Social Class, Socioeconomics, & Social Justice - Diversity | Equity | Inclusion Resources at Truman College

Social Class | "refers to the the grouping of individuals in a stratified hierarchy based on wealth, income, education, occupation, and social network.... One’s position in the social class hierarchy may impact, for example, health, family life, education, religious affiliation, political participation, and experience with the criminal justice system."

Socioeconomic Status | "is the position of an individual or group on the socioeconomic scale, which is determined by a combination of social and economic factors such as income, amount and kind of education, type and prestige of occupation, place of residence, and—in some societies or parts of society—ethnic origin or religious background. ...Examinations of socioeconomic status often reveal inequities in access to resources, as well as issues related to privilege, power, and control."

Social Justice | "The objective of creating a fair and equal society in which each individual matters, their rights are recognized and protected, and decisions are made in ways that are fair and honest." Further, "social justice (in education) is about distributing resources fairly and treating all students equitably so that they feel safe and secure—physically and psychologically" (neaToday).

Books @ CCC

Cover art Freedom Is a Constant Struggle

Cover art From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime

Cover art It's Time to Talk (and Listen)

Cover art A People's History of the United States

Print Books

Davis, A. Y. (2016). Freedom is a constant struggle : Ferguson, Palestine, and the foundations of a movement. Haymarket Books. In these newly collected essays, interviews, and speeches, world-renowned activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis illuminates the connections between struggles against state violence and oppression throughout history and around the world. Reflecting on the importance of black feminism, intersectionality, and prison abolitionism for today's struggles, Davis discusses the legacies of previous liberation struggles, from the Black Freedom Movement to the South African anti-Apartheid movement. She highlights connections and analyzes today's struggles against state terror, from Ferguson to Palestine. Facing a world of outrageous injustice, Davis challenges us to imagine and build the movement for human liberation. And in doing so, she reminds us that "Freedom is a constant struggle."
Fanon, F. (2004). The wretched of the earth. Grove Press. Foreword: Framing Fanon / by Homi K. Bhabha -- Preface / by Jean-Paul Sartre -- On violence ; On violence in the international context -- Grandeur and weakness of spontaneity -- The trials and tribulations of national consciousness -- On national culture ; Mutual foundations for natural culture and liberation struggles -- Colonial war and mental disorders ; Series A ; Series B ; Series C ; Series D ; From the North African's criminal ; Impulsiveness to the war of national liberation -- Conclusion -- On retranslating Fanon, retrieving a lost voice.
Gross, C. J. (2022). What's your zip code story? : understanding and overcoming class bias in the workplace. Rowman & Littlefield. "Shedding light on class division, this book reveals implications and solutions to class bias in the workplace by analyzing real experiences, social norms, education, wealth, and more"-- Provided by publisher.
Hill, M. L. (2016). Nobody : casualties of America's war on the vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and beyond. Atria Books. "Unarmed citizens shot by police. Drinking water turned to poison. Mass incarcerations. We've heard the individual stories. Now a leading public intellectual and acclaimed journalist offers a powerful, paradigm-shifting analysis of America's current state of emergency, finding in these events a larger and more troubling truth about race, class, and what it means to be "Nobody." Protests in Ferguson, Missouri and across the United States following the death of Michael Brown revealed something far deeper than a passionate display of age-old racial frustrations. They unveiled a public chasm that has been growing for years, as America has consistently and intentionally denied significant segments of its population access to full freedom and prosperity. In Nobody, scholar and journalist Marc Lamont Hill presents a powerful and thought-provoking analysis of race and class by examining a growing crisis in America: the existence of a group of citizens who are made vulnerable, exploitable an d disposable through the machinery of unregulated capitalism, public policy, and social practice. These are the people considered "Nobody" in contemporary America. Through on-the-ground reporting and careful research, Hill shows how this Nobody class has emerged over time and how forces in America have worked to preserve and exploit it in ways that are both humiliating and harmful. To make his case, Hill carefully reconsiders the details of tragic events like the deaths of Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, and Freddie Gray, and the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. He delves deeply into a host of alarming trends including mass incarceration, overly aggressive policing, broken court systems, shrinking job markets, and the privatization of public resources, showing time and time again the ways the current system is designed to worsen the plight of the vulnerable. Timely and eloquent, Nobody is a keen observation of the challenges and contradictions of American democracy, a must-read for anyone ^wanting to better understand the race and class issues that continue to leave their mark on our country today"-- Provided by publisher.
hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress : education as the practice of freedom. Routledge. In Teaching to Transgress,bell hooks--writer, teacher, and insurgent black intellectual--writes about a new kind of education, education as the practice of freedom. Teaching students to "transgress" against racial, sexual, and class boundaries in order to achieve the gift of freedom is, for hooks, the teacher's most important goal. bell hooks speaks to the heart of education today: how can we rethink teaching practices in the age of multiculturalism? What do we do about teachers who do not want to teach, and students who do not want to learn? How should we deal with racism and sexism in the classroom? Full of passion and politics, Teaching to Transgress combines a practical knowledge of the classroom with a deeply felt connection to the world of emotions and feelings. This is the rare book about teachers and students that dares to raise questions about eros and rage, grief and reconciliation, and the future of teaching itself.
hooks, b. (2003). Teaching community : a pedagogy of hope. Routledge. Teaching and living in hope -- The will to learn -- Time out: classrooms without boundaries -- Talking race and racism -- Democratic education -- What happens when white people change -- Standards -- How can we serve -- Moving beyond shame -- Keepers of hope: teaching in communities -- Progressive learning: a family value -- Heart to heart: teaching with love -- Passionate pedagogy -- Spirituality in education -- This is our life: teaching towards death -- Spiritual matters in the classroom -- Practical wisdom.
Sensoy, Ö. & DiAngelo, R. (2017). Is everyone really equal? : an introduction to key concepts in social justice education. Teachers College Press. Based on the authors' extensive experience in a range of settings in the United States and Canada, the book addresses the most common stumbling blocks to understanding social justice. This comprehensive resource includes new features such as a chapter on intersectionality and classism; discussion of contemporary activism (Black Lives Matter, Occupy, and Idle No More); material on White Settler societies and colonialism; pedagogical supports related to "common social patterns" and "vocabulary to practice using"; and extensive updates throughout. Accessible to students from high school through graduate school, Is Everyone Really Equal? is a detailed and engaging textbook and professional development resource presenting the key concepts in social justice education. The text includes many user-friendly features, examples, and vignettes to not just define but illustrate the concepts.
Vilson, L. J. (2014). This is not a test : a new narrative on race, class, and education. Haymarket Books. "José Vilson writes about race, class, and education through stories from the classroom and researched essays. His rise from rookie math teacher to prominent teacher leader takes a twist when he takes on education reform through his now-blocked eponymous blog, TheJoseVilson.com. He calls for the reclaiming of the education profession while seeking social justice."
Zinn, H. (2015). A people's history of the United States. HarperPerennial. "With a new introduction by Anthony Arnove, this edition of the classic national bestseller chronicles American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official narrative taught in schools--with its emphasis on great men in high places-- to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace. Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, A People's History of the United States is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of--and in the words of--America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers. As historian Howard Zinn shows, many of our country's greatest battles--the fights for a fair wage, an eight-hour workday, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women's rights, racial equality--were carried out at the grassroots level, against bloody resistance. Covering Christopher Columbus's arrival through President Clinton's first term, A People's History of the United States, which was nominated for the American Book Award in 1981, features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history."-- Provided by publisher

eBooks

Hinton, E. (2016). From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime : The Making of Mass Incarceration in America. Harvard University Press. In the United States today, one in every thirty-one adults is under some form of penal control, including one in eleven African American men. How did the “land of the free” become the home of the world's largest prison system? Challenging the belief that America's prison problem originated with the Reagan administration's War on Drugs, Elizabeth Hinton traces the rise of mass incarceration to an ironic source: the social welfare programs of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society at the height of the civil rights era.
Jack, A. A. (2019). The Privileged Poor : How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students. Harvard University Press. An NPR Favorite Book of the Year“Breaks new ground on social and educational questions of great import.”—Washington Post“An essential work, humane and candid, that challenges and expands our understanding of the lives of contemporary college students.”—Paul Tough, author of Helping Children Succeed“Eye-opening…Brings home the pain and reality of on-campus poverty and puts the blame squarely on elite institutions.”—Washington Post“Jack's investigation redirects attention from the matter of access to the matter of inclusion…His book challenges universities to support the diversity they indulge in advertising.”—New YorkerThe Ivy League looks different than it used to. College presidents and deans of admission have opened their doors—and their coffers—to support a more diverse student body. But is it enough just to admit these students? In this bracing exposé, Anthony Jack shows that many students'struggles continue long after they've settled in their dorms. Admission, they quickly learn, is not the same as acceptance. This powerfully argued book documents how university policies and campus culture can exacerbate preexisting inequalities and reveals why some students are harder hit than others.
Kim, A. S. & del Prado, A. (2019). It’s Time to Talk (and Listen) : How to Have Constructive Conversations About Race, Class, Sexuality, Ability & Gender in a Polarized World. New Harbinger Publications. Conversations about controversial topics can be difficult, painful, and emotionally charged. This user-friendly guide will help you engage in effective, compassionate discussions with family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers about race, immigration, gender, marriage equality, sexism, marginalization, and more. We talk every day—and we often do it without thinking. But, as you well know, there are some things that are harder to talk about—especially issues pertaining to politics, culture, lifestyle, and diversity. If you've ever struggled in a conversation about a “controversial” topic with a loved one, work colleague, or even a stranger, you know exactly how uncomfortable and heated the discussion can become. And even if you are one of the lucky few that expresses themselves eloquently, how do you move beyond mere “lip service” and turn words into actionable change?This groundbreaking book will show you how to get to that important next level in difficult conversations, to talk in an authentic and straightforward way about culture and diversity, and to speak from the heart with tools from the head. Using a simple eight-step approach, you'll learn communication strategies that are supported by research and have been practiced in classrooms, work meetings, therapy sessions, and more.We constantly hear about friends and colleagues whose family members are not speaking to each other because of different political opinions, who've exchanged words that have mutually offended one another. If silence is one end of the continuum and verbal conflict anchors the other, how do we reach a middle ground? How do we take part in the “in between” spaces where both parties can speak and listen?With this book as your guide, you'll learn to navigate these difficult conversations, and take what you've learned beyond the conversation and out into the world—whether it's through politics, social justice movements, or simply expanding the minds of those around you.
Loewen, J. W. (2018). Lies My Teacher Told Me : Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. The New Press. 'Every teacher, every student of history, every citizen should read this book. It is both a refreshing antidote to what has passed for history in our educational system and a one-volume education in itself.'—Howard Zinn A new edition of the national bestseller and American Book Award winner, with a new preface by the author Since its first publication in 1995, Lies My Teacher Told Me has become one of the most important—and successful—history books of our time. Having sold nearly two million copies, the book also won an American Book Award and the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship and was heralded on the front page of the New York Times. For this new edition, Loewen has added a new preface that shows how inadequate history courses in high school help produce adult Americans who think Donald Trump can solve their problems, and calls out academic historians for abandoning the concept of truth in a misguided effort to be'objective.'What started out as a survey of the twelve leading American history textbooks has ended up being what the San Francisco Chronicle calls'an extremely convincing plea for truth in education.'In Lies My Teacher Told Me, James W. Loewen brings history alive in all its complexity and ambiguity. Beginning with pre-Columbian history and ranging over characters and events as diverse as Reconstruction, Helen Keller, the first Thanksgiving, the My Lai massacre, 9/11, and the Iraq War, Loewen offers an eye-opening critique of existing textbooks, and a wonderful retelling of American history as it should—and could—be taught to American students.
Sanchez, B. & Weiston-Serdan, T. (2017). Critical Mentoring : A Practical Guide. Routledge. This book introduces the concept of critical mentoring, presenting its theoretical and empirical foundations, and providing telling examples of what it looks like in practice, and what it can achieve. At this juncture when the demographics of our schools and colleges are rapidly changing, critical mentoring provides mentors with a new and essential transformational practice that challenges deficit-based notions of protégés, questions their forced adaptation to dominant ideology, counters the marginalization and minoritization of young people of color, and endows them with voice, power and choice to achieve in society while validating their culture and values.Critical mentoring places youth at the center of the process, challenging norms of adult and institutional authority and notions of saviorism to create collaborative partnerships with youth and communities that recognize there are multiple sources of expertise and knowledge. Torie Weiston-Serdan outlines the underlying foundations of critical race theory, cultural competence and intersectionality, describes how collaborative mentoring works in practice in terms of dispositions and structures, and addresses the implications of rethinking about the purposes and delivery of mentoring services, both for mentors themselves and the organizations for which they work. Each chapter ends with a set of salient questions to ask and key actions to take. These are meant to move the reader from thought to action and provide a basis for discussion.This book offers strategies that are immediately applicable and will create a process that is participatory, emancipatory and transformative.
Stevenson, B. (2014). Just Mercy : A Story of Justice and Redemption. One World. Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn't commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship—and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever. Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer's coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.
Wilkerson, I. (2020). Caste : The Origins of Our Discontents. Random House. As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.” In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched, and beautifully written narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings. Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people's lives and behavior and the nation's fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball's Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their outcasting of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.

Articles & Essays

AFL-CIO. (n.d.). Bayard Rustin: Trade union and civil rights organizer and activist. Social Welfare History Project. Bayard Rustin served the trade union and civil rights movements as a brilliant theorist, tactician and organizer. He conceived the coalition of liberal, labor and religious leaders who supported passage of the civil rights and anti-poverty legislation of the 1960s and, as the first executive director of the AFL-CIO’s A. Philip Randolph Institute, he worked closely with the labor movement to ensure African American workers’ rightful place in the House of Labor.
Hudson, P. J. (2016, March 14).The Racist Dawn of Capitalism. Boston Review. Unearthing the economy of bondage.
Johnson, W. (2016, October 26). To Remake the World: Slavery, Racial Capitalism, and Justice. Boston Review. The idea that enslavement “dehumanized” enslaved people suggests that their humanity needs to be proven again and again. Much of the scholarship on slavery has relied upon a pat liberal notion of human rights as its moral paradigm. The version of human rights that dominates contemporary discourse is not significantly inflected by the history of slavery, although it would be better if it were. What if we use the history of slavery as a standpoint from which to rethink our notion of justice today?
Tuck, E. & Yang, K. W. (2012). Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1), 1-40. Our goal in this article is to remind readers what is unsettling about decolonization. Decolonization brings about the repatriation of Indigenous land and life; it is not a metaphor for other things we want to do to improve our societies and schools. The easy adoption of decolonizing discourse by educational advocacy and scholarship, evidenced by the increasing number of calls to “decolonize our schools,” or use “decolonizing methods,” or, “decolonize student thinking”, turns decolonization into a metaphor. As important as their goals may be, social justice, critical methodologies, or approaches that decenter settler perspectives have objectives that may be incommensurable with decolonization. Because settler colonialism is built upon an entangled triad structure of settler-native-slave, the decolonial desires of white, nonwhite, immigrant, postcolonial, and oppressed people, can similarly be entangled in resettlement, reoccupation, and reinhabitation that actually further settler colonialism. The metaphorization of decolonization makes possible a set of evasions, or “settler moves to innocence”, that problematically attempt to reconcile settler guilt and complicity, and rescue settler futurity. In this article, we analyze multiple settler moves towards innocence in order to forward “an ethic of incommensurability” that recognizes what is distinct and what is sovereign for project(s) of decolonization in relation to human and civil rights based social justice projects. We also point to unsettling themes within transnational/Third World decolonizations, abolition, and critical spaceplace pedagogies, which challenge the coalescence of social justice endeavors, making room for more meaningful potential alliances. Keywords: decolonization, settler colonialism, settler moves to innocence, incommensurability, Indigenous land, decolonizing education
Sabzalieva, E., Gallegos, D., Yerovi, C., Chacón, E., Mutize, T., Morales, D., Cuadros, J. A. (2022). The right to higher education: A social justice perspective. UNESCO. This conceptual paper advocates for the RTHE (right to higher education) by developing a framework that takes a social justice perspective on this issue. Using a social justice lens, it highlights the unfair distribution of and lack of equitable access to higher education and the need for systems and institutions of higher education to change to accommodate students’ diverse backgrounds and needs. The RTHE social justice framework takes a systemic and structural approach to the issues facing students in higher education today. It embraces four inter-related dimensions: the 5As framework, inclusive excellence, equity deserving groups, and intersectionality. Under the social justice lens, each dimension attracts important considerations relating to the RTHE.
Johnson, C. & McPhailcmaadmin (EDU). (2021, April 26). Fostering Social Justice in Higher Education. Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. In this brief article, I argue that recognizing and shifting expectations is vital in addressing social injustice in higher education. With an ever-increasing diverse student population, higher educational leaders must step away from traditional approaches to education and recognize that addressing political issues involving race, class, gender identity, sexuality, and ability are not optional.

Audiovisual Resources

American Academy in Berlin. (2019, November 21). These Truths: A History of the United States, with Jill Lepore [Video]. Youtube. Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore offers an account of the grand American experiment via intertwined histories of American politics, law, journalism, and technology—from the colonial town meeting to the nineteenth-century party machine, from talk radio to twenty-first-century Internet polls, from the printing press to Facebook.
American Documentary, Inc. & the WORLD Channel. (2012-). America ReFramed [TV Series]. The WORLD Channel. America ReFramed brings to life compelling stories, personal voices and experiences that illuminate the contours of our ever-changing country. Since 2012, the series has premiered 170 films - more than half helmed by female makers and a third credited to BIPOC makers - centering stories of the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, the formerly incarcerated, veterans, immigrants and more.
Bauer, D. (2021). The importance of belonging [Audio podcast]. In The Better Leaders Better Schools Podcast. Apple Podcasts. Michele Mattoon is director of the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF), an organization that teaches educators how to improve school culture. She’s also president and owner of Coltrain Group, which teaches leadership skills that emphasize collaboration tools (protocols) that foster community and maximize productivity. She has worked with businesses and educational groups around the world, training their employees to work together better. Michele is obsessed with intentionally building healthy, productive communities through the use of specific collaborative structures. Show Highlights Experience what it means to be “other” (but not less privileged). Belonging is mindset growth to connect purpose and relevance. The len to integrate belonging into the culture. 3 protocols to ensure everybody has a stake in your success. The feedback box of chocolates. How to have honest and difficult conversations without being offensive. Dive into various learning mindsets with this provocative idea. “There is no growth mindset without belonging. Communities that we worked with, the teachers who had a strong sense of belonging really took to the work and grew exponentially. A lot of the discussions we had with students became really clear and important. To be able to grow and learn, you have to feel safe.” -Michele Mattoon
Bratt, P. (2017). Dolores [Film]. AVON. Who is Dolores Huerta? One of the most important, yet least known activists of our time, Dolores Huerta was an equal partner in founding the first farm workers union with César Chávez. Tirelessly leading the fight for racial and labor justice, Huerta evolved into one of the most defiant feminists of the 20th century — and she continues the fight to this day, in her late 80s. With unprecedented access to this intensely private mother of 11, Peter Bratt’s film Dolores chronicles Huerta’s life from her childhood in Stockton, California to her early years with the United Farm Workers, from her work with the headline-making grape boycott launched in 1965 to her role in the feminist movement of the ’70s, to her continued work as a fearless activist. Featuring interviews with Gloria Steinem, Luis Valdez, Angela Davis, her children and more, Dolores is an intimate and inspiring portrait of a passionate champion of the oppressed and an indomitable woman willing to accept the personal sacrifices involved in committing one’s life to social change.
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.
Eakins, S. L. (2018-). Leading Equity [Audio podcast series]. The Leading Equity Center. This podcast focuses on supporting educators with the tools and resources necessary to ensure equity at their school. On this podcast, listeners can expect to hear interviews and stories from voices of equity in education today.
Eakins, S. L. (n.d.). Cultural Relevance in Science (No. 210) [Audio podcast]. In Leading Equity. The Leading Equity Center. Show Highlights Utilizing cultural situations for STEM activities Ways to ask questions about culture Cultural Relevance beyond equations and formulas Teaching kids the how Using movies for cultural relevant lessons
Emdin, C. (n.d.). Teaching & Being Rachetdemic [Video]. TED. Christopher Emdin reveals how he aims to bridge the seemingly disparate worlds of the ivory tower and the hood in his talk, "Teaching & Being Ratchetdemic." Highlighting the major inequities in urban education, Dr. Emdin argues in favor of a simple solution: that being “ratchetdemic,” or both ratchet and academic (like having rap battles about science) can empower students to embrace themselves, their background, and their education.
Gonzalez, J. (2017, September 10). Culturally Responsive Teaching: 4 Misconceptions (No. 78) [Audio podcast]. In Cult of Pedagogy. cultofpedagogy.com. The term “culturally responsive teaching” has been around for decades, but it seems to have gotten more attention in recent years. That’s good news: With our classrooms growing more diverse every year, teachers should be more interested in how they can best teach students from different backgrounds. The not-so-good news is that in some cases, teachers think they’re practicing culturally responsive teaching, when in fact, they’re kind of not. Or at least they’re not quite there. And that means students who might really thrive under different conditions are surviving at best. We all want to do better for these students, but how to do it still hasn’t become common knowledge. Zaretta Hammond To move the needle forward a bit more, I invited Zaretta Hammond to share some common misconceptions teachers have about culturally responsive teaching. She is the author of the 2015 book Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, which offers a neuroscience-based teaching framework that goes beyond surface changes to really build cognitive capacity in our students from diverse backgrounds. When I read it, I realized that true culturally responsive teaching isn’t as simple as I thought it was; it’s much more holistic. In fact, in most cases, it wouldn’t even look “culturally responsive” to an outside observer.
Gonzalez, J. (2018, December 2). 10 Ways Educators Can Take Action in Pursuit of Equity [Audio podcast]. Cult of Pedagogy. 10 Ways Educators Can Take Action in Pursuit of Equity: Interview with Pedro Noguera
Hammond, Z. (2013-). Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain [Blog]. crtandthebrain.com. Since you are an equity-minded educator like me, you are probably waging your own private movement to bust the myths behind student engagement (or the lack of) among low performing students of color, poor students, and English learners. ... This is a blog where we can get answers to our collective and individual questions about how we can help students become confident and competent learners. In this space, I want to highlight what I am learning from being out in schools and classrooms with teachers who are successful with diverse students. I want to focus on how we can take everyday strategies and practices and put them to work in their classrooms to be more culturally responsive. ... Just to let you know, on average, I publish a new post every other week – two times per month at the least (sometimes a few more). That gives me time to be in schools and to write. If you don’t want to miss updates on what I am seeing and learning, sign up for my newsletter by pushing that button below.
Hannah-Jones, N. (2019, August 30). The Economy That Slavery Built (No. 2) [Audio podcast]. In 1619. The New York Times. Apple Podcasts. The institution of slavery turned a poor, fledgling nation into a financial powerhouse, and the cotton plantation was America’s first big business. Behind the system, and built into it, was the whip. On today’s episode: Matthew Desmond, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and the author of “Evicted,” and Jesmyn Ward, the author of “Sing, Unburied, Sing.” “1619” is a New York Times audio series hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones. You can find more information about it at nytimes.com/1619podcast. This episode includes scenes of graphic violence.
Harvard Kennedy School. (2019). 4 Rules For Achieving Peace and Justice | Bryan Stevenson [Video]. Youtube. As a human rights lawyer, professor, humanitarian, and author, Bryan Stevenson MPP/JD 1985 LLD 2015 works to fight poverty and challenge racial discrimination in the criminal justice system. He also serves as an advocate for mentally ill individuals, children who have been sentenced as adults, and those who are abused while incarcerated. He educates communities about racial discrimination in the criminal justice system, poverty, and racial inequality in America. In this clip, he shares four rules for creating change in the world and achieving justice: 1. Stay proximate to the people you are trying to help. 2. Change the narrative around the problem you are trying to solve. 3. Don't lose hope. 4. Pursuing peace and justice requires doing things that are uncomfortable and inconvenient.
Hinojosa, M. (2014-2016). America by the Numbers [TV Series]. PBS. Behind every number, there’s a story. America By The Numbers with Maria Hinojosa is a new PBS documentary series—the first to focus on the dramatic demographic shifts currently taking place in this country. As we explore underreported stories from every corner of the nation, we reveal the human face of the biggest population change in U.S. history. The new American mainstream —the growing number of Asians, Latinos, African Americans, mixed race, immigrants, women, youth, and LGBT— is influencing elections, culture, commerce, and every facet of contemporary life. We investigate these dynamic developments using infographics, statistical analysis, in-depth reporting, and compelling storytelling with anchor and executive producer Maria Hinojosa.
Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County. (2020, October 8). Screening "Viva La Causa" and Discussion with Nelson Melgar [Video]. Youtube. To mark National Hispanic Heritage Month, HMTC offers a virtual screening and discussion of the documentary film Viva La Causa: The Story of César Chávez and a Great Movement for Social Justice, presented in conjunction with the David Taub Reel Upstanders Film Series. This film explores the farm workers strike in Delano, California, which lasted from 1965 until 1970 and paved the way for the creation of the United Farm Workers labor union. A post-screening discussion about farm workers on Long Island today is led by community activist Nelson Melgar.
Keith, T. (2019). Bullied [Film]. AVON. The film Bullied is a work that traces bullying and the effects of bullying, but also the methods and programs that have proven efficacious in reducing bullying in schools. From those people who live with the scars of having been bullied to those families who now grieve the loss of their child to suicide in the wake of brutal acts of bullying, the film examines the reasons why people bully and the fallout that occurs from that bullying.
MathEd Podcast. (2018, January 18). Laurie Rubel (No. 1801) [Audio podcast]. In MathEd Podcast. podomatic. Laurie Rubel from Brooklyn College CUNY discusses her article, "Equity-directed instructional practices: Beyond the dominant perspective," published in the Journal of Urban Mathematics Education, volume 10. She also addresses the personal attacks that have resulted from this work.
National Education Association Center for Social Justice. (n.d.). A Social and Racial Justice Checklist for Safe, Healthy and Just Learning. NEA edjustice. As we expand digital learning models, due to COVID-19, it’s important to remember that students with disabilities, those without access to the internet, and LGBTQ, Black, brown and Indigenous populations are at higher risk of experiencing school closures more intensely. Regardless of the education delivery system during the pandemic, all students must be provided the care and attention and learning opportunities they are guaranteed and deserve. Ask yourself the following questions when planning or assessing digital instruction through a racial justice lens:
Netflix. (2020, April 17). Explained | Racial Wealth Gap | FULL EPISODE | Netflix [Video]. Youtube. In partnership with Vox Media Studios and Vox, this enlightening explainer series will take viewers deep inside a wide range of culturally relevant topics, questions, and ideas. Each episode will explore current events and social trends pulled from the zeitgeist, touching topics across politics, science, history and pop culture -- featuring interviews with some of the most authoritative experts in their respective fields. In this episode: Cory Booker and others discuss how slavery, housing discrimination and centuries of inequality have compounded to create a racial wealth gap. US Rating: TV-MA. This show is designed for for mature audiences only.
TEDx Talks. (2012, November 5). How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion: Peggy McIntosh at TEDxTimberlaneSchools [Video]. Youtube. Studying privilege systems can strengthen compassion and support social justice work
This is Statistics. (2015, Dec 7). Statistician Promotes Social Justice and Human Rights [Video]. Youtube. Statistician Megan Price explains how she uses statistics to advance social justice issues and protect human rights.
usgovACF. (2015, May 12). Funds of Knowledge Video [Video]. ECLKC. Watch as Luis Moll describes the concept of Funds of Knowledge. Funds of Knowledge are the essential cultural practices and bodies of knowledge that are embedded in the daily practices and routines of families. Learn how to gather and use the funds of knowledge for children and families in the classroom. This approach will help staff ensure culturally relevant programming. INCLUDES HANDOUT.
Wallace, J. (2020, June 17). Minding the Obligation Gap: The Central Role of Leadership [Video]. Youtube. Minding the Obligation Gap Summer Learning Institute Webinar #1: Privilege, Equity, Pedagogy
WAMC Northeast Public Radio. (2022, January 18). Karla Loya, University of Hartford – Pandemic Teaching and Learning Should Be Inclusive and Supportive [Audio podcast].The Academic Minute. Best practices in college teaching delineate the importance of communicating clear expectations, selecting relevant content, engaging students in active learning, creating multiple assessments, and fostering a respectful learning environment. After the teaching and learning process was disrupted by the Coronavirus pandemic, many instructors had to pivot and learn new modalities of instruction. For many, most efforts were dedicated to learning new technologies and catching up with time delays. This meant that some best practices were left out of the new teaching and learning environments. More problematic, the pandemic created new needs and situations that demanded a different way of teaching. For instance, since the pandemic started, many students and instructors have reported academic, social, and personal struggles. My research highlights the importance of fostering inclusive college classrooms to ensure that all students are participants in the shared teaching and learning, in any modality. How do we then create and maintain inclusive, participatory classrooms when issues of equity, mental health, and uncertainty about the present and the future weigh heavily on students’ and instructors’ minds? To teaching in more flexible and supportive ways than ever before, we can foster a sense of belonging and community by creating spaces in our virtual or physical classrooms for students to engage with one another and with us. We also need to creatively think of ways to bring flexibility to assignments and assessment types, formats, and deadlines.
WBEZ Chicago. (2020, August 11). Isabel Wilkerson on America’s Caste System. [Audio podcast episode]. WBEZ Chicago. In this moment of historical reckoning, many Americans are being introduced to concepts like intersectionality, white fragility, and anti-racism. But Isabel Wilkerson would like to incorporate a little-discussed concept into our national conversation: caste.

Open Educational Resources (OER)

Learn more about what OER are, how they relate to DEI, and why they're important here.

Miller, K. (2018). Introduction to Design Equity. University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. Why do affluent, liberal, and design-rich cities like Minneapolis have some of the biggest racial disparities in the country? How can designers help to create more equitable communities? Introduction to Design Equity, an open access book for students and professionals, maps design processes and products against equity research to highlight the pitfalls and potentials of design as a tool for building social justice.
Pearce, E. B. (2020). Contemporary Families: An Equity Lens. Open Oregon Educational Resources. This openly licensed text, created with students, approaches contemporary families from an equity lens. It asks two questions relevant to the Difference, Power, and Discrimination outcomes at Linn-Benton Community College and Oregon State University: “What do families need?” and “How do society and institutions support or get in the way of families getting what they need?"

Guides & Tools

Eakins, S. L. (n.d.) Getting Started with Educational Equity: 10 Steps to Get You on the Right Path Towards Leading Equity. The Leading Equity Center. FREE Resource: 10 Steps to Get You on the Right Path Towards Leading Equity (Opt-In link)
Emdin, C. (n.d.). Teach teachers how to create magic [Video]. TED. What do rap shows, barbershop banter and Sunday services have in common? As Christopher Emdin says, they all hold the secret magic to enthrall and teach at the same time — and it's a skill we often don't teach to educators. A longtime teacher himself, now a science advocate and cofounder of Science Genius B.A.T.T.L.E.S. with the GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, Emdin offers a vision to make the classroom come alive.
Yale University Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Awareness of Socioeconomic Diversity. Yale University. Unfortunately, unlike race or gender, socioeconomic diversity may be difficult for instructors to detect in their classes, as students may strive to appear middle-class in order to self-normalize. Instructors can consider a variety of ways to structure active and inclusive teaching methods that enable multiple modes of engagement, create various pathways for achievement, and create a classroom environment of accessibility and face-to-face time with the instructor. Instructors can also strive to create behavioral protocols in the syllabus that emphasize respect, honesty, and an open door policy for student concerns. Comprises examples, recommendations, and resources.