This Women’s History Month, as always, it’s important to recognize that women’s rights include trans rights. You can begin by introducing your students to some of the activists and changemakers who fought—and continue to fight—for equal rights for all women.
Let’s honor all women this Women's History Month by understanding how anti-Blackness, transphobia and white supremacy prevent unity. LFJ’s newest article examines how the Women’s March—with its high points and pitfalls—and the subsequent activism it inspired play a role in highlighting the precarious position of women’s autonomy and human rights, worldwide. These LFJ resources remind us that self-awareness, solidarity and self-care are all requirements in the fight for social justice.
The relaunch of the Teaching Hard History podcast series reminds us that discussing the history of slavery in the United States in age-appropriate ways can help young people understand how that history influences life today. Slavery is the institution that made racism a part of our nation’s foundation, and the legacy of slavery is present in many current systems that disproportionately affect Black children and families. If we are to build a more positive future together, learning this history is essential for healing and reconciliation.
How can history help us resist hate in society today and work toward a more inclusive future? Opposition to equality is, unfortunately, not new to the history of the United States. Recognizing the relevance of history to today’s justice movements is crucial for understanding and countering current pushbacks against democratic values. And with the intense efforts to dismantle public education and to erase and alter our country’s history, teaching accurate history — including the hard truths of our nation’s past — is essential.
