“This summer’s racial justice protests were historic in scope and many involvedwere organized by young people. The protests and the incident that sparked them (the brutal, filmed killing of an unarmed Black man named George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police) shifted public opinion dramatically and brought issues of race to the forefront of public discourse. In addition, evidence has continued to accumulate about racial disparities in COVID-19 contraction, hospitalization and death rates. Regardless of whether schools resume in person or online this fall, issues of race and racial justice will almost certainly be of interest to many students. How, then, should teachers effectively and appropriately address such concerns, especially as they pertain the systemic and historic nature of racial discrimination and stratification in our country? This summer’s protests, after all, were not a sudden and unprecedented occurrence but rather the latest chapter in a long history of discrimination and resistance.” Read article
Sep 06