Education as social justice
Explore the following content:
Social justice and anti-racism conversations
History & context
Resources for teachers and students
Advancing social justice through learning
Education is the most powerful force for equity and change in our world. As the leading global education provider for learners and schools, we have a unique responsibility to be proactive in bringing social justice topics to the classroom. To be anti-racist. To advance gender equity and LGBTQ equality and inclusion. To open doors of opportunity through learning and to offer better futures through education to people of all ages and abilities.
How can we have real conversations about social justice?
To get you started with having real, courageous, and productive conversations about injustices both current and historical, we’ve compiled the resources below.
Our goal is to give you trusted information from leading experts so we can all learn together and create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture.
Meant to be Maddie
Learn about Maddie, a nine-year-old transgender girl, and her family’s emotional journey as they support their daughter in living her true identity.
Transgender Bathrooms: The Debate in Washington State
Watch how activists in Washington are advocating for equal access to bathrooms for transgender people across the state.
What is the impact of housing discrimination?
Segregation. Red lining. See how history impacts Black Americans today.
Fighting for racial equality: A conversation between generations
Civil rights foot soldiers meet anti-racism activists of today. How do they each approach the struggle for equality?
Perspectives on racism: A salute to solidarity
Watch how team members come together and embrace the #TakeAKnee protest started by Colin Kaepernick.
Educational inequality: Brooklyn, NY
This is what racial segregation looks like in one public school district in Brooklyn, New York.
Taking a stand against environmental injustice
Oil refineries and highways intersect poor communities of color with devastating health impacts. See one activist’s fight for environmental justice.
Roots of systemic racism in American history and today
Student host Jaylen Brown explores the roots of systemic racism in this talk with National Humanities Medal recipient Dr. Darlene Clark Hine and history professor Dr. William C. Hine.
Civil rights & American history
Student host Jaylen Brown learns how the civil rights movement marches on in this discussion with history professors Dr. Emma J. Lapsansky-Werner, from Haverford College, and Gary B. Nash, from UCLA.
A history of protest movements
Student host Jaylen Brown reflects on African-American protest movements throughout history and today with Dr. Clayborne Carson of Stanford University.
A historian’s view of Black History Month
Dr. Clayborne Carson, founder and director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute and Professor Emeritus of History at Stanford University, join student hosts Taylor King and Mykel Broady to explore perceptions of race and society.
A social psychologist’s take on Black History Month
Dr. Neil Lewis, Jr., a behavioral, intervention, and meta-scientist from Cornell University, joins student hosts Taylor King and Mykel Broady to explore perceptions of race and society, and racial disparities in education.
Anti-racism and social justice resources for teachers and students
Find resources you can use in the classroom to help have conversations about social justice in our world.*
Sociology: Structure and Change
Author Jodie M. Lawston’s book explores the meanings of race and ethnicity and their impact on society.
- "Race and Ethnicity," Chapter 10
- Instructor’s resource manual for chapter 10
- "Sexuality and Stratification," Chapter 11.5
- Table of Contents and Author’s Introduction from Sociology: Structure and Change
The African-American Odyssey, 7th edition
Authors Darlene Clark Hine, William C. Hine, and Stanley C. Harrold give a clear overview of black history, instilling in students an appreciation of the central place of African Americans in US history.
- “The Long Freedom Movement, 1950–1970,” Chapter 21
- Table of Contents & Author's Introduction from The African American Odyssey, 7th edition
The Struggles for Freedom, 3rd edition
Authors Gary B. Nash, Clayborne Carson, and Emma J. Lapsansky-Werner provide an overview of the legacy of race, racism, and the impact on society.
- "Civil War and the Promises of Freedom," Chapter 10.6
- "Continuing Struggles over Rights and Identity, 1992-2004," Chapter 21
- Table of Contents & Author's Introduction from The Struggles for Freedom, 3rd edition
*Pearson copyright guidelines for use of these materials.
Insights from Faculty Advisors
Get ideas from our faculty advisors on how to integrate social justice topics into your course.
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