Education Justice Now Archive

This week, national media reported on a Michigan school community meeting when, during a discussion of racism in schools, one parent asked another, “Why didn’t you stay in Mexico?” We stand with those in Michigan demanding better, and we know students and families are faced with racism and other forms of hate in school communities across the nation. Here’s how educators can help create safer, more inclusive school climates and support students and families.

The latest issue of Teaching Tolerance is now available online, and copies should begin arriving by mail next week! We’re proud to share stories about families uniting to fight racism in schools, advocates working to ensure no student goes hungry, scholars analyzing the impact of school curricula and more.

This Black History Month, we’re encouraging educators to recognize and teach that Black history includes narratives that don’t focus solely on trauma. While it’s imperative to teach about the realities of racial oppression, it’s just as important to engage students with the many ways Black people have consistently and powerfully resisted white supremacy. For the next week, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite resources for celebrating Black liberation movements.

This week, a Texas school district is making news for requiring a student to cut his locs before graduation. We’re heartened by how this student’s family and community are supporting him, but we must ask: How many other celebrations—and bodies—are still being regulated by discriminatory school policies? This is a conversation we should be having with students, colleagues and administrators. These resources can help.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15, 1929, became the most well known leader of the modern civil rights movement. But the truth of King’s legacy is often whitewashed and sanitized. On his birthday, MLK Day and year round, use these resources to provide students with a more complete, radical context of King's fight for justice—and discuss how his work still creates ripples today.