5.7: Guides and Tools

Ahadi, H. S. & Guerrero, L. A. (2020, November). Decolonizing Your Syllabus, an Anti-Racist Guide for Your College. Academic Senate for California Community Colleges.

The reality today is that black indigenous people of color (BIPOC) are finding themselves having to lead anti-racism conversations and actions to change their institutions. Simply having white allies and college administration holding town-halls and meetings and listening to the BIPOC community is no longer enough. Academic institutions should all have a call to action to address racial inequities and to be accountable to meet the transformational change that society needs. Prior to the spread of the worldwide pandemics— COVID-19 infection, overt racism, increase of mental health issues, and economic instability—many inequities existed for students who identify as BIPOC. Today, remote teaching creates a further disparity for preparations and completion amongst BIPOC students in the community college system. The quarantine process may enable many college campuses to reflect on their anti-racism efforts. Doing so will also enable faculty to reconstruct their remote and online teaching with a welcoming, innovative, comfortable, and engaging approach for students who identify as BIPOC and have multiple barriers they are confronted with. If an instructor does not know where to start, a good place may be with decolonizing the course syllabus, since it is usually the first official document students encounter in any course they take.

Ahadi, H. S. (2021, February). Eradicating Xenophobia in Community College. Academic Senate for California Community Colleges.

Immigrant, international, and refugee students continue to experience xenophobia and marginality living in the United States and attending community college. ... The result of xenophobia is that immigrant, international, and refugee students feel invalidated and unwelcomed. As the United States experiences the worldwide pandemic of Covid-19, many Asian Pacific Islander students experience the spread of overt racism. Indeed, xenophobia towards immigrant, international, and refugee students is not a new phenomenon. ... Community college educators and leaders should be prepared to dispel assumptions and stereotypes about these groups. Educators and leaders need to dismantle the systemic barriers immigrant, international, and refugee students are confronted with on their campuses.

Ash, A. N., et al. (2020). Anti-Racism in Higher Education: A Model for Change. Race and Pedagogy Journal, 4(3).

Racism continues to persist in higher education and traditional diversity initiatives that focus only on support resources and tolerance training continue to fall short in making lasting change on college and university campuses. The purpose of this scholarly paper is to present a model for change within higher education that distributes leadership and institutional power across racial lines and enlightens the White community about systemic inequities.

Bagwell, O. (1998). Africans in America [TV series]. WGBH Boston for PBS.

America's journey through slavery is presented in four parts. For each era, you'll find a historical Narrative, a Resource Bank of images, documents, stories, biographies, and commentaries, and a Teacher's Guide for using the content of the Web site and television series in U.S. history courses.

Blackwell, D. M. (2010). Sidelines and Separate Spaces: Making Education Anti-Racist for Students of Color. Race, Ethnicity and Education, 13(4), 473–494.

(Requires CCC login) The way in which anti-racist education is currently conceptualized and practiced holds very few benefits for students of color. By using whiteness theory and the politics of identity and difference, many educators have developed pedagogical interventions that are concerned with bringing white students into a consciousness about racism and white privilege, and examining the effect of racial-identity politics on classroom interactions. Their aim to cultivate an anti-oppressive educational environment for all students is undermined by their preoccupation with identity politics, whiteness and white students. Thus, in both theory and practice, students of color are often rendered invisible on the sidelines or their personal stories are used to benefit white students and white educators. Scholar-practitioners in this field have not adequately considered what counts as anti-racist education for students of color. In this paper, I tell stories about my own experiences as a black woman graduate student as a way of "talking back" to the disjunctures between pedagogical intentions and the disappointing realities of anti-racist classrooms. I identify the pedagogical obstacles that block instructors from positioning students of color as a central educational concern alongside their white classmates, and argue that anti-racist educators must reexamine their principles and practices from the standpoint of students of color. Finally, I turn to black feminist standpoint theory to discuss the importance of racially separate spaces as a pedagogical intervention that can make education anti-racist for students of color.

Block, J. (2015, January 12). Educate to Liberate: Build an Anti-Racist Classroom. Edutopia.

Teachers must recognize and empower students with backgrounds different from their own, including their voices in the conversation and validating their experiences and perspectives.

Burnham, K. (2020, July 31). 5 Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies. Northeastern University Graduate Programs.

Over the past few decades, students, their experiences, upbringings, and backgrounds have changed. Classrooms now reflect families of varying races, cultures, and socioeconomic statuses. As a result, the way teachers educate these students must change, too, says Cherese Childers-McKee, assistant teaching professor in Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies. One of these shifting approaches to education is known as culturally responsive teaching. Below, we explore the concept of culturally responsive teaching, compare it against traditional teaching models, and offer a number of strategies that you can use to incorporate the approach into your own methods.

California Newsreel. (2008). Unnatural Causes [Film]. Kanopy.

UNNATURAL CAUSES sounds the alarm about the extent of our glaring socio-economic and racial inequities in health and searches for their root causes. But those causes are not what we might expect. While we pour more and more money into drugs, dietary supplements and new medical technologies, UNNATURAL CAUSES crisscrosses the country investigating the findings that are shaking up conventional understanding of what really makes us healthy or sick. UNNATURAL CAUSES is a medical detective story out to solve the mystery of what's stalking and killing us before our time, especially those of us who are less affluent and darker-skinned. But its investigators keep peeling back the onion, broadening their inquiry beyond the immediate, physical causes of death to the deeper, underlying causes that lurk in our neighborhoods, our jobs and even back in history. The perpetrators, of course, aren't individuals but rather societal and institutional forces. And theirs are not impulsive crimes of passion. These are slow deaths the result of a lifetime of grinding wear and tear, thwarted ambition, segregation and neglect. But this is also a story of hope and possibility, of communities organizing to gain control over their destinies and their health. The good news is that if bad health comes from policy decisions that we as a society have made, then we can make other decisions. Some countries already have, and they are living longer, fuller lives as a result.

Castillo-Montoya, M., Abreu, J., & Abad, A. (2019). Racially Liberatory Pedagogy: A Black Lives Matter Approach to Education. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), 32(9), 1125–1145.

(Requires CCC login) In this study, we sought to understand how Black lives matter (BLM) epistemology, as displayed through six months of social media content from official accounts, can inform a racially liberatory pedagogy in higher education for Black and other racially minoritized students. We found BLM, through Facebook and Twitter, situated intersectional Black culture in the contemporary struggle for liberation. BLM also offered information that can raise its followers' intersectional critical consciousness. Additionally, BLM content highlighted actions that can support Black liberation. Lastly, BLM content supported the building of relationships and naming of emotions as Black people work toward their liberation. In this sense, BLM connected with elements of a racially liberatory pedagogy and offered nuances that advanced the framework. We discuss the implications of this framework for teaching in higher education.

Center for Antiracist Research. (n.d.). Be Antiracist: Where academic research meets antiracist action. Boston University Center for Antiracist Research.

Whereas racist research historically has posed the question, “What is wrong with people?” antiracist research now asks a different question, a better question: “What is wrong with policies?” Our belief is that framing research on race and racism around antiracist questions leads to antiracist narratives, effective policy solutions, and impactful advocacy campaigns that cut to the root of racial inequality: racist policy.

Cole, C.E. (2017), "Culturally sustaining pedagogy in higher education: teaching so that Black Lives Matter", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 36 No. 8, pp. 736-750.

To access the full article, contact the library using the widget at the top left of this page, or complete the this online form: https://tinyurl.com/ytmvvrfy Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show how the principles of Black Lives Matter can be used to enact a culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) in higher education settings, particularly in small colleges that serve significant populations of students who are underrepresented in higher education. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on examples from college courses in media and society, organizational communication, and interpersonal communication, the case study shows application of the principles of Black Lives Matter in the college classroom at two different institutions in the urban Northeast USA, where the majority of the students are young people of color and/or first-generation college students. Findings The paper shows how founding principles of Black Lives Matter, particularly diversity, intersectionality, loving engagement, and empathy, can be used to guide concrete pedagogical practices. It provides examples of how to use Black Lives Matter as a framework to enhance and improve college teaching to make it more diverse and inclusive. Research limitations/implications This case study is based on the author’s experiences teaching at two majority-minority colleges in Greater Boston, Massachusetts, USA. This paper is not the result of a systematic research study. Practical implications This paper has significant implications for how to enact CSP in higher education settings. This paper is valuable to those looking for specific strategies to include more diverse and inclusive teaching strategies. This research also shows both the utility and impact of Black Lives Matter when applied to higher education. Social implications This paper improves public understanding of Black Lives Matter as a social movement. Originality/value Since the Black Lives Matter movement is fairly new, there is limited academic research on it. Further, there has not been attention to how Black Lives Matter provides insight into pedagogy, particularly in higher education.

Dillard, C. (2020, January 29). Black History Month: Teaching the Complete History. Southern Poverty Law Center.

Go beyond trauma and struggle to examine the liberation, civic engagement, creativity and intersecting identities of Black people during Black History Month.

Diversity Best Practices. (2020, June). Being an Upstander: Racism : A Practical Guide. Diversity Best Practices.

We have developed a few best practices to support your efforts to address these issues and continue having essential dialogue both internally and externally to support your employees, your stakeholders and your customers. Our array of proposed solutions will equip you to be an upstander: someone that speaks out or acts in support of another being attacked or discriminated against. Incorporate this content into your messaging, programming, and communications.

Dominguez, M. (2021). Cultivating Epistemic Disobedience: Exploring the Possibilities of a Decolonial Practice-Based Teacher Education. Journal of Teacher Education, 72(5), pp. 551+.

Even as momentum builds for critical, culturally sustaining, and decolonial approaches to pedagogy, curriculum, and teacher education, efforts in practice-based teacher education remain epistemically linked to Eurocentric, colonial objects of schooling, and shallow notions of justice. Yet attention to what the day-to-day work of teaching is critical to novices' development, especially when the challenges we hope they will embrace--disrupting oppression and advancing liberation--are so complicated. Clear, concrete models of decolonial repertoires of practice are needed to ensure our teacher education efforts produce skilled practitioners prepared to advance the decolonial project in education. In this article, through a decolonial reading of the practice-based literature, and an examination of rehearsal deployed with decolonial intent, argue for a decolonial practice-based teacher education that will cultivate educators to engage in epistemic disobedience, learning how to teach while resisting the coloniality that permeates schools.

Donaldson, P. E. & Tavares, T. (2021, June 28). Educating for Equity: Ideas, Resources from Facing History and Ourselves. School Library Journal.

Educating for Equity: Ideas, Resources from Facing History and Ourselves.

Fay, L. (2019, August 7). 74 Interview: Researcher Gloria Ladson-Billings on Culturally Relevant Teaching, the Role of Teachers in Trump’s America & Lessons From Her Two Decades in Education Research. The 74.

Gloria Ladson-Billings remembers that there was a difference between the black and white teachers she had growing up in Philadelphia. African-American teachers could give the students “the talk,” she recalls, referring to a 2017 Procter & Gamble television advertisement that showed black parents talking to their kids about racism. The black teachers could speak to students honestly about what it means to be African-American in a way their white counterparts never could, she remembered. Ladson-Billings speaks often about her fifth-grade teacher, Ethel Benn, who first taught her about W.E.B. DuBois. She was amazed to learn that a black person had graduated from Harvard University, she remembers; at the time it seemed impossible. Now, Ladson-Billings studies what it takes to be a successful teacher of African-American children and has written extensively about culturally relevant teaching since the 1990s.

Harper, S. R. (2009). Race-conscious student engagement practices and the equitable distribution of enriching educational experiences. Liberal Education, 95(4), 38-45.

In this article, race-conscious student engagement is offered as an effective approach to narrowing racialized achievement disparities among college students, while simultaneously improving the experiences and outcomes of racial minority undergraduates. This version of student engagement is defined, and the mutual benefits it confers to students, educators, and predominantly white institutions are described in the article. But first, current racial gaps in the engagement of undergraduates are illuminated and discussed.

Haynes, C., & Patton, L. D. (2019). From Racial Resistance to Racial Consciousness: Engaging White STEM Faculty in Pedagogical Transformation. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 22(2), 85–98.

Professor Arnie Copper is among the many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty who view the learning of STEM curriculum as an intellectual exercise that is race-neutral. In this case, the authors use the White Racial Consciousness and Faculty Behavior model to illustrate how racially minoritized students can experience the classrooms of White STEM faculty who fail to see connections between their teaching, course content, and racial justice. Institutional leaders and faculty developers can use this case to generate a timely critique of the enduring racism shaping higher education and fostering hostile learning conditions on college campuses.

Jaime, A. (2020, June 1). How Latinx People Can Fight Anti-Black Racism in Our Own Culture. Teen Vogue.

In this op-ed, writer Angie Jaime unpacks how Latinx people can interrogate their involvement in Black liberation and the dismantling of white supremacy.

Jones, S. P. (2020, Spring). Ending Curriculum Violence. Learning for Justice, 64.

Yes, curriculum can be violent—whether you intend it or not. Here’s what it looks like and how you can avoid it.

Kazi, N. H. (2016, May 2). Islamophobia and Islamophilia: An Unusual Connection [Video]. drnaziakazi.com.

Connecting strategies for inclusion of Muslims and other immigrant and racial groups.

Kernahan, C., & Chick, N. L. (2017). How Do You Listen to Your Students to Help Them Learn about Race and Racism? New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 151, 17–30.

Teaching and learning can be especially difficult when the content includes race. We argue here that an effective approach is one that includes multiple angles, learning from our students and from a broad range of colleagues and disciplines.

Kishimoto, K. (2018). Anti-Racist Pedagogy: From Faculty’s Self-Reflection to Organizing within and beyond the Classroom. Race, Ethnicity and Education, 21(4), 540–554.

This article is a synthesis of my own work as well as a critical reading of the key literature in anti-racist pedagogy. Its purpose is to define anti-racist pedagogy and what applying this to courses and the fullness of our professional lives entails. I argue that faculty need to be aware of their social position, but more importantly, to begin and continue critical self-reflection in order to effectively implement anti-racist pedagogy, which has three components: (1) incorporating the topics of race and inequality into course content, (2) teaching from an anti-racist pedagogical approach, and (3) anti-racist organizing within the campus and linking our efforts to the surrounding community. In other words, anti-racist pedagogy is an organizing effort for institutional and social change that is much broader than teaching in the classroom.

Kleinrock, E. (2020, June 30). Anti-Racist Work in Schools: Are You in it for the Long Haul? Learning For Justice.

In the wake of Black Lives Matter protests, educators and schools across the nation are planning anti-racist work. How will you ensure your school isn’t just going through the motions?

Kubic, C. (2021, September 24). Taking Small Steps Toward Equity. Edutopia.

It can be difficult to know how to keep going with equity work, but starting with culturally responsive teaching is helpful.

Latin American and Iberian Institute. (1991). Anti-Stereotype Curriculum: All Ages - Bob Peterson. Latin American and Iberian Institute, pp. 8-9.

This activity comes directly from Bob Peterson’s article “Columbus and Native Issues in the Elementary Classroom” in RTC, pp. 35-41. The following is an extended direct citation (RTC, pp. 36-38) from the RTC article, with the exception of the italicized notes which have been added as elaborations. The article in its entirety is a great resource, and highly recommended.

Learning for Justice. (2018, Fall). Toolkit for "What Is White Privilege, Really?" Learning for Justice, 60.

This toolkit offers advice, activities and further reading suggestions for educators who want to unpack the concept of whiteness and white privilege with themselves and with students.

Lee, D. M. (2012, January 12). Creating an Anti-Racist Classroom. Edutopia.

In an age where classroom teachers find themselves defending their profession and their results, the discussion of race in the classroom seems like one more opportunity for the finger-pointers who seek deeper understanding about the declining academic performance of all American students.

Lin, L. & Lu, T. (n.d.). Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, et al.

This toolkit is a project of love from the grassroots, from and by Asian American communities. As Asian Americans, we believe that our liberation is tied to Black liberation and we continue to dream about a world where all of our people will be free.

Lopez, A. E. & Jean-Marie, G. (2021). Challenging Anti-Black Racism in Everyday Teaching, Learning, and Leading: From Theory to Practice. Journal of School Leadership, 31(1-2), 50-65.

Anti-Black racism and White supremacy continue to have dire impact on the lives and educational outcomes of Black people and students in educational spaces. Examining ways in which this form of racism is disrupted, confronted, and challenged in education and schooling is important not only to Black students, scholars, practitioners, and staff, but to all People of Color. Drawing on research conducted with educators in, Canada, the United States and our lived experiences as Black educators this article examines how antiblackness and anti-Black racism is manifested in schooling spaces through teaching, learning, and leadership, and offers actions that educators can take in everyday practice to confront and disrupt. In so doing connect theory to practice, and offer possibilities that school leaders and others can act on.

Love, B. L. (2019, March 18). Dear White Teachers: You Can’t Love Your Black Students If You Don’t Know Them.

Why loving “all” students isn’t good enough.

Machado, E. (2017, May 31). Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in the Literacy Classroom. International Literacy Association.

Classrooms are more diverse than ever before. In our interconnected world, students bring a range of languages, literacies, and cultural practices into their schools. As educators, we’ve often thought about culture as something associated with a student’s ethnic heritage. However, a newer approach to teaching and learning called culturally sustaining pedagogy challenges us to promote, celebrate, and even critique the multiple and shifting ways that students engage with culture.

Maxwell, K., & Gurin, P. (2017). Using Dialogue to Create Inclusive Classrooms: A Case Study from a Faculty Institute. Liberal Education, 103(3–4).

Classrooms should be liberatory spaces where people are nurtured and content comes to life. But students and faculty frequently note the charged nature of the classroom, especially when course content focuses on aspects of identity such as race and ethnicity or dynamics related to power and inequality. This article describes a Faculty Dialogues Institute offered by the Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR) and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the University of Michigan that like many faculty teaching workshops, aimed to help faculty create effective classrooms that are fully inclusive of today's students; but it took a unique approach by focusing specifically on intergroup dialogue strategies. In intergroup dialogue, individuals from at least two social identity groups engage in deep listening, ask questions with the goal of understanding multiple perspectives, draw on both course content and others' identity-based experiences to deepen learning, and reflect collectively on what has been learned in order to create more inclusive spaces and strengthen understanding of course material. At the three-day institute, diverse dialogue groups were intentionally created to encourage active participation and balance power dynamics. With purposeful attention to the balance of identities, the institute was able to foster small-group interactions where no one was tokenized and where all faculty felt supported and able to contribute their authentic selves.

McCambly, H. (2018, November). Equity's Unspoken Dilemmas: Facing Trade-Offs for More Intentional Practice. Feature on Research and Leadership, 5(1).

This brief provides an overview of the logical implications of different models of equity, an introduction to an empirical project that validates the material effects of varied equity definitions, and a framework for considering the trade-offs inherent in collective work to mobilize equity in environments.

McCarty, T. L., & Lee, T. S. (2014). Critical culturally sustaining/revitalizing pedagogy and indigenous education sovereignty. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 101–124.

In this article, Teresa L. McCarty and Tiffany S. Lee present critical culturally sustaining/ revitalizing pedagogy as a necessary concept to understand and guide educational practices for Native American learners. Premising their discussion on the fundamental role of tribal sovereignty in Native American schooling, the authors underscore and extend lessons from Indigenous culturally based, culturally relevant, and culturally responsive schooling. Drawing on Paris's (2012) and Paris and Alim's (2014) notion of culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP), McCarty and Lee argue that given the current linguistic, cultural, and educational realities of Native American communities, CSP in these settings must also be understood as culturally revitalizing pedagogy. Using two ethnographic cases as their foundation, they explore what culturally sustaining/revitalizing pedagogy (CSRP) looks like in these settings and consider its possibilities, tensions, and constraints. They highlight the ways in which implementing CSRP necessitates an "inward gaze" (Paris & Alim, 2014), whereby colonizing influences are confronted as a crucial component of language and culture reclamation. Based on this analysis, they advocate for community-based educational accountability that is rooted in Indigenous education sovereignty.

McKamey, P. (2020, June 17). What Anti-racist Teachers Do Differently. The Atlantic.

They view the success of black students as central to the success of their own teaching.

National Museum of African American History and Culture. (n.d.) I Am an Educator in Talking About Race. Smithsonian/National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The effects of race and racism are unavoidable aspects of our modern world. Educators play a valuable role that impacts how our young people operate in the world by giving them a nuanced perspective on race. By teaching about the historical foundations of race and its role within political and social structures, we can help students better understand how race affects their own lives.

National Museum of African American History and Culture. (n.d.) Talking About Race. Smithsonian/National Museum of African American History and Culture.

To create an equal society, we must commit to making unbiased choices and being antiracist in all aspects of our lives. Contents include information, videos, and reflection and discussion tools.

Nichols, H. (2020, June 5). A Guide to Equity and Antiracism for Educators. Edutopia.

Teachers shaken by recent events and wondering how to work for change in our society and schools can start with these lesson plans, videos, and other resources.

Reclamation Ventures. (2020-). 28 Days of Black History [Email subscription series]. Anti-Racism Daily.

A daily email to honor and celebrate Black history. Each email includes… A cultural artifact – book, movie, artwork, song, etc – that represents the impact of Black people and culture in U.S. history Action steps to carry this work into tomorrow – whether it’s donating to an organization, getting involved in your community, or more. Discussion questions to drive conversation and learning with your colleagues, students, friends and family.

Rizga, K. (2020, November 8). How to Teach American History in a Divided Country. The Atlantic.

Chuck Yarborough on helping kids make connections between the past and the present.

Rizga, K. (2020, October 28). Working for Racial Justice as a White Teacher. The Atlantic.

Robert Roth on an anti-racist approach to high-school history. One of this year’s largest youth-led Black Lives Matter protests took place on June 3 in front of Mission High School in San Francisco, where Robert Roth taught U.S. History and Ethnic Studies from 2005 until he retired in 2018. Roth was in the crowd, listening to teenage speakers who were urging white people like himself—including white educators, who make up 79 percent of the U.S. teaching force—to step up as allies in the fight for racial justice. It was a message that Roth has been attuned to for a long time. In 1964, when Roth was himself a teenager, he joined what became the nation’s largest anti-school-segregation boycott in New York City. As a student at Columbia University in 1968, he was a key part of one of the largest college anti-war and anti-racist protests of that era. And since he first started teaching in San Francisco in 1988, Roth has been grappling with what it means to be an anti-racist teacher working in majority Black and Latino schools. For Roth, in his 30 years in education this meant changing his curricula to highlight the role people of color played in transforming our society; helping develop the ethnic-studies program at Mission High School; working with students and teachers to make ethnic studies a part of every high school in San Francisco Unified District today; and learning from his students and from teachers of color about how to make his classrooms work for everyone, so that all students feel intellectually challenged and engaged. In conversations in 2018 and 2020, I asked Roth to reflect on how he approached teaching U.S. history as an anti-racist educator. This Q&A has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.

Rubel, L. H. (2017, December). Equity-Directed Instructional Practices: Beyond the Dominant Perspective. Journal of Urban Mathematics Education, 10(2), 66–105.

In this article, the author synthesizes four equity-directed instructional practices: standards-based mathematics instruction, complex instruction, culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), and teaching mathematics for social justice (TMfSJ). The author organizes these practices according to the dominant and critical axes in Gutiérrez’s (2007a) equity framework. Among 12 teachers from 11 schools in a large urban school district, the author presents case studies of 3 teachers who excelled with the aforementioned dominant equity-directed practices but struggled with the critical practices of connecting to students’ experiences called for in CRP and critical mathematics called for in TMfSJ. The analysis explicitly explores the role of whiteness in these struggles. The author presents implications and recommendations for mathematics teacher education on how to better support teachers for equitable teaching that includes these critical equity-directed practices.

Simmons, D. (2017, April 18). How to Change the Story about Students of Color. Greater Good Magazine.

Dena Simmons explores how educators can inadvertently harm students of color—and what we can do to bring out their best.

Simmons, D. (2019, October 1). How to Be an Antiracist Educator. ASCD, 61(10).

Educators have an obligation to confront the harm of racism, says one social-emotional learning expert.

Spiegler, J. (2017, September 27). First Encounters With Race and Racism: Teaching Ideas for Classroom Conversations. The New York Times.

This is a guest lesson from Jinnie Spiegler, the director of curriculum at the Anti-Defamation League. She has written for us previously on 10 Ways to Talk to Students About Sensitive Issues in the News. You might choose to use this lesson with our related Student Opinion question, “Why is race so hard to talk about?”

Student Advocacy Center of Michigan. (n.d.). Anti-Racism Toolkit. studentadvocacycenter.org.

This anti-racism toolkit was developed with educators and others working with youth in mind, to help you develop your own racial consciousness and awareness, as well as that of your students. We know that as educators, community members, parents and caregivers, you are aware of how race and racism play a role in your schools and larger community. Most importantly, you must understand the impact that race and racism has on people and students as they grow and develop.

Thurber, A., Harbin, M.B., & Bandy, J. (2019). Teaching Race: Pedagogy and Practice. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching.

Social justice education has implications for what we teach (curriculum) and how we teach (pedagogy). Despite an increasing number of instructors bringing a critical analysis of racial in/justice to their curriculum, many report challenges in teaching this content effectively. To begin to address this need, this guide summarizes some of the common challenges instructors may encounter and offers five broad pedagogical principles for teaching racial justice, and three possible strategies for implementing each strategy in the classroom.

Tufts University. (n.d.). Anti-Racist Teaching Resources. Tufts University.

Antiracist teaching is about fighting for more equitable and just institutions, and policies that support the thriving of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color). (This website has) a list of resources to support you as you begin this work. While not exclusively, this lists intentionally centers the knowledge and voices of BIPOC, most prominently women of color. It does not include many popularly referenced titles that are featured on other anti-racism reading lists, in an attempt to provide different voices and perspectives.

Tyrone C. Howard, T. C. (2020, June 3). How to Root Out Anti-Black Racism From Your School. Education Week.

How to Root Out Anti-Black Racism From Your School.

BLM at School. (n.d.). 13 Guiding Principles. Black Lives Matter at School.

The Black Lives Matter Movement is guided by the following principles…

Dismantling Racism Works (dRworks). (n.d.). Dismantling Racism Works (dRworks) Web Workbook. Dismantling Racism.

​This web-based workbook was originally designed to support the ​Dismantling Racism Works 2-day basic workshop. The workbook is now offered as a resource to the community.

National Museum of African American History and Culture. (2014-). I Am An Educator. Smithsonian.

I care about my students’ racial consciousness and want to develop their racial awareness. (Interactive website/toolkit)

Yale University Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Racial Awareness. Yale University.

A hallmark of effective teaching is racial awareness, where recognition of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity in the classroom informs teaching strategies. Instructors can exhibit cultural consciousness, use inclusive teaching strategies, incorporate racial diversity into their courses, and moderate productive class discussions about race where relevant. A body of research confirms the ways that microaggressions in particular can affect academic performance (Sue, 2013), and instructors can consider ways to develop an inclusive class climate that respects all persons in the classroom. Instructors often lack resources for approaching diverse classrooms or teaching diversity in the classroom. A variety of factors war against inclusivity too, including in-group bias, which favors students looking or coming from a similar culture as the instructor (Goodman, 2013). Reflective teaching habits and awareness of one’s own attitude towards others can treat these unconscious issues. Too, when strong emotion clashes against the traditional nature of college discourse - polite, academic, and color-blind - conversation can go sour fast (Sue 2013). Instructors can consider a variety of examples and strategies to skillfully handle discussions of race, while strengthening theirs and their students’ knowledge of racial and cultural diversity.

National Congress of American Indians. (2019, February 9). Allies for Indian Country. National Congress of American Indians.

Allies for Indian Country Learn about Tribal Nations, Citizenship, History, and Contemporary Issues NCAI encourages our friends, relatives, and neighbors, whether Native or not, to learn about the often shameful history of the United States’ dealings with tribal nations and the issues that are important to contemporary Native peoples. We also urge anyone who wants to be an ally to Native peoples to refrain from disparaging Native identity, weaponizing tribal citizenship, mocking Native cultures and religious traditions, or invoking painful aspects of our shared history for partisan gain.

Native Knowledge 360. (n.d.). Essential Understandings. Smithsonian / National Museum of the American Indian.

The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Native Knowledge 360° Essential Understandings about American Indians is a framework that offers new possibilities for creating student learning experiences. Building on the ten themes of the National Council for the Social Studies' national curriculum standards, the NMAI's Essential Understandings reveal key concepts about the rich and diverse cultures, histories, and contemporary lives of Native Peoples. These concepts reflect a multitude of untold stories about American Indians that can deepen and expand your teaching of history, geography, civics, economics, science, engineering, and other subject areas.

Chicago United for Equity. (n.d.). Racial Equity Impact Assessment (REIA) [PDF]. Chicago United for Equity.

A Racial Equity Impact Assessment (REIA) is a set of questions to investigate the benefits and burdens of a policy or practice.