Social Justice: Reflections of an Educator

I became a teacher because I wanted to fight for inequality in education. Growing up I was a firsthand witness to the fact that many students from low income communities and/or children of color were not receiving an education on par with their more affluent peers (there are numerous statistics and studies that support this statement). As the first college graduate from my family, I sought to fight this injustice. This has been a long battle that I have only been in for eight and half short years (six as a teacher, two and half working for a nonprofit). The last month or so have been rough for me as I’ve reflected on my own progress. The Mike Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice cases have me grappling with what it means to be an educator for social justice. I’ve had some bright spots, but in so many ways I’ve fallen short. I believe I’ve grown a little complacent and comfortable. I haven’t spoken up enough. I haven’t engaged in enough direct action. I’ve tried to “fit in.” I’ve become what I sought to fight against, and it hurts. As I start the new year, I aim to use my voice, this blog, and my various leadership platforms to realign with my purpose as an educator. It is my hope that others will join in on the conversation and share your honest opinions, even if they are divergent from my own thinking. There is so much we can learn from one another. In the words of Robert F. Kennedy, “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” I am reenergized and ready to get to work.

There are likely numerous interpretations of social justice and what it is in practice. I am learning and developing my own understanding so instead of giving a definition, I tried to boil it down to what it is/is not. I’m certainly no expert and would love to hear the perspectives of others.

In my own reflections about the current events aforementioned, I was encouraged by a colleague to read Dr. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” As I read it (and reread it) and thought about what was happening in this country in the form of protests, both peaceful and disruptive, I started creating a lesson. This lesson is a labor of love designed for high school students (disclaimer: I am not a HS expert) to compare arguments, and provoke meaningful discourse around a few themes. Teachers have the liberty of tying this into current events, which I know may be contentious, but for the teachers that I support this connection is representative of issues their students are facing and talking about. My intent is to spark a little dialogue with other teachers as I continue to learn, and commit to sharing ideas and resources for my followers. I poured out a lot into this resource because my heart has been so heavy. As you’ve likely noted, this is a personal topic for me, enjoy!

 Please click {here} for the entire lesson!