Teaching about race, racism and police violence: Resources for educators and parents
Protesters make peace signs during a rally in Huntington Beach, Calif., last week following a string of nationwide police shootings and the slaying of police officers in Dallas. (Eugene Garcia/EPA)
Teaching Tolerance was founded in 1991 as a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center and is dedicated to reducing prejudice and supporting equitable school experiences for all children in America. It provides free educational materials, and its magazine is sent to nearly every school in the country. Teaching Tolerance materials have won two Oscars, an Emmy and dozens of REVERE Awards from the Association of American Publishers. Below is a list of resources that teachers and parents can use to help educate children about race, racism and police violence at a time when the country is reeling from a string of killings of black men at the hands of police in cities across the country, as well as the killing of five white police officers by a black gunman in Dallas. Anyone can access the program’s website here. It is reprinted with permission of Teaching Tolerance.
Editor’s note: This Web package was originally published in December 2014 under the title “Teaching About Ferguson: Race and Racism in the United States.” In the months since we first shared this resource, the number of people of color killed by the police has risen and the number of resources that support teaching about these incidents has grown. In light of this month’s shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, we updated this Web package to include external resources and newer Teaching Tolerance resources that address institutional violence more broadly. If you have suggestions for additional resources, please forward them to editor@tolerance.org.
The deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Eric Garner in New York City, Tamir Rice in Cleveland and too many others — along with the grand jury decisions in the earlier two cases — have caused waves of nationwide protest and appeals for stronger protections against police brutality. These events have also caused educators to seek resources on how to address these subjects in the classroom. These resources can help spur much-needed discussion of implicit bias and systemic racism, but they can also empower your students to enact the changes that will create a more just society.
Teaching Tolerance Blogs
- When Educators Understand Race and Racism. What is the fundamental outcome of educators growing their racial competence? Learning.
- Talking With Students About Ferguson and Racism. This teacher believes it’s crucial for white teachers like her to seek out productive ways to talk about race and racism with students.
- Students Are Watching Ferguson. At a time like this, educators can’t afford not to discuss Ferguson in the classroom.
- #dontshoot. The tragic loss of Michael Brown presents an opportunity to help students connect with our collective humanity.
- On This Day. As an organization committed to justice and equity, the similarities between Teaching about race, racism and police violence: Resources for educators and parents - The Washington Post: