Education Justice Now Archive

Yesterday, the police officer who shot Atatiana Jefferson inside her home during a wellness check was charged with murder. But the grief and righteous anger at her killing continue today. How will you talk with your students about injustice, police violence and the fact that black lives matter? Here are a few places to begin.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day—still observed as Columbus Day on the federal level—is October 14. These resources can help you celebrate the histories and cultures of Indigenous peoples and Native nations. We hope you’ll make space in your classroom for these important lessons this Monday and throughout the year.

This Mental Illness Awareness Week, we call on educators to see their vital role in removing stigmas that surround mental health issues, normalizing open conversations and recognizing the unique needs of students with historically marginalized identities or invisible disabilities. With these resources, we hope you and your students can take steps toward a world where—like Max at the end of our story "Washed Away"—you feel a little less alone and more prepared to face tough times alongside people who care.

LGBTQ history is American history, and all of our students deserve to know that. This October, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating LGBTQ History Month. Here are a few of our favorite resources for learning and teaching about the contributions of LGBTQ people, including lessons, posters, articles and our podcast, Queer America, devoted exclusively to recovering this understudied history.

Saturday will mark a historic moment in the fight to grant LGBTQ people equal access to public life and justice. The first National Trans Visibility March will bring together members of the transgender, gender-nonconforming and non-binary communities with allies in Washington, D.C., and in marches across the nation. We echo the marchers’ call with this question: What can you do to make sure students feel visible and heard in your school? We hope these resources can offer some answers.