We can teach young people the honest history of the United States in age-appropriate ways and help them understand commonalities across cultures to develop a strong sense of self and identity as they honor diversity. To support these conversations and learning experiences, we offer parents, caregivers and educators teaching strategies, talking points and activities.
As real people with real experiences who have shaped and will continue to shape U.S. culture and society, Black LGBTQ people are not political wedge issues. The insidious combination of racism and queerphobia can seriously affect the mental health of our LGBTQ youth of color, especially amid the political attacks on human rights through efforts to control bodily autonomy including reproductive rights and identity. Beyond celebrations of Pride Month and Juneteenth, we must all work to provide space for Black LGBTQ people.
The latest issue of Learning for Justice magazine focuses on the South in the fight for democracy and justice. That entails acknowledging those at the center of an unjust system, whose very survival served as a form of resistance. In these new stories, Amber N. Mitchell details the ways in which the Whitney Plantation experiential learning tour sheds light on the lives of the people whose enslavement generated great wealth for their captors, and Lolita Bolden celebrates her Southern roots in both prose and poetry.
It’s essential to reduce the stigma associated with mental health and to affirm practices for wellness—especially during Black, Indigenous and People of Color Mental Health Month. These LFJ resources remind us of the ongoing impact of racism and bias and provide recommendations to support adults in helping young people during these polarizing times.
