Case Study 6.1 - Black Lives Matter

Questions:

What are some reasons educators might be fearful about introducing conversations about racism in their classes? What can school leaders do to alleviate that fear? What can we do as individual educators to alleviate that fear in ourselves?

Educators might be fearful of addressing racism and current events surrounding racism based on their own insecurities/biases/lack of knowledge about race. This especially applies to teachers who are white when the majority of their class is of a different race - this creates a different dynamic that should be addressed in a sensitive but informative matter. In order to combat this fear, educators should first inform themselves about what struggles their students are facing and try to put themselves in their students' shoes. There should also be a collaborative discussion on how your classroom can be a safe and inclusive place, with input from the students on how that can happen. I believe approaching the concept of racism/Black Lives Matter movement from an informative and factual perspective is the most effective way to address these issues.

If you were a teacher at East city, how would you respond to students wearing “All Lives Matter" shirts to help them distinguish that point from the importance of a movement insisting “Black Lives Matter?

I would take that as an opportunity for students to openly express their opinions AFTER given a historical/factual background on how the Black Lives Matter movement came to be and what it stands for. Sometimes students have good intentions that are misdirected, and hopefully with more background knowledge, they can change how they see certain things. Depending on the age range of the students, I would have a debate or discussion involving student’s personal experiences, having a strong emphasis on being respectful and open to other’s point of view. This would be a great opportunity to teach students how to effectively debate, communicate, and work with others that may not share the same views as you.