For the greater good of our democracy and nation, we must center the power and autonomy of people in the South engaged in the narrative of liberation.
As the attacks on democracy intensify and children’s education and their very well-being are threatened, Learning for Justice Director Jalaya Liles Dunn emphasizes that “the victories for justice must be fought for and by ordinary people in the South together with allies from other parts of the nation.”
This issue highlights the deep-rooted legacies of power and justice in communities in the South. In today’s battle for education and our democracy, as Liles Dunn explains, “The story we share is that all our liberation is bound together.”
Features
The Power of Place: Art as a Tool for Social Justice
Alabama artists are depicting honest history and challenging historical invisibility—reshaping public narratives of justice in their communities.
A Refuge for LGBTQ+ Young People
Student-run Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) clubs are a federally protected space for young people to survive and thrive in the increasingly hostile anti-LGBTQ+ climate in schools and across the country.
Dear Young Person, You Are Valued
Activists Nikole Parker and Brandon Wolf from Equality Florida emphasize the need for each of us to advocate for safer schools where all young people are valued.
Survival, Resistance and Resilience
Honoring the lives of enslaved people, the Whitney Plantation’s learning tour deepens our understanding of slavery in the United States, the people who survived it and their legacies.
Freedom Schools for Today’s Justice Movement
To confront current education censorship and voter suppression, modern social justice projects build on the foundations of the historic 1964 Freedom Schools.
Disability Is Diversity
Embracing diversity means accepting disability as a part of the total human experience and being intentional about practices that remove barriers to learning so all children can thrive.
Healing Through Restoration and Transformation
A community Freedom School model in Mississippi embraces transformative practices to strengthen relationships and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, illustrating the power of communities to effect change.