibilities for practice and policy. They consult widely, each with extensive experience in classrooms and with teachers, administrators, and preservice teachers."

Resources for Educators Focusing on Anti-Racist Learning and Teaching
"Our intent is to continue building and expanding this collection but we offer it now as a beginning, in support of educators working to (a) deepen understandings about institutional and interpersonal racism and its manifestations in early childhood settings, (b) understand the depth and breadth of histories often left out of or misrepresented in our teaching, and (c) apply new awareness to transforming practice and policy."

Articles and Other Readings

"These [three] special themed issues [of NCTE journals] explore and demonstrate not only the physical violence that Black and Brown children and youth and young Black girls encounter on a daily basis but also the symbolic and linguistic violence and the spirit-murder that are inflicted upon the lives and humanity of our children and youth of Color. In addition, all of these special issues provide the field with practical lessons and pedagogies for teaching in our current racialized and gendered context." - Lamar Johnson and April Bell

1. From Racial Violence to Racial Justice: Praxis and Implications for English (Teacher) Education (a special issue of English Journal) Edited by April Baker-Bell, Tamara Butler,
and Lamar Johnson
"We come to this project bearing soul wounds and heavy hearts, anxiety and anger, tears and fire. We sifted through a series of events and melded our wounds into a project that could heal us, our families, our communities, and Black, Brown, and other marginalized youth affected by racial violence."

2. "Beyond the Dream": Black Textual Expressivities Between the World and Me (a special issue of English Journal) Edited by David Kirkland
"In the most basic sense, this issue is about acknowledging how Black textualities, like vulnerable Black bodies, are contested in American classrooms, complicated by competing interests that wrestle daily for an ethical place in the consciousness of English language arts. It is in English language arts classrooms, as this issue suggests, that Black textualities have the power to move our assumptions past beliefs that strip away the humanity of others.

3. Black Girls' Literacies (a special issue of English Education) Edited by Marcelle Haddix, Sherell McArthur, Gholnecsar Muhammad, Detra Price-Dennis, and Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz
"We now must be urgent in interrogating hegemonic systems, English education practices, and educational policy to ask how we can experience a shift in the way we teach, talk about, and represent Black girls in school and society. In this way, English education becomes a site of possibility and disruption-a space to begin to ask these questions and respond." - Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz

How Two Teenagers Created a Textbook for Racial Literacy
From Facing History and Ourselves by Stacey Perlman
"Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi started the student-run organization, CHOOSE, to overcome racism and inspire harmony through exposure, education, and empowerment. This led them to collaborate with Princeton University on The Classroom Index, a textbook devoted to racial literacy."

This resource was contributed by Corinne Viglietta" Essential Everyday Bravery: Thinking and Talking About Identity and Difference in Your Classroom "-a downloadable packet with 6 stand-alone lessons, 4 short scripts, 4 video clips, and 1 long list of more resources from Folger Shakespeare Library
These resources were contributed by Jodi Derkson
The lessons were created by 10 excellent teachers, and designed to work in all kinds of classes with all kinds of students. These teachers are themselves people of different races, ethnicities, and religions, and they teach IB and AP, special needs, honors, and "regular" students in urban and suburban (mostly public) high schools in or near Washington, DC. These resources are also the product of CrossTalk, a yearlong community engagement project led by the Folger Shakespeare Library and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of their Humanities in the Public Square initiative. More info here

This resource was contributed by Emily Salinas
Drop the I-Word Campaign
"Race Forward's Drop the I-Word campaign to eliminate use of the word "illegal" was launched in September 2010 as anti-immigrant sentiment and hate crimes against communities of color had increased. Although the Associated Press, USA Today, LA Times, and many other news outlets and journalist associations have dropped the i-word, this racial slur in still being used in the media and everyday language."

This resource was contributed by Melanie Gustafson
Click! The Ongoing Feminist Revolution
"We aim to bridge the gap between those two clicks by offering an exhibit that highlights the achievements of women from the 1940s to the present. This exhibit explores the power and complexity of gender consciousness in modern American life."

Choose Your Voice (middle school)
Free online teaching resources and tools, curriculum-based for grades 6, 7 and 8, to help students speak out against racism, antisemitism and intolerance.

Voices into Action (secondary school and college)
"Designed by curriculum experts, this program utilizes a wide variety of media to present compelling information on a history of human suffering, stemming from social injustice that is still a growing problem today. Explore thought-provoking issues with your students by accessing our lessons and resources on antisemitism, racism, discrimination and stereotyping."

These resources were contributed by Nadia Kalman
"For contemporary global literature from Mexico, Russia, and other countries currently in the political discourse, along with multimedia contextual materials and teaching tools, teachers might try Words Without Borders Campus. Here's a link to a blog post on building inter-cultural empathy and understanding."

Books for Teachers

A Search Past Silence: The Literacy of Young Black Men by David E. Kirkland

All Souls: A Family Story from Southie by Michael Patrick MacDonald

Articulate While Black: Barack Obama, Language, and Race in the U.S. by H. Samy Alim, Geneva Smitherman, foreword by Michael Eric Dyson

Black Intellectual Thought in Education: The Missing Traditions of Anna Julia Cooper, Carter G. Woodson, and Alain LeRoy Locke by Carl A. Grant, Keffrelyn D. Brown, and Anthony L. Brown

Community Literacies en Confianza: Learning from Bilingual After-School Programs by Steven Alvarez

Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World edited by: Django Paris and H. Samy Alim

Digital Griots: African American Rhetoric in a Multimedia Age by Adam J. Banks

For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood... and the Rest of Y'all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education by Christopher Emdin

by Bryan Stevenson

"Multiplication Is for White People": Raising Expectations for Other People's Children
by Lisa Delpit

Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom by Lisa Delpit

Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

Talkin and Testifyin: The Language of Black America by Geneva Smitherman

The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, 2nd Edition by Gloria Ladson-Billings

The Latinization of U.S. Schools : Successful Teaching and Learning in Shifting Cultural Contexts by Jason G. Irizarry

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
These additional book resources were contributed by Elaine Richardson These additional book resources were contributed by Deborah Kelly
The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore

The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High
by Melba Pattillo Beals

Books for Students

A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A. by Luis J. Rodriguez

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Becoming Americans: Four Centuries of Immigrant Writing edited by Ilan Stavans

Boricuas: Influential Puerto Rican Writings - An Anthology edited by Roberto Santiago

Child of the Dark: The Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus by Carolina Maria de Jesus

Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas

Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

I Am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina

Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat

MARCH: Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake
Rich in Color We Need Diverse Books Lee & Low Books A Mighty Girl
When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri

Websites to Follow (for books for our students)

If you have resources you would like to add, please share them in the comment box below.

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There Is No Apolitical Classroom: Resources for Teaching in These Times - NCTE

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The following post was created by members of NCTE's Standing Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English . The members of NCTE's Standing Committee Against Racism and Bias have felt an urgency since we each joined the committee to stand against racism and bias.

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Usable Knowledge is a trusted source of insight into what works in education - translating new research into easy-to-use stories and strategies for teachers, parents, K-12 leaders, higher ed professionals, and policymakers. Usable Knowledge is produced at the Harvard Graduate School of Education by Bari Walsh (senior editor) and Leah Shafer (staff writer).

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These robust, ready-to-use classroom lessons offer breadth and depth, spanning essential social justice topics and reinforcing critical social emotional learning skills. "Teaching Tolerance provides me with the means to promote social justice, challenge bias, and engage students in discussions about diversity that would perhaps not happen otherwise."

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The role of media literacy in teaching your students about Charlottesville

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The role of media literacy in teaching your students about Charlottesville

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Daily Video

President Donald Trump made a series of statements about the participants in the deadly weekend protests in Charlottesville at a press conference on Tuesday in New York.

Trump defended those attending the white supremicist rally who disagreed about the taking down of the Confederate statue of Robert E. Lee. He suggested that "both sides," the marchers and the counterdemonstrators, were equally violent.

"It looked like they had some rough, bad people, neo-Nazis, white nationalists, whatever you want to call them. But you had a lot of people in that group that were there to innocently protest and very legally protest..." Trump said.

On Friday evening neo-Nazis and white nationalists held a surprise torchlight march in which they filed through the University of Virginia's main campus, chanting anti-Semitic statements.

The vast majority of counterdemonstrators were unarmed, according to PBS NewsHour's P.J. Tobia who was in Charlottesville over the weekend. On Saturday, as white nationalists were leaving the park after city officials declared a state of emergency and called off the protest, they clashed with counterdemonstrators, said Tobia. "The white nationalists were far outnumbered, but most looked ready for a fight, wearing helmets and carrying sticks and shields," he said.

Not long after, a car driven by 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. who attended the White Supremicst rally allegedly rammed into a crowd of peaceful anti-white nationalist Nazi protesters, killing one and sending 19 more to the hospital. According to those who knew Fields, he had long idolized Adolf Hitler, and believed in white supremacy. Trump called Fields "a disgrace to himself, his family and this country."

Key terms:

media literacy: the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act using all forms of communication ( NAMLE's definition)

confederacy: "the body formed by persons, states, or nations united by a league; specifically, capitalized: the 11 southern states seceding from the U.S. in 1860 and 1861″ (www.m-w.com)

neo-Nazi: a member of an organization that is similar to the German Nazi Party of Adolf Hitler

1. Essential question: Why is it important to be media literate, including reading multiple sources, when discussing sensitive current events?

2. How does President Trump's view of the events in Charlottesville conflict with multiple media reports? Why do you think the majority of Americans including members of the Republican Party were disappointed in Trump's reaction to what took place in Charlottesville?

3. While the events in Charlottesville were tragic and have shaken many people's idea of where we are as a country, a resilient spirit and determination to hold true to America's democratic values of liberty and equality have also been exhibited over the last week. Do you think tragedies like Charlottesville may create an opportunity to discuss the effects of slavery in American history, including racism and the rise of white supremacy groups, in classrooms across the country? Explain your answer.

4. If you are not sure about the history and meaning of white nationalism or the rise of white supremacy groups, there is a good chance that other students in your class may not be either. What questions would you like to ask about this issue? If your teacher is not sure how to answer a specific question, which could be the case given the sensitivity of the topic, what could he or she do so that your class could continue a healthy dialogue?

Extension activities

1. To find out more about the history of Confederate monuments, read this NewsHour article 'Robert E. Lee opposed Confederate monuments.' Do you think most people know of General Lee's opposition to Confederate monuments that would "keep open the sores of war"? Do you think such knowledge would alter their opinion of whether or not the statues should be removed? Explain your response.

2. Watch NewsHour video 'The shifting history of Confederate monuments.' Why were Confederate statues erected? When were the majority built? What do you think should happen with the hundreds of Confederate statues that have been erected throughout the U.S.?

3. Read NewsHour's Josh Barajas's piece Photo of 'Antifa' man assaulting officer was doctored, analysis shows and Elizabeth Flock's piece How the term alt-left came to be. Why it important to practice media literacy when first seeing a news story or an image or hearing from individuals in power? Why is it important to question the sources and seek multiple sources when reading about something in the news?

4. Recommended NewsHour video stories (always preview before showing videos to your students and check with your administrator).

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The role of media literacy in teaching your students about Charlottesville | PBS NewsHour Extra

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President Donald Trump made a series of statements about the participants in the deadly weekend protests in Charlottesville at a press conference on Tuesday in New York. Trump defended those attending the white supremicist rally who disagreed about the taking down of the Confederate statue of Robert E. Lee.

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ASCD Resources for Addressing Racism and Hatred in the Classroom

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ASCD Resources for Addressing Racism and Hatred in the Classroom

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Social justice refers to a concept in which equity or justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than in only some aspects or for some people. A world organized around social justice principles affords individuals and groups fair treatment as well as an impartial share or distribution of the advantages and disadvantages within a society.

Social justice includes a vision of a society in which the distribution of resources is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure. Social justice involves social actors who have a sense of their own agency as well as a sense of social responsibility toward and with others and the society as a whole. (Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice, Adams, Bell, Griffin, 2nd ed., Routledge 2007)

Main Issues

The absence of social justice results in social oppression. Racism, sexism, ageism, classism, ableism, and heterosexism are some forms of social oppression in society. Societies and individuals form hierarchies of oppression in which certain types of oppression are addressed and others are not. Oppression of certain groups or individuals can result in social or legal exclusion, discrimination, inequitable distribution of resources, and emotional and physical consequences.

Strategies

Focus on diversity-awareness of the diversity in communities is critical to fostering social justice

Address real consequences of oppression-when discussing social justice in lessons or staff meetings, it is important to acknowledge the real social and economic disadvantages that oppressed people face in society, not simply the psychic harm of oppression

Understand the mechanisms that perpetuate oppression-i.e., those attitudes and behaviors (e.g., racism, sexism, ageism, heterosexism) from a position of privilege

Resist hierarchies of oppression-form strategies to foster justice with an inclusive mindset: who is being left out?

Seek to address social justice on three levels-personal (self), institutional (school) and societal (community).

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Social justice refers to a concept in which equity or justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than in only some aspects or for some people. A world organized around social justice principles affords individuals and groups fair treatment as well as an impartial share or distribution of the advantages and disadvantages within a society.