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This year, as we honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we want to reflect upon the reality of his mission and share with young people the complexity of both the man and the civil rights movement. In recent years, King’s legacy has been used in attacks on critical race theory and attempts to undermine social justice education. These LFJ resources—including words of wisdom from the late Rep. John Lewis—can aid in understanding the contemporary significance of the civil rights movement in countering policies that attempt to limit teaching honest history.

For Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoa), education is important so that we never forget the horrors that hate manifests. But for truly meaningful commitment to learning from and preventing such atrocities, we must come together in the urgency of now—in combating censorship about our country's history, in teaching about racism and the systems of anti-Black oppression, and in countering the patterns of hate in our nation and world today. The Holocaust is not just a singular event of the past; every generation must make the commitment to "never again," and that begins with education.

In the current hostile learning environment created by censorship laws and policies aimed at prohibiting the teaching of honest history and further marginalizing LGBTQ+ students and educators, social justice education is essential. The Learning for Justice Social Justice Standards are designed to guide educators in developing inclusive curricula to make schools safer and more just and equitable. Comprised of four domains—identity, diversity, justice and action—the Social Justice Standards are intended for all content areas alongside state and Common Core standards.

Through learning that teaches honest history, introduces servant leadership (an approach that focuses on leadership in service of the community) and eases entry into the movement for justice, Youth Learning for Justice aims to help young people realize their power to shape the future.

October is Youth Justice Action Month. Commit with us to work toward transforming harmful systems and creating more supportive communities in which all young people can thrive. An important step in creating change together is participating in our election process. Our votes matter.