Education Justice Now Archive

To understand the complexities of the present, we must connect with the hard history of our country’s past. And we can learn about that honest history outside the classroom—in museums and field trips—because “No educator can accurately map out the whole landscape of our history alone. We are all stronger when we traverse the terrain together.”

The rich history and diversity of rural communities have largely been erased, and rural communities of color rarely see their stories told in popular culture or the classroom. Connecting with that history of resilience, resistance and innovation can chart a promising path for communities today. These LFJ magazine feature stories explore the diverse experiences and struggles of communities of color in rural America.

Educators are attending to grief as over 200,000 children are experiencing the loss of a parent or caregiver during the COVID-19 pandemic. Without significant new resources to call on to deal with this reality, responses include local initiatives and sharing experiences.

We must push for more restrictive gun laws to change the cycle of mass shootings followed by collective outrage and minimal action. And we must support youth activists who are at work demanding change now. These LFJ resources offer options that can help.  

We commemorate this Fourth of July in the shadow of assaults on our human rights and bodily autonomy from those who do not uphold the values of democracy. We recognize that these efforts to strip away our rights are a backlash to positive social justice movements. Let us commit together to the movement for justice and democracy.