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Hampton, Chris, and Kien, Lee. Section 4. Strategies and Activities for Reducing Racial Prejudice and Racism. ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/reduce-prejudice-racism/main.

The Community Tool Box put together a chapter (27) entitled, “Working Together for Racial Justice and Inclusion” that addresses the issue of racism and prejudice.  Through the use of short video clips that tie into the article, it asks questions, such as what is racism?  Why is this issue important and what can each of us do to correct this problem?  There are many tools and resources that are a part of each section to assist teachers, parents, and community members with racial issues.  This resource, while helpful in the classroom environment, is also helpful for the work environment.  It has specific tools to be used in specific circumstances.

The Community Tool Box is a public service of the Center for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas. It works in conjunction with the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Community Health and Development.  With the current spotlight on racism and prejudice, I believe this to be both a scholarly and popular resource.  I do not find any bias in the article and the facts are well documented. It asks readers to think critically about different scenarios and offers advice on how to handle them.

I like this resource because I can use the videos to teach a timely lesson on prejudice and racism while linking it to content specific material such as informative speech or journalism.  The article is chock full of ideas such as taking field trips to historical places that are important to the cultures and traditions of students in the class.  It also talks about ways to incorporate these ideas into curriculum.  However, it goes beyond the classroom, as it offers tools that can be used in the work place and community.  I can use it in my own personal life, as can my students.  I highly recommend this resource.

Murphy, Quinn. “Even My Closest Friends Can't See the World the Way I Do.” EmbraceRace,www.embracerace.org/resources/even-my-closest-friends-cant-see-the-world-the-way-i-do.

Quinn Murphy offers an audio and textual account of a time when her father, “a Black man” was confronted by police as she witnessed from the car.  She talks about having a white friend with her and described herself as being white skinned but fearing for her father because of his black skin.  There is much tension felt in her recount of the event.  What began as an enjoyable car ride ended in frustration and anger.  Quinn is frustrated because she does not think her white friends understand the world from her eyes.  She seems to feel very alone.

This is one account from a series entitled, “Your Stories; Being Biracial.”  The personal account is of a popular nature due to the focus in our country on racial inequality. It is not, however, a scholarly article.  Because, the personal account is something many students can relate to, it is relevant.  As the author is giving her own account from a teenage perspective, she is not only a valid source, but also relatable to students.

These kinds of personal accounts are helpful in the classroom because it is personal and speaks directly to the students.  Quinn paints a vivid picture of both the scene as well as her own emotions.  She speaks plainly, however, creates a picture where the listener senses her unspoken words.  This is a very powerful account that can be used for beginning a conversation in the classroom about racial inequality and what it “looks” like.  It can also be used to discuss the power of communication and how our words paint pictures and create emotion.  A piece, such as this, can empower students to learn how to use communication effectively when they want to be heard.  I highly recommend this resource.

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Lauren Markish: The Validity of Anti-Racism Reading Lists

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Lauren Markish: The Validity of Anti-Racism Reading Lists

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Jackson, Lauren Michele. “What Is an Anti-Racist Reading List For?” Vulture, 4 June 2020, www.vulture.com/2020/06/anti-racist-reading-lists-what-are-they-for.html

In What Is an Anti-Racist Reading List For?, Lauren Michele-Jackson discusses the fairly common trend of posting racially educational lists on social media and in academia. According to Jackson, many people mistakenly do not see race as always "happening." In her words, it is "especially... urgently happening" now, and is not something that turns on and off (as opposed to how many seem to treat the issue). Regardless of who curated the endless lists that now exist across the internet, most of the anti-racist lists include a majority of pieces from the same pool - titles such as The Fire Next Time, So You Want to Talk About Race, White Fragility, and several others. Jackson's point in this piece is to share that, while these reading lists mean well, one must ask who the list is really designed for and therefore what they truly achieve.

Jackson's article certainly opened my eyes to a new viewpoint. After all, after having read several of the works that are commonly placed on these "reading lists," I wondered: how could someone see these informative and inclusive works as a bad thing? The negative aspect though, as Jackson makes clear, is the fact that these lists do not come with "instructions" or "guides" for interpretation or understanding. While I, personally, would likely be considered as able to comprehend academic texts on my own, many others (having not studied literature or the interpretation of it) would very possibly miss the "point" of these texts and could become lost or overwhelmed. Many of these texts, while great, would not be beneficial as a means of "educating" someone that is lost or behind in regards to racial inequalities.

After having found this source, I predict that I will take my own background more into consideration when recommending/using texts. While I certainly benefitted from having read the books on many of these "reading lists," I now can understand how someone with little to no understanding would be overwhelmed with the content. If a person has to ask for a reading list in order to understand anti-racism, it is likely that they are exactly the type of person that would not benefit strictly from a reading list. They would likely benefit more from not only reading the texts, but from studying them with someone experienced and educated on the subject.

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Lynn Yusim: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

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Lynn Yusim: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

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German, Lorena, et. al. "Build Your Stack: Anti-racist Books for Your Curriculum Today." NCTE. 17 June 20. https://ncte.org/blog/2020/06/antiracist-books-curriculum-today/

As a member of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), I often visit their website to access its resources. Once again, the website did not disappoint in its list of recommended young adult anti-racist books that can be built into your curriculum.  This list includes grade-level titles from kindergarten through high school. Among this list is the text entitled Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi.

NCTE's Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English believes that it is always a good time to teach students about anti-racism. Because of this belief, they have identified texts that bring direct and healthy anti-racist conversation to the classroom. They also encourage teachers to review their own in-class libraries, envisioning their books as "voices" and asking the question, "Whose voices are missing from my shelves and syllabi?"

NCTE's list of recommended texts includes the diverse formats of poetry, short story, free verse, hip-hop poetry, non-fiction, and novels that cover the topics of power and privilege; fairness, justice, and racial equality; and the intricacies of coming-of-age issues of race and identity. Some of the texts are available as graphic novels.

An essential text for your secondary English students to read from this list is Stamped: Racism, Anti-racism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. Kendi's seminal text, Stamped From the Beginning (also an essential read), presents a history of the construction of race and  racism the United States. The text is structured around five (5) historical guides: Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, 19th-century abolitionist William Garrison, author and activist W.E.B. DuBois, and 1960s radical Angela Davis as they negotiate racism during their time period. It is important that students are exposed to the origins and constructs of racism in order to eradicate it from future generations.

Reynolds' Stamped: Racism, Anti-racism, and You reveals the history of racist ideals in America. The text takes you on a 'race journey' from the past to the present and shows us why we feel how we feel and why racism lingers in our culture. The book provides contexts and stories of how racial constructs have influenced peoples' dispositions and beliefs about race. It also proves that even the strongest racist ideals can be discredited. Students can use this text to critically analyze the formation of racism and Black identity. Students could also pair the text with the viewpoints of DuBois and Booker T. Washington to examine how racist arguments are developed and distributed.

For my 9th Grade ELA Unit on Writing a Persuasive Essay, I will ask students to read a racist text to examine its content, identify its origins, understand the context in which it was written, and then construct a persuasive argument to the author convincing him/her that his/her beliefs/ideals are unsubstantiated. I expect at least three (3) sources to complement their persuasive argument. Students can use the writings and experiences of others (and/or their own) as examples. They can reference the viewpoints of politicians, social commentators, newspaper reports, and articles but their essay must be created to persuade its author to think differently. Students need to understand that all racist beliefs have their origins and through the examination of those origins, students can begin to interpret why a racist believes in the social construct of racism.

Young adults are ready to read Stamped: Racism, Anti-racism, and You in the classroom because they will not only better understand racist history, but apply that understanding to their lives. When students have more clarity about their own lives, they are better able to understand their country. This text begins the conversation by providing students with the vocabulary of how to speak about and understand racism.

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Davis, Matt. "Preparing for Cultural Diversity: Resources for Teachers." Edutopia. 8 September 2016.
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/preparing-cultural-diversity-resources-teachers

The George Lucas Educational Foundation's website Edutopia (www.edutopia.org) is founded on the principle that improving education is key to the survival of the human race.

In his article entitled, "Preparing for Cultural Diversity: Resources for Teachers," author Matt David provides links to online resources that can help teachers prepare for diverse classrooms.

One of the links in the article under Classroom Resources for Multicultural Classrooms takes you to the website www.teachingtolerance.org. It is through this site that teachers can build a learning plan that teaches tolerance. First, you select a Grade Level and one or more Social Justice domains (identity, diversity, justice, and action) to narrow the recommended student texts and assessment tasks. Next, you select an Essential Question (or create one of your own) to guide your students' thinking and then choose a topic that aligns to your instructional goals.

Mine is a grade 9 unit in writing a persuasive essay. I want my students to incorporate information from their assigned readings to answer the Essential Question, "Why is it important to stand up to injustice when those around you do not?" As I continue to build the Learning Plan, I am prompted to select one or two topics. From the list provided, I selected Race and Ethnicity. What next appears are 60+ informational texts available to engage and inspire my students' writing. I can review the texts and select as many as I'd like my students to read for this lesson.

From here, you are asked to select Student Tasks. Based on how I'm building the learning plan, the website returned the options Write to the Source or Do Something. Write to the Source tasks allow students to demonstrate argumentative, explanatory, narrative, and persuasive writing. Do Something tasks empower students to take action in their school and community. I selected Writing to the Source. By selecting Writing to the Source,  11 student tasks (ways in which students are assessed) are identified. These are performance tasks and rubrics that measure writing, civic engagement, and critical literacy skills.

You are now prompted to Select Teaching Strategies. My options consist of Word Work, Close and Critical Reading, and Community Inquiry. Selecting Close and Critical Reading returns 7 teaching strategies that fit my plan. I selected a Shared Reading teaching strategy in which students can discuss content and analyze the texts I selected when I narrowed my topic to Race and Ethnicity.  Now, my students and I can participate in a shared reading of the assigned texts from which they will construct a persuasive argument around the Essential Question, "Why is it important to stand up to justice when those around you do not?"

Why use this format to design lesson plans? With the sheer number of texts available on the subject of diversity, it helps to narrow down which texts best connect to helping your students answer your Essential Question. Teaching Tolerance is a website that allows you to create with ease an entire lesson plan based on what you want to teach, how you want to teach it, and how you want to assess your students. It forces you to consider articles and texts you might never have considered or did not know existed until you plugged in your parameters. What it returns is a personalized learning plan that connects specific learning objectives with student tasks on up-to-date and relevant topics. It would be impossible to identify all of the resources used in this website by searching independently. Using the resources in www.edutopia.org saves you time and promises a learning plan diverse in content and rich in meaning for your students.

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Erika Kendra: Must-See Video on Racism in News Media

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Erika Kendra: Must-See Video on Racism in News Media

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Bell, Alexandra. “Rewriting Racist Headlines.” The New Yorker Videos. Released 24 May 2018

https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/rewriting-racist-headlines.

In this video essay, Alexandra Bell describes her Counternarratives series, in which she dissects the portrayal of minorities, especially related to crime and Black men, in printed news media. She examines issues of language, imagery, and even layout — all critical aspects of the journalistic process — to identify and highlight examples of intentional and inherent bias. To create the five works in the series, Bell rewrites and redesigns newspaper layouts to remove the inherent bias and reflect what she sees as a more accurate account of events. The redesigned layouts are placed in areas of urban [white] gentrification, side-by-side with the marked-up original layout, to spark conversation about the narratives that are created by news coverage of minority communities.

From the very first words in this video, Bell makes her opinion abundantly clear: “I think everything’s about race.” Unlike the quiet anger of Mason’s essay or the academic tone of Bailey’s report, Bell is both upbeat and unapologetic. Her demeanor stands in stark contradiction to the topic of her story, which I believe makes her arguments even more compelling; rather than scream in justifiable rage, she almost laughs (however mockingly) at the bias that so prevalent in the coverage of crime and minorities. She uses her art to change not only the narrative around the subjects of specific news coverage, but also the way minorities are (mis)represented by the mainstream media.

Bell’s discussion of her Counternarratives project is without question the best explanation of inherent racism that I have ever seen. It moves the conversation beyond the words in a story to include the visual aspects that typify graphic journalism — the use of specific images, placement and size of those images, and even relative scale of one article to another on the same page. Bell makes a simple and yet powerfully accurate statement: “What you give space to and what you allow people to see says a lot.” This video, and a closer look at the actual Counternarratives series (http://www.alexandrabell.com/public-work), should be “required reading” for any graphic journalism class.

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Rachel Russell: Various Cultures Death and Grieving Processes

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Rachel Russell: Various Cultures Death and Grieving Processes

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Lowey, Susan E. “Diversity in Dying: Death across Cultures | Nursing Care at the End of Life.” Nursing Care at the End of Life, ER Services, 14 Dec. 2015, https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-nursing-care-at-the-end-of-life/chapter/diversity-in-dying-death-across-cultures/

My unit plan was created for reading Tuesdays With Morrie written by Mitch Albom. One of the central ideas within this text is the fact that Morrie is dying and he is handling it with absolute grace, intelligence, and patience. He also hosts something referred to as a “living funeral”, which for the American culture as a whole is unique. Part of my unit plan includes a project where the students will be studying how other cultures handle death and dying. This piece of literature is informative and I believe a good way to get the students introduced to this project. It discusses the traditional funeral/end of life for all the major religions in the world from Catholicism to Hinduism. It also discusses the way many Native Americans view death (acknowledging this can greatly vary).  It is a relatively short, but informative piece so it will not overwhelm the students. It will also give them an overview so they are able to decide if they want to dig into any particular religious practices for their project. I believe that this resource can be beneficial outside of my planned unit as well. In reflecting on many of the works included in the literary canon (think Romeo and Juliet, The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, Of Mice and Men, etc.) all include death in some manner and in each case the death of a major character is handled in a different way. Educating students on the fact that there really isn’t one way to grieve or process the death of a loved one is important. Also by reading this particular article it will give the students insight into other religious beliefs that may not be their own and thus (hopefully) become more accepting and understanding of the diversity that surrounds them.

Bryant, Sue. “Death and Dying: How Different Cultures View the End.” Country Navigator, Country Navigator, 2 Sept. 2019, https://countrynavigator.com/blog/cultural-intelligence/death/

This informative article by Sue Bryant will also serve as a great introductory piece for the students’ research project on how other cultures handle death. It too is brief in nature (I don’t want to do all the research for the students!), but it discusses a few other cultures that the previous article does not. For example, it gives a little more detail on the mourning process opposed to just what the religions believe about death. It also mentions specific countries opposed to just religions. It gives examples of the colors some cultures wear, what a coffin may look like, who is involved in the funeral process, It paints each cultures way of handling it is a beautiful, but succinct way. Each country mentioned has traditions that most likely will not be familiar to many of the students in the classroom, so once again it is a great way for them to be exposed to other cultures’ way of dealing with death and mourning. Like the previous resource mentioned this one too will serve as an informative piece that can be incorporated into many different major literary works we will study in a secondary English course.

Hughes, Langston. “Dear Lovely Death.” Poem: Dear Lovely Death by Langston Hughes, www.poetrynook.com/poem/dear-lovely-death.

“Dear Lovely Death” by Langston Hughes is one of my favorite poems (and Langston Hughes is one of my favorite writers) so any way I could incorporate his work into my classroom I will. The book Tuesdays With Morrie is about so much more than just and old man dying, but rather about how Morrie changes the lives of everyone he encounters. Another ventral idea in the text is how Mitch himself changes because of his learning from Morrie. This short poem 10-line poem seems to cover all these ideas and more. The last two lines I believe sum it up, “Dear Lovely Death, / Change is thy other name.” Depending on the students’ background knowledge up until this point (for example, if they already read the two previous articles) they may see this poem in an afterlife and being born again into heaven. They may also interpret it by relating it to Mitch himself (death of an old way of life into a new and happier way of life). There are multiple interpretations of this poem that I believe are all valid and worth discussing. Once again, this work could be used in conjunction with any other work that discusses the ideas of death, dying, character development or change. It also could simply be used in a unit on poetry. I believe that this poem offers a lot and you could spend quite some time discussing it. However, as a warning this was a poem that I studied in college and I recall that some found it to be romanticizing death in a way, which could be controversial to use in a secondary education English course, so if one would be concerned about this then I would suggest using it in an advanced or AP English course. I also would be sure to have very clear reasons on why you chose to use this poem in case any parent were to ask/complain about its use. In my personal opinion I do not see it as romanticizing death, but once again literature (especially poems) are interpreted in a multitude of ways, so those that do see it that way I don’t believe I can necessarily tell them they are wrong, but rather I can discuss with them the other ways it may be interpreted and why that is important in the classroom.

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Erika Kendra: Confronting Bias is Journalism

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Erika Kendra: Confronting Bias is Journalism

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Bailey, Issac J. “How Implicit Bias Works in Journalism.” Nieman Reports, 13 November 2018. niemanreports.org/articles/how-implicit-bias-works-in-journalism/.

Bailey begins his article by describing his personal connection to the subject of implicit bias; yes, he is a Black journalist in the American South, but he also what he describes as a “severe stutter.” This second defining feature, he believes, is the one that has affected his career through implicit bias in the hiring process. He clearly defines the problem of implicit bias through multiple examples, and does not limit his focus to any one category (racial, gender, political belief, etc.). Following these specific examples, Bailey explores the reasons and causes of implicit bias, then specifically addresses how modern culture has brought the subject to the forefront of conversation. He describes recent efforts of news publishers that have been implemented to attempt to address the problem in both hiring practices and coverage decisions, but admits that the conversation is only starting to extend beyond upper management into the work of those who are actually reporting the news. Bailey’s conclusion returns to his personal experience, and makes a clear call to action to continue the important work of battling implicit bias in journalism.

Bailey’s argument is not isolated to racial bias; he addresses issues of gender, disability, and political belief (among others), which I believe are an important part of the same conversation if we are truly to have equity in both journalistic hiring and coverage decisions. Implicit bias in journalism is not only a product of the journalist’s psychology; Bailey’s discussion of potential solutions places strong emphasis on conscious self-assessment or “self-audit” to identify both examples of implicit bias and the potential for misinterpretation by the reader — clearly accepting the role of the consumer in the perception of journalistic bias. As American communities grow increasingly diverse, journalism must also change to reflect the communities it serves. While acknowledging that systemic attempts to combat implicit bias in journalism are still young, Bailey’s conclusion makes a strong argument for continuing the effort to consciously identify bias — both explicit and implicit — in journalism, and to include voices that have traditionally been excluded from the profession and from the discussion.

This report, which very specifically addresses the topic of bias in journalism, is directly relevant to my Graphic Journalism class in a number of ways. First, its structure and style provide a textbook example of good journalistic writing. Second, the author’s personal experience with bias is surprising and outside the typical conversation of bias; I believe this “twist” might encourage students to move beyond hot-button visceral reactions that are too common in discussions about bias. Third, the article addresses the issue of bias in an almost academic manner, rather than offering an emotionally charged outcry (from either perspective) that might have an adverse effect on productive and meaningful discussion. Finally, the article promotes a type of journalistic self-assessment that closely mirrors the metacognitive processes that I hope to encourage in my students as they develop their writing skills. Bailey’s academic approach, despite personal experience with both implicit and explicit bias, creates a non-confrontational doorway for opening the conversation about bias. While some might argue that the author’s tone is too mild — and that my interpretation of that tone is, in itself, implicit bias — I contend that Bailey’s specific lack of heat and consideration of both political perspectives prevents minds from immediately closing based on preconceived beliefs.

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Tyler Parsons: Religious Literary Using Blogs and Videos

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Tyler Parsons: Religious Literary Using Blogs and Videos

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Dandekar, Aparna. “Solving the Mystery of Gods of Hinduism.” Solving the Mystery of Gods of Hinduism | Study Ayurveda, Narayana Ayurveda and Yoga Academy, 2020, www.sandiegocollegeofayurveda.com/Solving-mystery-of-gods-Hinduism.
Dandekar’s blog discusses the terminology and concepts of gods, demigods, and their role in Hinduism. In particular, Dandekar focuses on what defines God vs. demigods in Hinduism to help demystify the Hindu religion for many people. The blog discusses who Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are within the context of Hinduism. Then, the blog turns to the concept of demigod as defined by the teachings of Hinduism. Finally, the blog concludes with a look into the complexity of how Hinduism breaks down their deities by comparing the various ways one can write and thus pronounce Brahmin.
While not an in-depth explanation of the core beliefs of Hinduism, this source provides an introduction to the concepts and ideas that make up this religion.  From an outsider’s perspective, Hinduism is a polytheistic religion with terminology that most students will fail to grasp. This post helps eliminate some of these misconceptions and confusion to help non-Hindus better comprehend their beliefs. Likewise, this post helps students see that constructs such as gods and demigods are not universal, which further clarifies and deepens their ability to learn about alternative viewpoints. Finally, this post helps act as an introduction to a deeper and richer discussion on other religions, cultures, and ideas not typically encountered in the American sphere. Due to its simple, clear, and direct writing style, this source is perfect as an introduction to Hinduism for students who possess little to no knowledge of the subject matter.
I would use this source as a quick read for students to gain an initial glance on Hinduism and the concepts it discusses. My unit plan calculates, allowing students to use alternative religions and other sources as an influence for their creative work. Thus, I need to introduce or offer introductions towards these other concepts for the students who choose this route. Otherwise, how can I ensure students illustrate an accurate portrayal of their fusion of different religious ideas? While this source is by no means perfect, it achieves the goal of framing an introduction to students without bogging them down with an intense amount of reading. Thus, I would include another source, such as the one listed below, to compensate for the lack of depth this source employs. Therefore, I would recommend this source to my colleagues as a basic introduction reading to Hinduism for studies in the field. However, I would strongly recommend that instructors incorporate more in-depth texts to enrich beyond this text.

Goswami , Tamal Krishna. “HH Tamal Krishna Goswami - Lecture: God, Demigods, Incarnations.” Youtube, 16 Feb. 2012, youtube.com/watch?v=7h-ttFDcReU.
Goswami’s lecture on the God, Demigods, and Incarnations that encompass Hinduism acts as an in-depth analysis of the devas outlined in various sects of Hinduism. Goswami discusses the intricacies of the various devas like Vishnu, Brahmin, Shiva, and Krishna to defend his claim that the supreme god is Krishna. He cites critical evidence from a variety of religious source material and analyzes each deva's role to denounce them as not the supreme god in Hinduism. His lecture begins with a discussion on what everyone’s viewpoint on what the supreme god is. After this, he continues with an analysis of every deva’s role in the universe before he explains why they cannot, according to his argument, be the supreme god. Finally, he discusses and shows praise towards Krishna, who he advocates as the true god. Along the entire ride, he offers a wide range of stories, ideas, and concepts in Hinduism that give the viewer a broad understanding of Hindu mythology. The lecture concludes with Goswami discussing the achievements of Krishna, who he views as the true supreme god of Hinduism.

Goswami’s lecture analyzes and evaluates Hinduism on a deep analytical level. He creates an argument that centers around his view upon the religion and supports it with textual evidence. This lecture overall covers a wide range of and depth of topics that many students may or may not understand when it comes to this religion. As a source, this analytical lecture works substantially to prove the lecturer’s point while also offering information and discussion points beyond the topic at hand. For example, any instructor can start with the discussion topic of what is the supreme god when addressing a text with an alternative religion as the focal influencer for students who follow a different faith. Likewise, this text supports using analytic skills to construct meaning and create a synthesis of material for an ultimate goal. Finally, while this text offers students an intense look at Hinduism, it is crucial to note the length and overall experience may intimidate or alienate students. Thus, an instructor should seek ways to help build student confidence with the subject matter before tackling this lecture to avoid student shut-down.

I can use this source as a bridge to students who need more information about the topic discussed. For many people, alternative viewpoints, religions, and beliefs are too abstract to relate with and understand. Plus, many school discussions on the topics we teach are too broad for students to appreciate or understand the concepts in-depth. Thus, I can use this source as a means to give students a much more profound look into the concepts that I teach. Likewise, my intended unit plan can do well by showing students alternative worldviews while giving them an idea about different versions of what a demigod is. Finally, this source shows the power and importance of critical analysis as used in real-life examples by having a religious expert go into analytical evaluations of a specific script. If for no other reason than this, I would recommend this source to teachers as it illustrates the values we want to instill in our students while also broadening their horizons in the process.

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Mason, John Edwin. “Photos can show protests’ complexity—or they can perpetuate old lies” National Geographic. 5 June 2020. www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/2020/06/what-protest-pictures-can-reveal-history/#close.

This essay is a first-person narrative describing the emotional reactions of a Black man to the images that have been prominently featured in news coverage of the protests following the death of George Lloyd. As a professor of both the history of photography and African history at the University of Virginia, Mason’s unique perspective artfully combines critical analysis of image composition with the visceral emotion of a Black man living in America 2020. He explains racial perceptions related to common visual tropes, and draws comparisons between iconic images from the civil rights protests of the 1960s to similar images from the numerous race-related protests of the last seven years as evidence of the perpetuated visual stereotypes. Mason also explores the ways that specific images have been used to influence the narrative around current events, both in the media and in public perception. He concludes with a close reading of a photo that challenges the visual stereotypes, shining a more positive light on the experience of being a Black man in America.

Mason’s first sentence suggests the power of visual imagery in journalism: “One morning last week, a photograph made me mad.” He goes on to describe the specific photo that sparked the emotion of this opening statement: “It invoked the centuries-old stereotype of black men as inherently savage beasts.” At times, the reader can actually feel the emotion — anger, fear, even exhaustion — underlying his prose. While a white person might see a dramatic photo that effectively expresses the intense emotion surrounding the death of George Floyd, a black person sees the same image as a perpetuation a terrifically negative perception of Black men in America. Mason’s perspective as a Black man in America (especially in the South), combined with his experience with and close relationship to the medium of photography, presents an honest and thought-provoking discussion of racial tropes and inherent bias in visual media.

My planned unit of instruction is Writing to Inform, for an 11th/12th grade Graphic Journalism class. One of the defined lessons specifically relates to the use of images in journalism, which addresses standards defined by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and Common Core to include non-textual content and formats as part of the literacy curriculum. Responsible journalism requires thoughtful consideration to the perceived and inherent racial bias in imagery; image choice, like word choice, matters. Mason’s essay addresses racial awareness directly within the context of visual imagery, which makes this piece ideal for inclusion in my instructional plan. The subject is timely, discussing major national events that continue to impact the United States. Students will be able to relate to the content because they have likely seen most of the pictures Mason describes. I feel the content of the article is appropriate for discussion with students in grades 11 and 12, although probably not for younger students. (The final image discussed in the article, which does include offensive language in graffiti, could be blurred or masked if required by the school administration.)