Black Lives Matter: Race, Policing, and Protest

In urban education, “urban” is a floating signifier that is imbued with meaning, positive or negative by its users. “Urban” can be used to refer to both the geographical context of a city and a sense of “less than,” most often in relation to race and/or socioeconomic status (Watson, 2011). For Noblit and Pink (2007), “Urban, rather, is a generalization as much about geography as it is about the idea that urban centers have problems: problems of too many people, too much poverty, too much crime and violence, and ultimately, too little hope” (p. xv). Can educational policies and practices address the social justice issues faced in urban schools and communities today? We argue that doing intersectional research and implementing educational policies and practices guided by these frameworks can help improve the “fit.” Particular attention needs to be paid to intersectionality as a lens for educational theory, policy, and practice. As urban educators we would be wise to consider the intertwining of these identity axes in order to better analyze educational issues and engage in teaching, learning, research, and policymaking that are better-tuned to the needs of diverse students, families, and communities.

A comprehensive, readable analysis of the key issues of the Black Lives Matter movement, this thought-provoking and compelling anthology features essays by some of the nation's most influential and respected criminal justice experts and legal scholars. Policing the Black Man explores and critiques the many ways the criminal justice system impacts the lives of African American boys and men at every stage of the criminal process, from arrest through sentencing.

The focus of Social Justice Issues and Racism in the College Classroom is faculty and students of color at postsecondary institutions and the racial challenges they encounter in college classrooms. To achieve this aim, the book highlights the voices of various racial/ethnic groups of faculty and students, including international scholars. Additionally, the book will inform and bring attention to non-minority faculty and students of social justice issues related to race in the classroom and offer suggestions on how to be supportive of people of color. Several frameworks will be utilized in this book to assist readers in better understanding ideas, concepts, and practices. Specifically, a social justice framework, critical race theory, and White privilege are used to better explore the featured topics. Both quantitative and qualitative (e.g., auto-ethnographic, interviews, etc.) data are utilized throughout the book to give voice to the authors. Questions posed for this edited book are as follows: How do faculty members include social justice issues related to race/ethnicity in their curricula? How are issues associated with race or ethnicity discussed in the classroom by students, as well as minority and nonminority faculty? What are the experiences of students of color in the classroom working with faculty of different races and ethnicities? Overall the book provides information to assist students and faculty of color with survival skills in complex environments.

This practical handbook will introduce readers to social justice education, providing tools for developing "critical social justice literacy" and for taking action towards a more just society. Accessible to students from high school through graduate school, this book offers a collection of detailed and engaging explanations of key concepts in social justice education, including critical thinking, socialization, group identity, prejudice, discrimination, oppression, power, privilege, and White supremacy. Based on extensive experience in a range of settings in the United States and Canada, the authors address the most common stumbling blocks to understanding social justice. They provide recognizable examples, scenarios, and vignettes illustrating these concepts.

This handbook illustrates how education scholars employ Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a framework to bring attention to issues of race and racism in education. As a reference resource it provides a comprehensive description and analysis of the topic, from the defining conceptual principles of CRT in the law that gave shape to its radical underpinnings to the political and social implications of the field today. It is divided into three sections, covering innovations in educational research, policy and practice in both schools and in higher education, and the increasing interdisciplinary nature of critical race research.

Taking an active stand in today's conservative educational climate can be a risky business. Given both the expectations of the profession and the challenge of participation in social justice activism, how do educator activists manage the often competing demands of professional and activist commitments? Activist Educators offers a view into the big picture of assertive idealistic professionals' lives by presenting rich qualitative data on the impetus behind educators' activism and the strategies they used to push limits in fighting for a cause. Chapters follow the stories of educator activists as they take on problems in schools, including sexual harassment, sexism, racism, reproductive rights, and GLBT rights. The research in Activist Educators contributes to an understanding of professional and personal motivations for educators' activism, ultimately offering a significant contribution to aspiring teachers who need to know that education careers and social justice activist causes need not be mutually exclusive pursuits.