A place for educators to find thought-provoking news, conversation and support for those who care about diversity, equal opportunity and respect for differences in schools
Why Arizona Needs Ethnic Studies
My mother’s birth certificate, dated 1915 and issued in Brooklyn, New York, gives her name as Maria. I knew her only as Mary, the name that appears on her marriage certificate, her social security card and her gravestone. Her sister Philomena was so determined to get away from her name that she had it changed legally to Phyliss. Their brother Philipo chopped his down to Philip. Their other siblings? Anna became Anne, Elisa morphed into Alice and Cosimo was known to his friends as Pete.
Meet Kevin Keller
He’s tall, blonde and handsome. He’s also openly gay. None of that would be exceptional but for the fact that Kevin Keller is the newest character in Archie Comics. If you’re wondering, “Who reads Archie Comics anymore?” then chances are you don’t know any young teenagers.
Dorothy Height: Fighting for Rights on Two Fronts
On August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington, Dorothy Height sat on the speakers’ platform and listened to Martin Luther King, Jr. deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech. She had helped organize the rally that brought about 250,000 people to the National Mall. In fact, she’d been in the forefront of the civil right struggle for decades as the president of the National Council of Negro Women.
Arizona Legalizes Racial Profiling
Hundreds of high school and college students gathered around the state capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday. They were there to convince Gov. Jan Brewer to veto Senate Bill 1070. These young protesters were disappointed though. Brewer signed the bill and instantly set back relations between whites and Latinos in Arizona and other parts of the country.
Race and Poverty Matter, Even on Earth Day
There’s an old joke among real estate agents that the three most important things to consider in any property are location, location, location.
Why I Teach: A Poem
Editor’s Note: For National Poetry Month, we’ve departed from our typical prose-only style to present this special Why I Teach column.
Congrats to This Year’s Mix It Up Model Schools!
Over 3,000 schools across the country challenged social boundaries on national Mix It Up at Lunch Day last November. Some schools took it to the next level by actively embracing respect and inclusiveness as core values of their school communities.
National Day of Silence: Shutting Up for Justice
Today marks the 15th annual National Day of Silence, organized by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). This student-led civil protest will unite LGBT youth and their allies in thousands of middle schools, high schools and colleges nationwide.
