Race, Racism, Bias, and Privilege in America | adult Resources | Social Justice Learning

Social Justice Learning: adolescent

Today's Lesson: Race, Racism, Bias, and Privilege in America

There is no place for racism in our society. We must work together as a community to ensure we no longer demonstrate, teach, or tolerate it. We understand that these conversations can be difficult, and often are focused on either talking to very young children or how to educate ourselves as adults. We believe this is a life-long learning journey, and one that is just as important for those in the in between age categories, AKA adolescent. Below you will find educational resources specifically geared toward school-aged children. Click here to return to the main page.

Learning Levels

Early Childhood Adolescent Adult

Read

Coretta Scott King Book Awards, 1970-Present

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.

Examples include:

New Kid, a graphic novel telling the story of Jordan Banks, an artistic Black middle school student who has transferred from public school to an elite, predominantly White private school and must contend not only with typical middle school challenges but also with microaggressions and code-switching.
Genesis Begins Again, there are 96 things that Genesis hates about herself, and her dark skin is at the top of the list. Genesis tries to hold her family together as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery while also navigating poverty, family relationships, bullying, and overcomes the feelings of self-hate due to the trauma of colorism.
A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riots of 1919, tells the story of five black youths who went swimming in Lake Michigan on a hot day in July 1919, unintentionally floating close to the "white" beach. An angry white man began throwing stones at the boys, striking and killing one. Racial conflict on the beach erupted into days of urban violence that shook the city of Chicago to its foundations.

Watch

Confronting Anti-Black Racism

This collection of resources on PBS LearningMedia will help middle and high school students understand the long history of anti-Black racism in the United States and think about ways to address it in their own families and communities. Resources include news coverage of recent protests; videos on the origins of the Black Lives Matter movement; protests against police brutality within the past decade; iconic PBS documentaries on the histories of race and racism in America; and activities addressing civic engagement and elevating students’ voices.

Listen

Code Switch Podcast Episodes for Young Listeners

The folks from Code Switch compiled a playlist tailor-made for young listeners in mind. Everyone can feel comfortable traversing these kid-friendly episodes, knowing they are free of profanity, graphic references, and other adult content. And no episode will have all the answers, we just hope they will create space for some good old-fashioned dinner-table discussions.