Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PD and Poster Inside! His Legacy, 20 Years Later Update Your Understanding
TEACH I NG
TOLERANCE ISSUE 60 | FALL 2018
TOLERANCE .ORG
EDUCATING FOR A
DIVERSE DEMOCRACY
1 Choose an article.
2 Choose an essential question, tasks and strategies.
3 Name, save and print your plan.
4 Teach original TT content!
WINNER
Holocaust encourages
thoughtful classroom
BEST DOCUMENTARY
SHORT SUBJECT
discussion about a
difficult-to-teach topic.
A film by Kary Antholis l
CO-PRODUCED BY THE UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM AND HOME BOX OFFICE
Grades 6-12
THE STORY of CÉSAR CHÁVEZ and
streaming online
a GREAT MOVEMENT for SOCIAL JUSTICE
VIVA LA CAUSA
MEETS CONTENT
STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL
STUDIES AND LANGUAGE
VIVA LA CAUSA
An introduction to
ARTS, GRADES 7-12.
BEST DOCUMENTARY
FIL
M
Grades 6-12
SHORT SUBJECT
E&
CKAG guide
G PA r’s s ter
HIN d teachee lesson
TEACs-base -mad oom
pos
LETE ard ready classrlesson
MP nd 5
CO Sta with l-sizebonus
s ful with
plu
MIGHTY TIMES
THE CHILDREN’S MARCH
The heroic story of the
s
ACADEMY ®
opment and classroom resources that can help you improve segregation to its knees.
your school’s climate and help students navigate Grades 6-12
the complexities of our times.
BULLIED
A Student, a School and a Case that Made History A STUDENT, A SCHOOL AND
A CASE THAT MADE HISTORY
One student’s ordeal at
WHAT ELSE IS NEW AT TOLERANCE.ORG? the hands of anti-gay
bullies culminates in a
SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER presents
message of hope.
Grades 6-12
YOU CAN NOW …
A TEACHING TOLERANCE DOCUMENTARY
ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX WILLIAMSON
AN OUTRAGE
Apply for a grant. A documentary film
about lynching in the
Share materials with other educators. American South.
Grades 9-12
Get alerts whenever we add new content. AN OUTRAGE
A DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT LYNCHING IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH
by Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren
streaming online
FREE TO EDUCATORS
VISIT TOLERANCE.ORG TODAY! All kits include film and viewer’s guide.
ORDER ONLINE!
tolerance.org/teaching-kits
19 27
DEPARTMENTS
5 Perspectives
11 Why I Teach
Catherine Alene reflects on the power of
positive classroom experiences for our
most vulnerable learners.
38 46
15 PD Café
59 Staff Picks
Our book and film reviews can help you
keep your practice fresh and informed.
62 Story Corner
64 One World
on the cover
Discipline policies coupled with police presence in schools can push
undocumented students into the school-to-prison pipeline, or worse, into
immigration court. Is your school putting undocumented students at risk?
7 34
FEATURES
19 The Book of Matthew
Twenty years after his death, Matt
Shepard’s story matters more than ever.
6 52
their communities.
34 Segregation by Design
her players “rise up.”
Richard Rothstein talks about his book 56 And the Winners Are…
The Color of Law and the unsettling Meet the recipients of the 2018 Teaching
history of housing segregation. Tolerance Award for Excellence in Teaching.
VISIT TOLERANCE.ORG!
Do you have a great idea for a project?
Don’t just think it—do it! Apply for a
Teaching Tolerance Educator Grant today.
tolerance.org/grants
FA L L 2 0 1 8 3
SPLC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Karen Baynes-Dunning, Jocelyn Benson, Bryan Fair (Chair), Bennett Grau (Vice Chair), Pam Horowitz, Alan B. Howard, Marsha
Levick, Will Little, Howard Mandell, James McElroy, Lida Orzeck, Elden Rosenthal, James Rucker, Henry L. Solano, Ellen Sudow, Joseph J. Levin Jr. (Emeritus)
Teaching Tolerance is mailed twice and released online three times a year at no charge to educators. It is published by the Southern Poverty
Law Center, a nonprofit legal and education organization. For permission to reprint articles, email us at editor@tolerance.org.
For media inquiries, email Ashley Levett at ashley.levett@splcenter.org.
E RE C Y
AS
CL
PLE
LA
MA
G
YC
AZ C
IN E RE
IS 100%
@Tolerance_org teachingtolerance.org 5
FA L L 2 0 1 8
Launch your own voter registration This fall, the SPLC on Campus program is
campaign! Request a registration kit empowering and educating college students to
or download materials today. register their peers to vote with a new campaign:
splconcampus.org First We Register, Then We Vote!
#FirstWeRegisterThenWeVote
TT60 SPLC on Campus Ad.indd 59 8/22/18 11:51 AM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 7 ASK TEACHING TOLERANCE 9
ARTICLE SPOTLIGHT 10 & 12 WHY I TEACH 11 D O W N T H E H A L L 1 3
LESSONS LEARNED 14 FREE STUFF 14
Reader Reactions
We heard from veteran and pre-service
educators alike about “Why We Walked: A
Letter to Our Future Educators.”
Whether discovering older TT WORKSHOPS Editor’s note: We offer two women is racist. Imagine
resources or articles, trying The wonderful facilitators of workshops—Social Justice if you turned it around and
out our new podcast or film [the TT] workshops ... gave Teaching 101 and Facilitating referred to Black women by
kit, working on Teaching us words to use, connections Critical Conversations. Check a supposedly common name
Hard History or coming to that strengthen us, and the to see if we’re coming to a among the race.
meet us in person at a TT promise that this work is city near you. tolerance.org/ —Gary Rothstein
Workshop, our community uncomfortable, but so very workshops VIA FACEBOOK
had a lot to share with us! worth it. Now that I have the
Please keep the feedback language, the words (power), “BECKY” IS RACIST TEACHING HARD
coming our way! I am an agent of change. [On “Is There a #BBQBecky HISTORY PODCAST
—Missy McClure or #PermitPatty in Your I just listened to the
VIA EMAIL Classroom?”] If teaching first episode and it was
tolerance how about not extremely well-done and
using racist terms. Becky informative. I teach 8th
when used to describe white grade and just this episode
@Tolerance_org teachingtolerance.org FA L L 2 0 1 8 7
8 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
Q:
dent might focus on the
movement to restore vot-
What are some strategies for working with students ing rights to those who were
who come to my class with ingrained political or are still incarcerated and
create a campaign to get
ideologies and misconceptions about U.S. history? their state to restore such
rights. The use of inquiry
and action planning will
Teachers usually figure when confronted with pri- I want to talk about voting allow students to engage in
out quickly that, when it mary sources such as “The in class, but I know that a dialogue and share as they
comes to students who Cornerstone Speech” by number of my students have feel comfortable, without
hold misconceptions, bom- Alexander Stephens or parents who are incarcer- putting anyone on the spot.
barding them with facts South Carolina’s declara- ated or who are ex-felons.
doesn’t work. Often, this tion for why it felt justified How should I handle it?
tactic backfires, result- to secede from the Union. Don’t shy away from bring- ASK TEACHING TOLERANCE!
ing in students reaffirm- A second way to engage ing relevant topics to the Need the kind of advice
ing their unsubstantiated students is to explicitly teach classroom because of stu- and expertise only Teaching
beliefs. There are two ways how to critically question a dents’ personal connec- Tolerance can provide? Email
a teacher could approach text. Move beyond the usual tions; these connections can us at editor@tolerance.org with
this dynamic that will sup- who, what, when, where provide an even more pow- “Ask TT” in the subject line.
port all students. First, and why. Instead, ask stu- erful learning experience for
start with primary sources. dents to consider a couple all students. In this case, you
Providing a counternarra- of questions: Whose voice is can introduce voting rights
DID YOU KNOW?
tive with primary sources being heard—or not heard— as a topic of inquiry. Have DID YOU KNOW?
not only supports aca- and how does this affect my students share what they
demic rigor but also pro- understanding of the issue? know and then research Unmarried white women
vides a powerful look into Who is the author, and what these questions: Who has and free black men who
the past from those who is their relationship to this the right to vote? Who owned a certain amount
lived it. For example, a stu- issue? These questions can doesn’t? Why don’t people of property were allowed
dent who espouses a “states’ help students more closely vote? Why do people lose to vote in New Jersey
rights” cause of the Civil analyze texts, especially the right to vote? between 1776 and 1807.
War has a much harder time more recent texts they might After students have – Smithsonian.com
explaining that reasoning encounter online. presented their findings,
Check out
some of our most
talked-about posts.
Go to tolerance.org
and search for
these headlines:
q
Teaching Consent
Doesn’t Have to
A R T I C L E 2 . 1 4 . 1 8 / / R I G H T S & A C T I V I S M , S L A V E R Y, R A C E & E T H N I C I T Y
Be Hard
SHARE YOUR Story What motivates you to get up each morning and serve students in our nation’s schools? We want to hear
from you. Send your 600-word submission for the “Why I Teach” column to submissions@tolerance.org.
ICE, or U.S. Immigration and Cus- In Plyler v. Doe (1982), the Su- Incarcerated people are allowed to
toms Enforcement, was formed in preme Court ruled that it was vote in only two states—Maine
2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks unconstitutional to deny access to and Vermont.
as a part of the Homeland Security public education based on immi- – National Conference of State Legislatures
Act of 2002. gration status.
– U.S. Department of Homeland Security – American Immigration Council
12 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
Strong
Connections
As an instructional technology coor-
dinator at Life School, a K–12 char-
ter school just south of Dallas, Texas,
Knikole Taylor supports teachers as
they bring technology into their class-
rooms. Because she sees technology as
a tool for building community as well
as knowledge, Taylor approaches her
role as a combination of teacher advo-
cate, technology champion and educa-
tional coach.
[students]. … It’s just that model of about the work you’re doing?
Lessons Learned allowing students to self-direct what I’m most passionate about helping
The lessons in our Digital they need and get it from each other. educators … to see the power and the
Literacy Framework are We’ve also had Ed Camps and used value of their own voice, and not wait-
grade-specific and address Ed Camp models for faculty meetings ing on someone to tell them what they
key areas in which students and professional development, so it need to know. We teach because we
need support developing digi- has really caught on. love students and we want to change
tal and civic literacy skills. Find students, but I feel like it’s deeper
the lessons at tolerance.org/ How do you use Twitter and than that. And I really think that
frameworks/digital-literacy. other innovative technologies to teachers can only find that when they
Choosing Reliable Sources strengthen your own practice? truly find their own style, and they
(Grades K–2) I just started to connect with other really connect with truly decent work
In order to verify trustworthy educators who were similar to me, and say, “This is what’s really import-
sources, children study the had some of the same goals and objec- ant to me and this is exactly what I
importance of locating and tives as far as education. And really, want, that’s important to be here.”
questioning online information. I called Twitter a place to kind of vet So that’s why my role as a coach
Understanding it out as well as connect with peo- is so important and so valuable—
Online Searches ple who were very different from me, because the average teacher says,
(Grades 3–5) to broaden our horizons and really “Hey, you know, I found this, but I
By learning about search algo- to learn from other people. And to don’t really know what it is” or “I
rithms, students will start to this day, that’s generally what I use don’t really think I can do it.” And I’m
understand how an online Twitter for. … like, “Oh, yes you can! Let’s do it!”
search works and how to criti- As a teacher coach, I’m quick to tell I think it’s really powerful when
cally evaluate search results. [teachers] when they ask me some- teachers make that shift from idly sit-
thing, “You know, I don’t know.” … ting by and waiting for someone else
Social Media for Social Action
(Grades 6–8) I’ve gone to Twitter so many times to to tell them what’s important to just
Students explore social activism say, “Hey guys. I don’t know this, but breaking down those walls and mak-
online and debate about the use- I have a teacher who needs assistance ing those connections on their own.
fulness of social media as a tool with this. Can you help?” Because then it’s reciprocal, and then
for genuine social change. I’ve met some amazing people. you see them get the same things for
Teaching Tolerance, I found out about their students, and that’s ultimately
How Fair Use Works you guys via Twitter, EduColor—a lot of what we want.
(Grades 9–12) things that have benefited my work as
After students discuss copy-
an educator of color and really helped
right laws and fair use, this les-
me to see my value as an educator. DOWN THE HALL
son allows them to create their
Know an excellent administrator, librarian
own projects demonstrating what
What do you wish that educators or counselor we should interview? Tell us all
these concepts mean.
knew or understood or believed about them at editor@tolerance.org.
FREE STUFF!
With interviews from stu- The app We Read Too rec- Youth Radio is a non- The downloadable curric-
dent activists and allies ommends books written profit media company that ulum guides from Oregon
organized into easy-to-fol- by authors of color and is features youth-produced Humanities offer oppor-
These web resources support low FAQs, Youth in Front appropriate for students of journalism. Their site tunities for high school stu-
and supplement anti-bias encourages students to all ages. Users can browse includes a page of “story- dents to learn about social
education—at no cost! civic action. It provides the within categories, search telling resources for edu- justice in units like “Good
information students need for authors or titles, or rec- cators,” with lesson plans Hair: Exploring Identity and
to protest, organize, build ommend new titles for on topics such as podcast- Questioning Expectations”
alliances and work toward a review and inclusion. ing, interviewing and writ- and “Making Peace with
sustainable movement. wereadtoo.com ing a commentary. Chaos: The Realities of
youthinfront.org yri.youthradio.org/ Refugee Experiences.”
for-teachers oregonhumanities.org/
curriculum-guides
14 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
Know About Voting in Voices webpage. Visit the page for election-year classroom and
professional development resources, information on our Voting
the United States? and Democracy Grants, and materials for helping students lead
voter registration drives! tolerance.org/voting
ANSWER KEY
1. False. States are in charge of voting laws, and while constitutional amendments
tell states what they can’t do (deny the vote based on race, gender or age, for
example), nothing in the Constitution tells the states what they must do (make
sure all citizens can vote).
2. C. According to “Why Are Millions of Citizens Not Registered to Vote?” a
brief by the Pew Charitable Trusts, “more than 60 percent of adult citizens have
never been asked to register to vote, and the rate was nearly identical among
individuals who are and are not registered.”
3. C. The Ohio secretary of state reports that in 59 races and one local issue,
elections were either tied or decided by one vote.
4. True. In the Brennan Center for Justice’s report The Truth About Voter
Fraud, Justin Levitt writes, “It is more likely that an individual will be struck by
lightning than that he will impersonate another voter at the polls.”
Vocabulary
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibited literacy tests
as a barrier to voting; empowered the U.S. Department
of Justice (DOJ) and federal courts to monitor problem
jurisdictions; and, most importantly, required jurisdictions
with a history of discrimination to receive federal approval
before they could make any changes in voting procedures
or requirements. These provisions stood—and were
strengthened by Congress—until 2013, when the Supreme
Court ruled in Shelby County v. Holder that it was no longer
necessary to require DOJ approval for changes to voting
procedures in these areas.
Disenfranchisement
Disenfranchisement is the act of depriving someone
of the right to vote.
Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing districts with the
goal of producing a particular election result. Gerryman-
dered districts divide communities to weaken their voting
power and to protect the power of one political party.
16 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
17
FA L L 2 0 1 8¥
RECOMMENDED
FOR GRADES
9–12
AN OUTRAGE
A FILM BY HANNAH AYERS AND LANCE WARREN
FA L L 2 0 1 8 19
.357 Magnum. His attackers tied his wrists to a world to take action.
crude wooden fence, took his shoes and wallet, Ever since, we’ve been reminded—even now,
GETTY IMAGES
and left him for dead. 20 years after his death—that Matthew Shepard
Matt held on as long as he could. Only after a changed the world. In some ways he never left; his
cyclist stumbled upon him—famously mistaking legacy lives on in the work carried out in his name.
20 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
NOW ?
they found you, Hopecrow,
tied to a two-post fence on a two-rutted road, and caressed cheeks
your straw-colored hair painted red. that should have been kissed:
Your body stuffed
with swallowed blood. I hope that
Billy Jack∞
Matt’s death cut deep. For the LGBTQ
Your body— Steen Fenrich∞
Fred Martinez∞ community, he was the worst that could
unmoving,
barely held together, Gwen Araujo∞ happen to them. For parents, he was the
so broken and still Sakia Gunn∞ all-American son they could have—or
Scotty Joe Weaver∞
the passing cyclist should have—loved. For homophobes, he
struggling through deep sand Lawrence King∞
Angie Zapata∞ was their worst fear: a
nearly mistook you for
an effigy. Paige Clay∞ sympathetic figure. They
Giovanni Melton∞ "A profound sense
But you drew breath, all attached themselves
and her of injustice for Matt
and kept the birds at bay. to Matt and helped cre-
and him is, I think, what
I wonder if you held on to life and them ate the man we know
so you could breathe it into the wind. and them drives [Judy and as Matthew Shepard: a
That wind that connects and them∞ Dennis], because symbol, a martyr, a cat-
all of the “funny” children, breathed in the love they are acutely alyst for a cause.
the “beat-of-their-own-drum” children. you whispered into the wind
before breathing out life, aware of how bright Before Matt’s death,
The wind we breathe in at birth and passing it on. he was, [and] what violence against LGBTQ
and exhale in the exact moment people—when it wasn’t
his ambitions were
we are reminded what we are. Like a love note
in the areas of state-sanctioned—had
signed by those who hope
The wind that Rebecca Wight∞ felt on their name human rights and
largely gone under the
Dead Woman’s Hollow— is the last. radar. The AIDS crisis
civil rights, which he
before five bullets hurt her lover, had been dismissed by
before the seventh bullet hit her liver. And I dream that you all was very passionate
many people as a side
will rise again about. They feel like
The wind that cooled the concrete from the ashes effect of the gay “life-
on a summer night in Jackson Heights, of the UpStairs Lounge∞; they’re carrying out style.” With so little
where three skinheads brought a hammer that you will breathe again the work that he was pop-culture represen-
to a schoolyard; through Pulse’s∞ bullet holes; destined to do." tation, so little access
where Julio Rivera∞ took his last. your own heartbeat
restored, to unbiased informa-
The wind passed through Wyoming, and allowed to love— —Jason Marsden, tion and so little access
and held your name. untethered. executive director of to queer communities,
We still hear it when it soughs the Matthew Shepard it was easy in 1998 for
through the trees— Where there are no fences.
us children still standing Foundation LGBTQ people to feel—
in this forest where those trees ∞Google them.
and be—ignored.
fall, but don’t always Write their names in stone. A generation has
make noise. And trace them. passed since we lost Matt Shepard. We are
Hold the wind inside your hands. a world away from the world he knew. But
PHOTO CREDIT GOES HERE
FA L L 2 0 1 8 21
M AT T
in 2016. We know the 1,076 reported hate orientation. By the 2015 survey, the
crimes that targeted victims due to their figure was 13 percent. The portion of
sexual orientation—and the 124 crimes those students who said they felt unsafe
committed based on someone’s gender at school went from 68.6 percent to 57.6
identity—represented but a fraction of
the violence enacted against queer peo-
percent in that same time span.
But violence still looms over the lives
TO YOUR
ple across the country. of many LGBTQ kids. A 2018 Human
CL A SSROOM
Cynthia Deitle, a former FBI agent Rights Campaign report revealed that
and currently the Matthew Shepard more than 70 percent of LGBTQ stu-
Foundation’s programs and operations dents had heard verbal threats because
director, says that systems of account- of their identity; 3 in 10 experienced
ability are broken. physical threats. More than 1 in 10 had Discussing Matt’s story in your class-
“It’s lack of reporting; it’s count- been sexually attacked or raped. room can help non-LGBTQ students
ing too many things too many times; The Shepards know that these kids better empathize with the struggles
it’s not reporting when you should; it’s live in a reality that’s different from and strengths of their LGBTQ class-
misidentifying the biased motivation if Matt’s. But in the face of pushback mates. It can also help LGBTQ stu-
you’re the police officer,” she says. “It’s a against LGBTQ rights and acceptance, dents see themselves in your curric-
GETTY IMAGES
whole host of breaks in that circle that the Shepards also know that these kids ulum and learn about the resources
need to be fixed.” deserve better. available to them.
DECEMBER 1, 1976 Matthew OCTOBER 7, 1998 Matt is brutally of Wyoming’s long-planned Gay DECEMBER 1, 1998 The Matthew
Wayne Shepard is born in beaten by Aaron McKinney and Awareness Week begins. S h e p a rd Fo u n d a t i o n i s
Casper, Wyoming. Russell Henderson, who leave incorporated.
OCTOBER 14, 1998 A vigil in Matt’s
him tied to a fence not long after
M AY 1 9 9 5 Matt graduates midnight. Matt isn’t discovered honor is held on Capitol Hill in APRIL 6, 1999 Russell Henderson
from the American School until 6 p.m.; he is admitted into Washington, D.C. It draws thou- pleads guilty to the murder and
in Switzerland, mere months a hospital sometime after 9 p.m., sands of people, including celeb- kidnapping of Matthew Shepard
after surviving a violent assault approximately 21 hours after his rities and lawmakers. Among the and is sentenced to two consec-
and rape during a school trip assailants had left him. speakers is an emotional Ellen utive life terms in prison.
to Morocco. DeGeneres, whose TV show had
“As an [FBI] agent that worked been canceled that April, less NOVEMBER 5, 1999 A day after
SUMMER 1998 Matt moves to these violations, I knew we had no than a year after she came out. Dennis Shepard delivers an
Laramie and enrolls at the jurisdiction to help them, and that emotional statement, Aaron
University of Wyoming after was quite crushing.” “I’m so pissed off. I can’t stop crying. McKinney is sentenced to two
brief stints at Catawba College ... This is what I was trying to stop. consecutive life sentences.
PHOTO CREDIT GOES HERE
in North Carolina and Casper —Cynthia Deitle This is exactly why I did what I did.”
College in Wyoming. He chooses FEBRUARY 26, 2000 The
to study political science and OCTOBER 12, 1998 Matt suc- —Ellen DeGeneres Laramie Project—a play by
foreign relations. cumbs to his injuries, dying just Moisés Kaufman and mem-
after midnight. The University OCTOBER 16, 1998 Matt’s funeral bers of the Tectonic Theater
is held in Casper, Wyoming.
22 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
“There’s a generation of advocates and activists that I don’t know would have gone down that path, had they not witnessed
what happened to Matt. ... Those people are now in the corporate world. They are educators. They are parents themselves.
GETTY IMAGES
... Those folks are now the influencers. Change is coming, and Matt opened the door. Matt’s story opened the door.”
—Judy Shepard
Project—premieres in Denver, Pittsburg, California—now bear OCTOBER 12, 2009 On the 11th against a protected class we had
Colorado. Based on interviews Matt’s name.) anniversary of Matt’s death, the otherwise denied for decades. ...
conducted in Laramie after script of The Laramie Project: Ten It’s never lost on me how power-
Matt’s murder, the play has since MARCH 27, 2001 The first Years Later premieres, with more ful Matt’s case was to so many
been performed for more than 30 attempt at hate crime legislation than 100 readings taking place people and how one set of par-
million people. that specifies sexual orientation across the United States and in ents could change the law in such
is sponsored by Massachusetts 14 different countries. a dramatic way.”
“The Laramie Project was trans- Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy
formative to so many people who and fails in the U.S. Senate. OCTOBER 22, 2009 Congress —Cynthia Deitle
participated, either in the pro- passes the Matthew Shepard
JANUARY 10, 2002 The film ver- OCTOBER 4, 2013 Matt’s child-
duction or even as an audience and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes
member.” sion of The Laramie Project pre- Prevention Act, an expansion hood friend Michele Josue
mieres at the Sundance Film of existing U.S. hate crime law. debuts her documentary Matt
—Judy Shepard Festival. Later featured on Among other things, the law Shepard Is a Friend of Mine. It
HBO, it receives four Emmy redefines hate crimes to include goes on to receive wide criti-
MARCH 30, 2000 Iowa Governor
nominations. those motivated by a victim’s cal acclaim and a 2016 Daytime
Tom Vilsack announces the Emmy Award.
Matthew Shepard Scholarship “I don’t think [recent gay rights sexual orientation, gender iden-
Program, annual full scholar- advances] would have happened tity or disability. MAY 13, 2015 The city council of
PHOTO CREDIT GOES HERE
ships for LGBTQ high school in the way and in the pace that OCTOBER 28, 2009 President Laramie, Wyoming, passes an
seniors who’ll be attending Iowa they did without Matt’s story gal- Barack Obama signs the ordinance that prohibits employ-
state schools. (Scholarships vanizing so many hearts.” Shepard-Byrd Act into law. ment, housing and public-facility
a c ro ss t h e co u n t r y— f ro m discrimination based on sexual
Baruch College in New York —Jason Marsden “Right away, we had greater juris- orientation or gender identity.
City to Los Medanos College in diction to investigate hate crimes
We’ve learned a lot in the last few years about what LGBTQ students need to thrive.
This excerpt from our brand-new guide offers insight into how even small policy
adjustments can make a big difference in the lives of queer and nonbinary students.
BY CORY COLLINS
TO FEEL SAFE and to feel seen. To feel There is also much hope, but hope the unrealistic beauty standards fac-
valued and to feel capable of growth. requires action. For the LGBTQ stu- ing girls—can give way to a culture
These are simple concepts—basic pil- dents who go to school in a fully inclu- that values all students.
lars of student achievement and the sive environment—where both curricu- With our new guide Best Practices
results of good pedagogy. lum and schoolwide policies value their for Serving LGBTQ Students, we hope
For many LGBTQ students, these identities—we see more positive out- to help more schools adopt pedagogy
rights remain out of reach. comes. These students experience less and practices that can help all students
According to data from GLSEN—an harassment, feel more valued by school feel safe, seen and capable of success.
organization that provides resources, staff and face fewer barriers to success. Read this excerpt, download the full
research and advocacy in support We also know that an LGBTQ - guide and be a voice for change in your
of queer youth—more than half of inclusive school benefits al l stu- school this year!
LGBTQ students feel unsafe at school. dents. Seeing LGBTQ identities
Fewer than 25 percent of those stu- valued in the classroom, in the cur- Policy Checkup
dents see positive representations riculum and in day-to-day interac- Policies do not only reflect a school’s
of queer people in their classrooms; tions inspires empathy, understand- rules and expectations; they reflect
ROSAIRENEBETANCOURT 7 / ALAMY
more than half hear negative remarks ing and respect. The overall school its priorities. Like a budget, a policy
about their sexuality or gender iden- climate is safer. The lessons on his- reveals just as much by what it leaves
tity from school staff. And due to these tory, literature and culture are more off the page. It’s time that more schools
and other circumstances, LGBTQ stu- complete. And the dangerous expec- put LGBTQ kids on the page—and in
dents are more likely to miss school, tations of performed gender roles— doing so, put LGBTQ kids in a position
experience homelessness and see their from the mask of suppressed emo- to feel safe in the classroom and the
grades suffer. tional expression placed on boys to bathroom, at prom and at practice.
24 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
Download our brand-new Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Students at tolerance.org/lgbtq-guide FA L L 2 0 1 8 25
26 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
Sex? Sexual orientation? Gender identity? Gender expression? Learn the difference with
our downloadable classroom-friendly poster! tolerance.org/nonbinary
BY JEY EHRENHALT
ter her students from the truth while figures in the civil rights movement. I
New Orleans, Louisiana tried to tie it all together in a way that
When New Orleans Mayor Mitch made sense to them.”
Landrieu ordered the removal of four Educators can use their Teaching Dickerson did not dwell on the con-
Confederate monuments from his city Tolerance Grants to fund projects for troversy about Confederate monu-
in 2015, he announced a public pro- their classrooms, to start initiatives in ments, as the statues had already been
cess to determine their replacement. their schools and to embed anti-bias taken down. She instead focused on the
Amy Dickerson, a third-grade teacher programs throughout their school question of what should replace them.
at Homer A. Plessy Community School, districts. Awards range from $500 to This tactic, she says, helped build com-
wanted to give her students a voice in $10,000 and help students develop munity investment.
the decision. Two-thirds of Homer A. strong identities, honor diversity and Christina Kiel, mother of one of
Plessy students identify as people of think critically about injustice. Dickerson’s students, initially hesitated
color; 57 percent are African American. at the thought of discussing the topic at
Dickerson intended for her students Grants are awarded on a rolling basis. an early age. “When I first heard about
to write persuasive essays on how Visit tolerance.org/grants. it, I was excited,” she says, “but I was
FA L L 2 0 1 8 27
uments may not have been wholly bad come. When numerous Confederate Project—a program that brings together
PROVIDED BY JENNY FINN
people, the monuments themselves monuments were being taken down historians, writers, educators and legis-
represented exclusionary ideals. in the region, for instance, the town lators to document and preserve dwell-
Students then considered how to circulated a petition to keep their ings of enslaved people. Students spent
inclusively represent New Orleans’ Confederate monument outside the the night in restored slave quarters on
identity. They worked with 826 New courthouse. Finn says when high the Magnolia Plantation and learned
28 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
of colorblindness and “reverse racism,” ‘Will you participate in this with me?’
PROVIDED BY JENNY FINN
exploring people’s tendency to evoke That makes it very easy to say yes.” Read more about these
these notions to avoid honest discus- TT-funded projects at
tolerance.org
sions about race and racism. Ehrenhalt is the school-based
The semester culminated with a programming and grants manager for
series of conversations hosted at the Teaching Tolerance.
FA L L 2 0 1 8 29
30T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
THERE IS A LOOK OF REALIZATION, “It’s like for the first time in who were brutally killed there. It is vast
followed by one of shame and embar- their lives, it makes sense to them,” and overwhelming by design. As visi-
rassment, that Michelle Browder has Browder said of her tour customers. tors near the end, they are greeted with
come to expect. With her company, “We’ve had some pretty remarkable descriptions of the alleged “crimes”
More Than Tours, Browder leads visi- conversations with people from all that led to many of the recorded lynch-
tors through the most famous, and infa- over, and not just white people, who ings. It’s a poignant reminder that the
mous, civil rights sites in Montgomery, were realizing for the first time how seemingly endless columns include
Alabama. On her tours, she tells sto- these things tied together.” victims who were children, victims
ries that have been lost along the way. The two new attractions tell their who were denied due process and vic-
In March 2018, the Equal Justice stories in very different ways. The tims who were tortured and killed for
Initiative’s (EJI) National Memorial memorial, set on a hill a few blocks so-called transgressions as minor as
for Peace and Justice and their Legacy from downtown Montgomery, utilizes failing to call someone “sir.” EJI makes
Museum: From Enslavement to Mass a powerful, haunting silence to com- sure visitors walk away understanding
Incarceration became part of her tours. municate to visitors the prevalence of the size of the death toll and the scope
PHOTO CREDIT GOES HERE
For the first time, many of her lynchings in the United States. Eight of the injustice.
customers—from Montgomery and hundred steel columns are suspended The museum, located in an
beyond—are learning how the sins of from the ceiling, each one labeled with 11,000-square foot warehouse in down-
the past play a big role in how we think the name of a U.S. county and etched town Montgomery, is a more tangible
about race in the present. with the names of the lynching victims experience. Hard history feels close.
FA L L 2 0 1 8 31
32 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
Some could kill with impunity, while oth- continued into the 1930s. plement these lessons with EJI’s inter-
ers could be killed for imagined crimes. Even after convict leasing was even- active online timelines and maps.
In addition to lynching, the Legacy tually outlawed, Jim Crow laws were “Students in an ideal world would
Museum teaches its visitors about other firmly in place; black citizens were still know these things already and be able
ways black people have been criminal- denied basic rights and subjected to to recognize the through line,” said
ized throughout U.S. history. For exam- strict laws that often singled them out Kiara Boone, the deputy program man-
ple, the so-called “black codes” were for legal persecution. Those laws, along ager for EJI’s memorial and museum.
a series of laws passed after the Civil with segregation and a general mistreat- “We’re hoping this material could con-
War that applied only to black people. ment of black Americans by the coun- textualize these experiences in today’s
Including offenses such as failing to try’s law enforcement agencies, contin- world. This isn’t meant to be shameful
carry proof of employment or owning ued unabated until 1964 and the passage or hurtful. We’re talking about heal-
a weapon, these laws exploited a loop- of the Civil Rights Act. But the ingrained ing. We want young people in particu-
hole in the 13th Amendment—the out- biases and a chasm of mistrust that had lar to engage and come away with a bet-
lawing of slavery “except as punishment opened between black communities and ter understanding of the country they
of a crime”—to support the practice of law enforcement remained. live in.”
convict leasing. Those who violated Pushback against the civil rights
black codes were imprisoned and leased movement, the Reagan-era War on Moon is an award-winning columnist
as unpaid labor to private enterprises, Drugs and the Clinton-era “tough on and investigative reporter working in
including mines and plantations, to crime” policies all capitalized on the Montgomery, Alabama.
RICHARD ROTHSTEIN’S 2017 bestseller The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government
Segregated America has captivated readers—and most certainly educators. Rothstein talked with Teaching
Tolerance about the history and endurance of racial and residential segregation, the inadequacy of how we
teach and learn about this topic, and our collective power to turn things around.
What does the phrase “Color of Law” mean, and I began this research because I understood that
why did you choose this as the title of your book? we could never solve the problems of American edu-
In the 1960s, when, for example, the police were cation, particularly the achievement gap between
enforcing segregation in Southern schools and col- African-American and white children, so long as we
leges, the phrase “operating under color of law” had segregated schools, because when you take chil-
was a very commonplace phrase that was used to dren with serious social and economic disadvantages
describe officials, government officials, who used and concentrate them in single schools, it’s impossible
their official positions to act in unconstitutional for those schools to produce students who, on average,
ways to violate civil rights. … achieve at high levels. So I came to believe and con-
It has other references as well. … The maps that cluded that racial segregation is the single biggest prob-
I described were color-coded. The book’s cover is a lem impeding school improvement in this country.
redlining map created by the Home Owners’ Loan In 2007, I read a Supreme Court case, with which
Corporation in the 1930s, a federal government you may be familiar. … It was a case in which the
agency that colored red the neighborhoods where Supreme Court looked at desegregation plans in both
African Americans lived, indicating these were Seattle, Washington, and Louisville, Kentucky. Both
neighborhoods that would be too high-risk for fed- districts had choice plans—very, very modest choice
eral mortgage guarantees. … plans. … So if you had, for example, in either Louisville
Of course, the theme of the book is that we have or Seattle, a school which was all white or mostly
de jure segregation, not de facto segregation. That white, and both a black and a white child applied for
is, it’s segregation that is imposed by government, by the last remaining place in that school, the black child
law. So those references came together. would be given some preference. To the Supreme
Court, it was a violation of the Constitution to take
What is the connection between housing segrega- race into account in a pupil assignment program.
tion and school segregation? Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the plurality
Schools are more segregated today than at any time opinion. He said the reason it was unconstitutional
in the last 45 years. The reason that they’re more was that the schools in Louisville and Seattle were
segregated is because the neighborhoods in which segregated because the neighborhoods in which they
they’re located are segregated. … were located were segregated. … Then he went on
36 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
BY CORY COLLINS I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y M A R C I N W O L S K I
FA L L 2 0 1 8 39
40 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
FA L L 2 0 1 8 43
44 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
WHEN THEY WALKED into school on the morning of April a decade, but two months later ICE arrested 114 workers in
5, no one who worked at Russellville Elementary planned Ohio. We don’t know how many students, grieving or fright-
to be there past midnight. But after Immigrations and ened, missed school during that time.
Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers raided a nearby Here’s what we do know:
meat-packing plant in Bean Station, Tennessee, detain- Nationwide, 1 in 14 K–12 students have at least one
ing 97 of the town’s 30,000 residents, the educators of the undocumented parent.
county sprang into action. 5.9 million U.S. citizen children have an undocu-
The superintendent opened the school so families could mented family member.
wait for information about loved ones held nearby. Bus Around 725,000 students are undocumented.
drivers ensured kids had someone waiting at home when Educators are uniquely positioned to offer support to
they dropped off students. More than 120 teachers, staff immigrant students and families—support that’s needed
and administrators responded to a call from the Tennessee now more than ever in communities across the country. We
Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. They moved talked to Dr. Julie Sugarman, a senior policy analyst at the
through the crowd, feeding children and comforting them Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant
until word came down: The people who would be released Integration Policy, who reinforces the significance of this
already had been. Some families would have to go home with- work. “School is really such a central part of the community,”
out their loved ones. In the following days, more than 500 Sugarman explains. “If kids or families don’t feel like they’re
students reportedly missed school, a stark reminder of how welcomed, that can really affect the future of that child.”
the effects of a raid can ripple through a community. Here are five steps every educator in the United States
ICE announced last year that they planned to quadru- can take—along with extra recommendations for teachers
ple workplace raids in 2018, and it seems that they’re fol- serving communities with many undocumented families—
lowing through. The raid in Bean Station was the largest in to support some of our most vulnerable students.
FA L L 2 0 1 8 47
48 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
STACEY MCADOO WAS NEARLY IN TEARS, faculty can motivate students of color, speak English feels more welcome when
though she knew the move was for the and more recent work showing how it they are greeted by someone who speaks
best. She’d been excited to find her sev- benefits the whole school community. their language and can help them nav-
enth-grade English teacher, one of the Recently, the Brookings Institution igate the school,” she says. “It also pro-
few black teachers at her school, taking published a series of reports confirming vides the unexpected benefit of giving
an interest in her—noticing that she was the benefits of a diverse teaching staff parents and community members the
smart and motivated. But McAdoo needed for students of color. And a researcher at opportunity to interact with adults who
more advanced work; she was soon trans- Princeton University recently surveyed represent the diversity of the school,
ferred out of the class. “I was devastated,” more than 50,000 black and Hispanic which can help break down barriers.”
she says. “I hated having to leave.” students, finding those with teachers Even so, there is a sizable gap
“I can count on one hand the num- whose identities matched their own between the number of people of color
ber of black teachers I had in K–12,” “report significantly better experiences behind the teacher’s desk and those in
says McAdoo, now an award-winning than their non-matched peers.” front of it. About half of all U.S. students
teacher herself. “Every single one of Jayne Ellspermann, a veteran are white, but white people account for
them had a profound effect on me. They teacher and principal and former pres- four of every five teachers. This imbal-
had a way of seeing me like no others ident of the National Association of ance—what some researchers refer to
could. They made me feel brilliant and Secondary School Principals, explains as the “diversity gap”—is exacerbated
empowered.” Her experiences confirm how a diverse staff can increase family by a nationwide teacher shortage that
stacks of research produced over the last and community engagement in a school. tends to disproportionately affect com-
three decades exploring how a diverse “A parent, for instance, who doesn’t munities of color.
FA L L 2 0 1 8 49
50 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E Floyd is the assistant superintendent of human resources for Oakland Schools in Waterford, Michigan.
Association, IMDiversity, 3. Fight Bias During Screening including name, address, college(s) yourself,” try asking, “Tell us how
Professional Diversity Network and Interviewing. attended and graduation date. your experience has prepared
and HBCUConnect are all good You can counter even uncon- Build diverse teams for screen- you for this position.”
places to start. scious bias with training and ings and interviews. Keep interviews structured.
Partner with or recruit from alter- careful preparation. Create a team with varied iden- Using the same series of ques-
native certification programs. Acknowledge unconscious bias. tities and experience levels. tions in all interviews ensures
Teaching residency programs and Plan facilitated discussions and Audit questions for bias. that each candidate has an equal
alternative certification programs trainings to challenge it. Interview questions should not opportunity to demonstrate
b can provide access to a candi- Use blind screenings. provide information that could their competencies.
s date pool that is more diverse Remove nonessential data that bias interviewers. Instead of ask-
than the national average. can lead to biased assumptions, ing a candidate, “Tell us about
n. FA L L 2 0 1 8 51
52 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
Just like that, a middle school girls basketball team in central Ohio was caught up in their own Colin
Kaepernick moment—stories in local newspapers and Columbus-area TV stations spread the photo
across social media. Some local residents supported them, but the loudest voices came from those
who believed the girls were disrespectfully protesting the flag.
PHOTO CREDIT GOES HERE
FA L L 2 0 1 8 53
54 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
FA L L 2 0 1 8 55
EXCELLENCE
IN TEACHING
And the
Winners Are … MAYRA ALMARAZ
Teaching Students at William Howard Taft High School
Meet the recipients of the 2018 to Recognize and Fight Systemic Inequality
Excellence in Teaching.
WHAT HER STUDENTS SAY ...
BY JULIA DELACROIX
“I learned from Miss Almaraz that in order to
“IF WE’RE GOING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF THE create change, you have to analyze the root
WORLD,” former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove is
problems of an issue.”
credited with saying, “we have to learn how to talk
to one another.” The teachers we celebrate here— “Teaching ethnic studies is so important, so vital
the recipients of the 2018 Teaching Tolerance in our society right now,” Mayra Almaraz explains.
Award for Excellence in Teaching—work every day “People want to be in these conversations.” In her
to create spaces where students learn how to talk 11th- and 12th-grade Latin American history and
to one another. They model ways to value iden- ethnic studies classes, Almaraz encourages her stu-
tity, diversity, justice and action in their classroom dents to look at systems “to understand why there’s
instruction and culture, and they’re guided by those inequality, why there’s discrimination, why some of
values in their work with families, communities and us have more privileges than others.” To support stu-
fellow educators. dents as they work to answer these questions, she
established the Issues to Action Social Justice Club.
Awarded biennially, the Award for Excellence in
Members work on projects educating, advocating
Teaching recognizes five classroom educators who
and protesting to address problems they’ve studied
help students develop positive identities, exhibit
in class.
empathy, consider different perspectives, think
critically about injustice and take informed action. In the club, as in her classes, Almaraz’s students
Our 2018 nominees were an impressive group, and examine their own experiences and learn about the
the winners inspired us with their dedication to— experiences of others. This is one of the goals around
and effectiveness in—creating spaces, curricula and which she’s built her curriculum and her classroom’s
communities where all students can thrive. culture. “I think something powerful happens when
you hear different stories,” she says. “Reconciliation
Because their exemplary practices and professional
begins with truth.”
accomplishments are too numerous to list, here’s
just a small sampling of the work that each of these
exceptional teachers is doing every day.
56
PHOTOGRAPHY
T E AC H I N
BYG TODD
TO L E RBIGELOW
ANCE & DAN CHUNG
WHAT HER STUDENTS SAY ... WHAT HER STUDENTS SAY ...
“When I want to give up, I think of Miss “I would describe her as amazing.”
Coven and what she would say to me and
what she would do to help me figure it out.” In her fourth-grade classroom, Elizabeth Kleinrock
delights in watching students tackle critical topics.
It’s pretty difficult to play it cool in Rebecca Coven’s Kleinrock explains that her students are already
10th-grade English/language arts classroom. “All of thinking about ideas like racism, civil rights for
my students care really deeply about something,” LGBTQ people and privilege. “I think it’s very
she says, explaining that she sees her job as “help- important to have these conversations with chil-
ing them find what they care about and then translat- dren,” she explains, saying she ultimately wants them
ing that passion into action.” Providing students with all to understand that “somebody else’s differences
an “authentic audience” for their work, Coven shows don’t threaten or change your identity.”
them how they can use their voices to create change.
To ensure these conversations continue beyond her
For their mass incarceration project, for exam- class, Kleinrock pulls family voices into the class-
ple, Coven’s students spend eight weeks studying room. She began her class discussion on racism, for
the topic. The project concludes with the students example, by surveying students on their comfort lev-
leading a public, citywide symposium, bringing their els when talking about race—then revealing an online
class conversations to the broader community and form showing how their families had (anonymously)
encouraging others to take action. Erasing the line responded to the same question. And she plans
between schoolwork and “real-world work,” Coven activities, like a field trip to the Japanese American
says, helps students see “that the work they’re doing National Museum, where families can learn together
now and the work they’re producing now can actu- and practice working through their discomfort to
ally have an effect on their communities now.” discuss critical topics. After all, as Kleinrock says,
“There has been no problem in the history of our
world that has been solved by not talking about it.”
57
FA L L 2 0 1 8
WHAT HER STUDENTS SAY ... WHAT HIS STUDENTS SAY ...
“In her classroom, you feel safe and you “He taught me how important it is to accept
know you’re going to get the education my identity.”
you deserve.”
For Charlie McGeehan, a high school human-
Danna Lomax had been teaching middle school for ities teacher, the collaboration and shared growth
10 years when everything changed after she was that characterize his relationships with colleagues
asked an important question. “I thought I was at expand beyond his school. With the Teacher Action
the top of my game,” she explains, until an eighth- Group–Philadelphia (TAG) and the Caucus of
grader asked, “Miss Lomax, this whole year has been Working Educators (WE), last year McGeehan
about how we’re not supposed to treat each other. helped organize the Black Lives Matter Week of
When are you going to teach us how we are supposed Action—a Philadelphia event they’ve already begun
to treat each other?” preparing to take national this year.
As a result, Lomax says, “I changed my entire peda- He’s also joined with other educators from TAG and
gogical approach. I started creating units that deal WE to form and lead reading and discussion groups
with peace with ourselves, peace with each other and for white educators committed to anti-racist action.
peace with our planet.” Central to this work is the Ultimately, McGeehan explains, the understanding
“peace spectrum,” which places actions that isolate he and his colleagues share is simple: “It is our work
an individual at one end and those that build com- as white people to help other white people develop
munity at the other. In class, Lomax’s students use these habits and practices to really live out fully
it to analyze the choices made by literary or histor- anti-racist lives and that it is not the burden of peo-
ical figures—and to consider their own. Lomax has ple of color to educate us. ... We can challenge each
produced dozens of project-based units, which she other, and we can challenge ourselves.”
shares with other educators at conferences. The
curricula she’s designed are open-source and freely
available, and they’ve been taught in classrooms
across the United States and around the world.
58 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
FA L L 2 0 1 8 59
Long Way Down is a collection of poems parents, sets out to find the perfect bride. But
that begs to be read in one sitting, describing not every prince wants to marry a princess.
one minute and seven seconds in the life of On his path to self-discovery, vibrantly and
15-year-old Will. That’s the time it takes him colorfully illustrated by Stevie Lewis, the prince
to ride an elevator down seven floors, and the battles a fire-breathing dragon with the help of
time it takes him to decide whether he wants a handsome knight—in shining armor, no less—
to kill the man who murdered his brother, and finds love in an unexpected place.
Shawn. In his bio, author Jason Reynolds says ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
he writes for “young people who are tired of
feeling invisible,” a dedication that shines Jewell Parker Rhodes’ poignant and poetic
through every page of this book. novel Ghost Boys features narrator Jerome
HIGH SCHOOL Rogers, a 12-year-old boy killed by police in
Chicago. Only in death can he freely explore his
When black women found themselves free city, meet the ghost of Emmett Till and meet
from slavery but still extremely vulnerable Sarah, the living daughter of the policeman
“Presents nuanced and disenfranchised in their black, female who killed him. Connecting past to present,
discussions of colorism, bodies, how did they add their voices to the novel shows readers the consequences of
class and justice all movements for justice and equality? With racial bias and illustrates the importance of
within an emotionally Beyond Respectability: The Intellectual listening to the ghost boys, silenced by death
gripping adventure.” Thought of Race Women, Brittney C. Cooper and misinformation. Until now.
— Gabriel A. Smith charts the journey of black women thinkers’ MIDDLE SCHOOL
meticulous and unorthodox cerebral work to
uplift their race and gender, from the post- Tomi Adeyemi’s debut novel, Children of Blood
slavery era through the 1970s. They made the and Bone, is set in Nigeria-inspired Orïsha.
personal political and intellectual—and formed Here, diviners, a race of magic bearers known
foundational social theories that predate for their darker skin, are treated like second-
such concepts as intersectionality. These class citizens after being stripped of their full
days especially, it’s time to take black women powers 11 years earlier. Zélie, a diviner herself,
seriously as knowledge producers. is chosen by her ancestors to restore magic
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT and justice to Orïsha, but she’ll need all the
power she can muster—and the support of
Daniel Haack’s Prince & Knight tells the story friends—to succeed.
PIXAR
60 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
What We’re Watching Dim the lights and get ready to learn
with these TT-approved films!
Lou is a Pixar short about a trash-monster A project of The New York Times’ Retro took on his mental health in the final
that will steal your heart. Composed en- Report, Safe Haven: The Sanctuary years of his life. With a quiet elegance and
tirely of lost-and-found items, Lou feels Movement explores the roots of an interfaith historical acuity, the film explores King’s
a childlike, innate anger when witnessing movement built to protect refugees in the unshakeable commitment to nonviolence
injustice. So when one student begins 1980s. The short film profiles some of the as an immutable principle in the face of a
bullying his classmates at recess, Lou can’t original leaders of the sanctuary movement swiftly changing movement. (111 min.)
help but step (or, more accurately, tumble) and follows its 21st-century resurgence. As
in to help. Funny, sweet and lovely by turns, attacks on immigrants, refugees and their Available from HBO
the Oscar-nominated short offers a great families increase, places of worship and hbo.com/documentaries/
way to start classroom conversations about cities across the United States are declaring king-in-the-wilderness
bullying, restorative justice, empathy and themselves sanctuary spaces. Safe Haven is HIGH SCHOOL AND PROFESSIONAL
friendship. (6 min.) an informative, in-depth story of compas- DEVELOPMENT
sion, resistance and struggle. (13 min.)*
Available for purchase on iTunes
We ask students to speak up when they
or Amazon.com Available from The New York Times
hear hate speech at school. But what about
pixar.com/lou t-t.site/safe-haven hate speech witnessed in digital spaces?
ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL UPPER MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL
Countering Online Hate Speech, TT’s most
recent digital literacy video, offers the spe-
RBG documents the life and legacy In the new documentary King in the cialized skills and strategies students need
of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Wilderness, close friends of Martin Luther to interrupt and redirect online harassment.
Ginsburg and her strategic work to bring King Jr. tell the story of his last years, from
equal gender rights to the United States. his role in the passage of the 1965 Voting Available from Teaching Tolerance
The documentary allows viewers an inside Rights Act to his assassination in 1968. tolerance.org/diglit-videos
look at Ginsburg’s personal life as well as Toward the end of a 12-year era of tireless MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL
her roles as an icon and a dissenter. A must- civil rights advocacy, the film shows, King
see for everyone who believes that one per- and the Southern Christian Leadership
*This film contains content that students
son can truly change the world. (98 min.) Conference expanded their focus to ad-
may find disturbing. TT recommends that
dress the triple evils of racism, poverty
Widely available for purchase educators preview the film before deciding
and militarism. King in the Wilderness also
to show it to students.
rbgmovie.com touches on King’s personal side, his inti-
MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL mate relationships and the toll his work
PIXAR
FA L L 2 0 1 8 61
The bus let out its usual sigh as it grade—one hand slap, two claps, three “Well,” his mom answered, “I don’t
stopped with a lurch and the door folded slaps, dab—and parted ways. feel like my vote for president really
open. Jeremiah and Noelle exchanged Jeremiah could see his mom and dad counts. Most of our state usually
tired glances. They were only two sitting at the kitchen table. He took a doesn’t vote for the issues I care about.”
weeks into fifth grade, and it already deep breath, marched into the kitchen Jeremiah thought about everything
felt like being the big kids in school and placed his notes on the table. His he had learned that week in social stud-
meant having big responsibilities. parents looked over, startled by his sud- ies about voting.
And now this. They looked at the den entrance and serious face. “Well, Ms. Choi had us do research.
sheets of paper Ms. Choi had sent home “We need to talk,” he said. “Ms. Choi I found that lots of other stuff gets
with them. gave me this paper to have you sign.” decided by voters,” Jeremiah said. “Like
“What if we just…don’t talk to our Jeremiah’s parents’ eyes got wide. who is on the school board! Don’t you
families?” Jeremiah asked as they “Were you doing the floss dance want to help choose what happens at
stepped off the bus. thing from Fortnite in class again?!?!” my school?”
“I think we have to,” Noelle said. his mom yelled. “Of course I do,” his mom said, sur-
Jeremiah shuddered. He always Jeremiah squirmed. “Well, yes, but—” prised by how much Jeremiah knew.
asked his parents for help on home- “Mijo, did you get into trouble?” his “But you know, son, I only have one
work and stuff. But this was different. It dad asked. vote. What I think doesn’t matter.”
was more personal. And they were, like, “What? No!” Jeremiah said. His par- Jeremiah looked at his mom. He felt
old. He was afraid it would be awkward. ents sighed with relief. his nerves go away. Thanks to what he’d
“FaceTime me when you’ve done it,” “This is an interview,” Jeremiah con- done in class, he was more prepared for
Noelle said. She knew interactions with tinued. “I’m supposed to ask if you vote.” this than he thought.
adults about anything serious made Jeremiah’s parents suddenly looked “Of course what you think matters,
Jeremiah nervous. “Promise?” as awkward as he felt. Mom!” he said. “All votes get counted.
“Promise,” Jeremiah said. They “No,” his mom said. “I guess I don’t.” In Ms. Choi’s class, we looked up elec-
did their secret handshake since third “Why not?” Jeremiah asked. tions where people won by just one vote.
62 T E AC H I N G TO L E R A N C E
two years ago after living in Mexico for “Good!” Noelle said. “I talked to Dad Why did Jeremiah feel like he couldn’t
most of his life. Jeremiah looked down and Grandma. She told me about how ask his parents for help with his special
homework?
at his notes from class and remembered her grandma used to have to walk miles
something. to find a place where she could vote. THINK AND SEARCH (IN THE TEXT)
“Sorry, Dad,” he said. “But there And even then, people would make Why is it important for Noelle’s
are things you can do! Ms. Choi had us her pay money to vote! Sometimes she grandma to vote?
brainstorm. We said that even people didn’t have the money.” AUTHOR AND ME (IN MY HEAD)
who can’t vote can still go to town halls “That’s not fair!” Jeremiah said. Why does Jeremiah’s mom feel like her
or protests or even help register other “Right?” Noelle agreed. “Grandma vote doesn’t matter?
voters in our neighborhood. You could says she always votes because she
ON MY OWN (IN MY HEAD)
be like a superhero for other voters!” knows how hard it was for our ances-
What facts do I know about voting?
Jeremiah’s dad smiled wide. “I like tors. She said even today some peo-
that!” he said. ple have trouble voting. So, as long as
Actress Laverne Cox is a vocal advocate for the transgender community. She’s known for an
impressive series of firsts, including being the first openly transgender person to be nominated
for an Emmy in acting or to be featured on the cover of Time magazine.
✁
TEACHING
ILLUSTRATION BY KATE MOROSS TOLERANCE
IS YOUR
TEACHING
TOLERANCE
SUBSCRIPTION
UP TO DATE?
ARE YOU SURE?
Update your information at
tolerance.org/magazine/
subscribe, and never
miss an issue.
hobia
Islamop
Take a Sta
nd
G
d
ewen Protect an
James Loout Slavery
H
On Teach
TO L E R A ISS UE
55 | SP
RI NG 20
TO LE RA
NC E .O
17
RG
and giveaways!
ION,
INSPIRAT
IDE FOR R
LOOK INS D TIPS FO
ION AN DENTS—
MOTIVAT UR STU
RING YO
EMPOWE YO UR SELF.
AND
APPLY
TODAY!
SOCIAL JUSTICE
EDUCATOR GRANTS WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Educators who work in U.S.-based
Educators know best how to build empathy, develop positive identi- K–12 schools, alternative schools,
ties, and promote critical thinking about injustice. Our grants fund school districts, and therapeutic or
creative classroom, school and district-level initiatives to make juvenile justice facilities may apply.
schools safe, just and equitable places for all students to learn.
To apply, review the guidelines and complete the online application at TEACHING TOLERANCE
tolerance.org/grants. Applications are considered on a rolling basis. EDUCATOR GRANTS RANGE FROM
$500 - $10,000
VISIT TOLERANCE.ORG/GRANTS AND SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TODAY!