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Neag School of Education

Reducing racism in schools: the promise of anti-racist policies.

• by: Britney L. Jones
• September 22, 2020
• Community Engagement

Introduction

In 2020, the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others led to a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement across the nation and around the globe. The revitalization of this movement has come with increased public demand for policy change, and specific calls for anti-racist policies in schools. As a result, many educational leaders are grappling with what this means for their respective contexts, and the extent to which their school or district’s current policies measure up to public demand.

Educating and training teachers and administrators on how to enact culturally relevant and inclusive practices is one step towards eliminating racism in schools.

Educating and training teachers and administrators on how to enact culturally relevant and inclusive practices is one step towards eliminating racism in schools. Expressing a commitment to anti-racism through school policies, statements, guidelines, or codes takes these efforts a step further. Within the last decade, some schools and districts have penned their own anti-racist policies to detail the steps they are taking to disrupt racism within their locale. In this brief, I describe these policies and highlight recent initiatives aimed at eliminating racism in schools. As school and district leaders advance their own anti-racist policies and objectives, this policy brief provides guidance based on the practices of diverse districts in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Anti-Racist Policy in Schools

Anti-racist policies are usually documents drafted by a governing body and disseminated to staff, parents, and students in a particular district or school. Similar to a code of conduct, school handbook, or anti-bullying policy, the policy states the organization’s commitment to anti-racism and lays out procedures that must be followed in order to uphold the organization’s commitment to the cause of dismantling racism to create an inclusive, equity-oriented environment. Over the past decade, schools and districts, both nationally and internationally, have written and adopted policies to address racism, discrimination, and inequity in schools. U.S. districts often refer to these policies as equity policies, while in places such as the United Kingdom (U.K.), Australia, Ireland, and South Africa, similar policies are usually entitled anti-racist policies. Despite the difference in name, they often share similar objectives and features. Anti-racist and equity policies typically start with a statement of assurance that the board or governing body has considered the importance of racial equity, followed by a renunciation of discriminatory behavior within their context. Next, the document includes a definition of racism. Then, these policies describe the steps taken by the governing body to ensure equity or anti-racism.

Components of Anti-Racist Policy: Areas to Address

For this brief I examined over 25 publicly available equity or anti-racist policies from several states in the U.S. and from schools in Australia, South Africa, Ireland and the U.K. I found that most policies address racism through the lenses of:

• school environment,
• incident reporting,
• data analysis, and

After addressing these components, policies typically offer guidance or present action steps to support implementation. These include:

• providing a clear and accurate definition of racism for consumers of the policy,
• devising a plan for policy dissemination,
• appointing an anti-racist committee or point person,
• coupling equity/anti-racist policy with other school or district-wide policies, and
• partnering with external organizations.

Below I briefly describe each of these components.

School Environment: Creating an Anti-Racist/Equity-Oriented Culture and Climate

Most of the policies discuss the school environment at length. Generally, they describe ways in which school staff can create and maintain a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students. One way policies describe achieving this goal is through representation of multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds in curricula, texts, hallway displays, and digital media. They also state the importance of incorporating positive role models and discussing issues of race and diversity within classrooms and during school-wide events. Several anti-racist/equity policies advocate events focusing on diversity and empathy building, such as Friendship Week or Multicultural Week. Policies also describe building teachers’ awareness of racism and bias as a means to shift culture and climate in the school. These policies require teachers to be mindful of cultural assumptions and bias, develop racial literacy, enact cultural responsiveness, and understand their own identity. In the Anti-Racist Policy of Bure Valley School in the U.K., the authors offer specific examples of how this can be done, asserting that students “should be confident to speak, hear or read in their home language in school” and have their names “accurately recorded and correctly pronounced” by teachers (p. 2).

Reporting: Developing a System for Reporting Racial Incidents

Most policies also detail reporting requirements. Authors of these policies aim to ensure a system is in place to deal with incidents of racism and discrimination. This component often lays out a specific procedure for responding to an incident including requiring a written report, timeline for resolution, documentation of resolution, and family notification. In addition to forms for reporting, many anti-racist/equity policies require a racism logbook or place for complaints to be recorded permanently. These policies also describe ways in which schools could support students who may be victims of a racist or discriminatory act. Some policies note that support for students involved in an incident should be ongoing and coupled with psychological or mental health services. Additionally, some policies encourage schools to help students feel empowered to report incidents and develop strategies for dealing with racial conflict.

Staffing: Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Diverse Staff with Equity/Anti-Racist Mindsets

Many of the policies emphasize the need to recruit and retain staff members dedicated to anti-racism, and committed to providing equity-based training for new and veteran educators. In its equity statement, the Princeton Public Schools District in New Jersey states, “The goal is to attract, develop, inspire, and retain a diverse workforce within a supportive environment.” Several other schools and districts echo this sentiment within their policies by describing their efforts to diversify their staff, both in terms of demographics and beliefs. They attempt to fulfill this goal through recruitment of culturally and linguistically diverse teachers and administrators. They articulate the importance of hiring staff that mirrors the student population. Some districts or schools call for staff hiring to follow equal opportunity hiring procedures and the use of equity-oriented criteria for selection. For teachers already employed, policies name professional development and new staff training as opportunities to provide new learning around racial consciousness and inclusivity.

Data Analysis: Employing an Equity Lens to Identify Disparities and Inform Decision-Making

Several policies aim to challenge racism through race conscious data collection and review. According to these policies, “effective” review of data means testing for differences across student demographic groups in access, performance, and discipline. The Portland Public School District in Oregon suggests using data to identify and modify assessments that lead to over or under-representation of minoritized groups. For example, some policies identify focus areas such special education identification and suspension for review given the history of over-representation of students from minoritized groups in special education and among suspensions. Some state the goal of increasing the number of minoritized students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses. Others call for a closer look at how selective admissions criteria for enrollment may lead to adverse effects and the ways in which admissions testing may disadvantage students of color. Baltimore City Public Schools in Maryland states their plan to disaggregate data to “analyze trends, identify gaps, and develop racial equity priorities” (p. 4). To fulfill this objective of equity-oriented data analysis, some policies highlight the need for constant monitoring and reporting on progress towards goals.

Funding: Assessing and Allocating Funds for Equity Purposes

While undoubtedly important, funding is mentioned in only a few of the anti-racist/equity policies. Policymakers in Baltimore include the following line in their policy: “Ensure that purchasing/procurement practices provide access and economic opportunities within communities represented by students of color” (p. 4). This is one way that educational institutions can be mindful of their economic impact on the community. Schools may also decide to allot funds to ensure attainment of aforementioned objectives such as equitable hiring, staff training, and data analysis resources.

While undoubtedly important, funding is mentioned in only a few of the anti-racist/equity policies.

In sum, the policies reviewed tend to address five areas to enhance anti-racism and equity in their contexts. Creating equity-oriented objectives in the areas of school environment, incident reporting, staffing, data analysis, and funding is an important start. However, when drafting these documents, policymakers should include additional guidelines to support the implementation of anti-racist policies. Next, I describe some of the ways existing policies attempt to ensure attainment of policy objectives.

Components of Anti-Racist Policy: Process Elements to Support Implementation

Clearly and Accurately Define Racism

One way to create strong anti-racist policy is by providing a clear definition of racism to frame the policy. In addition to setting context for the policy, opening with a definition creates an opportunity to educate readers and norm on the school or district’s understanding of racism. Such definitions vary across policies. Some of the international anti-racist policies begin by distinguishing between personal and institutional racism and offer clear definitions for each. For example, in the U.K. the Truro School’s Anti-Racist policy relies on a definition from The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report, which states that institutional racism is “the collective failure of an organisation to 
provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin.” The policy continues: “when a child is subject to racist bullying or harassment, their behaviour and attainment are likely to be affected; if the behaviour is treated in isolation without taking into consideration the issues and effects of racism, this can be described as institutional racism. The racist element must be explicitly recognised and dealt with” (p. 2). This definition is provided before any other components of the policy are explained. Policymakers should consider how their context defines equity and racism before laying out a plan to address these issues. Consumers of anti-racist policy may be better equipped to follow subsequent guidelines if they have a foundational understanding of the problem and the purpose of the policy.

Policy Dissemination

The second way policymakers intend to make these policies come alive is through a plan for dissemination. Many policies are available online, on the school or district website. Other strategies for distribution include a physical copy in a designated location such as a school’s main office and inclusion in student and staff handbooks. One district states that a summary of the policy will be included in students’ yearly planners. Other ideas for dissemination include public displays in prominent areas of the school, placement in newsletters, and discussions during assemblies. Importantly, several anti-racist/equity policies name all parties that should review the policy, including staff, parents, students, contractors, service provides, and any other school visitors.  

  Appointing a Committee or Point-Person

The third way policymakers support implementation of these policies is by putting an individual or group in charge of monitoring the school’s progress towards goals. In some cases this is the superintendent or another school leader; in other contexts, an equity committee is charged with this responsibility. For example, in Shaker Heights, Ohio there is an equity task force made up of 11 educators, nine community members, and two students. In general, the governing body or individual is required to report to the school board, make recommendations based on data, promote alignment between equity and other goals, present tools or resources, and ensure compliance with state and federal laws. Most policies describe the need for an annual report or review as part of their action plan.

Coupling Anti-Racist/Equity Policies with Other School Policies

A fourth way to promote accountability and adherence to anti-racist/equity policy is by associating it with other school policies, especially those that are well established. Most of the policies reviewed for this brief are linked to other policies focusing on topics such as: discipline, behavior, anti-bullying, school safety, the staff code of conduct, and the student code of conduct. Several anti-racist/equity policies identify their relationship to standards and curriculum and federal laws regarding race and discrimination. Attaching these policies to existing initiatives helps to integrate them into the organizational fabric of these educational institutions.

Partnering with External Organizations

Finally, to support implementation of anti-racist policy, schools and districts should seek guidance from organizations already committed to anti-racist work. Several policies name equity-based or anti-racist organizations with which they were affiliated. This is an important component because it lessens the burden on educational systems to deal with complex issues of race and equity on their own and presents the opportunity to rely on the expertise of government agencies, universities, community organizations, research organizations, and anti-racist nonprofits. This can also facilitate and strengthen relationships between schools and communities.

A Promising Example

As mentioned above, many of the existing anti-racist and equity policies were drafted after 2010. Yet, recent events and the current sociopolitical climate signal the need to revisit and strengthen these policies. One district has done just this. In June 2020, the Indianapolis Public School District in Indiana, led by superintendent Aleesia Johnson, unanimously adopted a new Racial Equity Policy and publicly affirmed that Black lives matter in a resolution. Resolution No. 7861 and Board Policy 1619 – Racial Equity Mindset, Commitment, and Actions comes at a time when the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement is palpable. This district is demonstrating how to use policy, first, to take responsibility for systemic failure to adequately support Black and Brown students in the past, and, second, to plan for a better future.

In June 2020, the Indianapolis Public School District in Indiana, led by superintendent Aleesia Johnson, unanimously adopted a new Racial Equity Policy and publicly affirmed that Black lives matter in a resolution. Resolution No. 7861 and Board Policy 1619 – Racial Equity Mindset, Commitment, and Actions comes at a time when the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement is palpable.

With this new policy, the Indianapolis Public School District details specific action steps to increase racial equity. These include:

• partnership with the Racial Equity Institute (which helps organizations challenge systems of power and increase equity);
• restructuring, reducing, and auditing police presence and practices in schools;
• implementing a Supplier Diversity Policy with the aim of supporting local businesses (particularly those owned by women, people of color, and veterans);
• creating school-based equity teams for data analysis;
• increasing the recruitment and retention of Black staff;
• ensuring equitable enrollment across school types;
• shifting the budget to be more student centered and allocating funds to aid schools demonstrating the highest need; and
• considering how housing segregation impacts school choice and limiting boundaries to school access in the enrollment process.

We can all learn from this policy, with its high level of detail alongside the very public commitment by the board and superintendent. Not only does this new policy incorporate many of the aforementioned components such as commitment to reform in the areas of funding, data analysis, and school environment, the Indianapolis Public School (IPS) District has also developed strong plans to support its implementation. The district has partnered with the Racial Equity Institute to refine goals and train staff. IPS also signals the importance of considering other areas of anti-racist policy reform such as police presence in schools, and recognizing Juneteenth as a district holiday. It is also worthwhile to note that the IPS district acted swiftly by moving up the release of this new policy (initially set to be released later in the summer) to respond to recent acts of racism and injustice in the national news. Other districts around the country should follow IPS’s lead.

Recommendations for Creating Anti-Racist Policies

The components of existing equity/anti-racist education policies described above provide a general understanding of what these policies should include: equity-oriented objectives for school climate, incident reporting, staffing, data analysis, and funding. The creators of these policies should also consider providing a clear definition of racism, laying out a plan regarding how to communicate the objectives of the policy to the broader community, specifying the individual(s) who will oversee policy implementation, identifying the connections between anti-racist policy and other school policies, and outlining how to leverage partnerships with external organizations committed to increasing equity.

In addition to these components, I share two additional suggestions for those drafting anti-racist policy. The first addresses the accessibility of anti-racist policy and associated tools or resources. The second deals with attention to the personal and interpersonal work that must be done to implement anti-racist policy. I describe each in further detail below.

Accessibility

Several schools and districts made their policies and equity tools easily accessible to staff and the public alike. Having materials and policies readily available increases the likelihood that teachers and school leaders have access to and use resources. It also creates a more collegial environment as other schools and districts attempt to create their own anti-racist policies. For example, the Minneapolis Public School District in Minnesota shares an Equity and Diversity Impact Assessment tool on their website, and the Jefferson County Public School District in Louisville, Kentucky publicly shares their tools for equity analysis. Rather than reinventing tools, other districts may choose to cite and borrow from such existing assessments. The Shaker Heights, Ohio School District website provides a link to an equity resources page with suggested reading and links to equity-oriented organizations, while the Indianapolis Public Schools website has a link to its  “Say Their Names” toolkit “to help foster productive conversations about race and civil disobedience.” Links to these sorts of additional resources, readings, and campaigns offer helpful guidance as schools and districts across the country, and beyond, attempt to strengthen their anti-racist efforts.

Attention to the Personal and Interpersonal Work of Anti-Racist Policy Implementation

Districts and schools seeking to advance anti-racism and equity can attend to the aforementioned components to create effective policy. However, they must also consider the deeply personal work that is required alongside anti-racist reform. Many of these policies ask school staff to interrogate their own biases, positions of power, and privilege. The extent to which these types of personal reflection are encouraged and occur contextualizes policy implementation. Based on a study done with schools in California, the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education identified characteristics of schools with a record of narrowing the impact of racism and inequity. The authors stress the need for equity-oriented school leaders to guide staff and high levels of trust among members of the school community. This report highlights the need to consider the ways in which school-level features and interactions matter for the implementation of anti-racist or equity policy. Thus, in addition to focusing on the components within anti-racist or equity policies, we must also consider the characteristics and dispositions associated with positive change and increased student performance at the school and district level.

Some districts have supported educators in engaging in the vital personal and interpersonal work necessary to advance anti-racism and equity. Pat Savage-Williams, president of Evanston Township Board of Education in Illinois, shares advice for fellow board members looking to challenge racial inequity. In her article posted on the school board website , she promotes many of the components described in this brief, such as being data informed, using school budgets to limit disparities, and developing external partnerships. Additionally, she suggests that board members be willing to undergo a personal journey of reflection and understanding to expand their knowledge of racial issues, and should “expect opposition.” This example underscores the work that must be done on an individual and interpersonal level to make these policies come alive.

This policy described the topics addressed in anti-racist schooling policies and outlined the shifts educational leaders are making to strengthen and clarify not only their policies, but also their personal stance on racism and equity.Policymakers must consider how they define racism, the objectives of anti-racist policy, and how to make the policy actionable. After creating and revising anti-racist policies, policymakers must also consider the characteristics of the school community in which these documents will live. Following these steps can lead to policy changes that interrupt the status quo. As students and communities demand change, educational institutions must consider how they will respond and whether that response disrupts or facilitates systems of inequity.  

Britney L. Jones is a doctoral candidate in the Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy program at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. Her research interests include culturally relevant and inclusive practices in K-12 contexts with a focus on teachers’ sociopolitical consciousness. Her doctoral work follows a BA in education studies and an MA in elementary teaching, both from Brown University. Britney also worked previously as a fourth-grade teacher and science curriculum developer. For more information, contact [email protected] .

CEPA is a research center based at the Neag School that seeks to inform educational leaders and policymakers on issues related to the development, implementation, and consequences of education policies.  Learn more about CEPA at  cepare.uconn.edu . Access the original PDF of this issue brief (including the complete Appendix).

Related Stories:

• Anti-Racist Resources for Students, Educators, and Citizens

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accredits the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. Read more about CAEP Accreditation, including the programs covered and the accountability measures .

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Dismantling Systemic Racism in Schools: 8 Big Ideas

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The pandemic has changed everything, including exposing the deep fault lines in our nation’s schools. And the reality is that a growing number of Americans are refusing to stand for the systemic inequities in our country and our education system. To wit: In a nationally representative survey, conducted by the EdWeek Research Center in June, 87 percent of teachers, principals, and district leaders agreed that Black students face higher rates of school discipline than their white peers due to discrimination.

With the brutal killing of George Floyd in May, the Black Lives Matter protests surged, and America embarked on the largest movement in its history, according to an analysis by The New York Times. By some counts, nearly 10 percent of the nation’s adults—many of whom were white—marched, in rural communities and big cities alike in every state in the union.

Books about anti-racism dominated bestseller lists for months. Conversations changed. Students were activated in large numbers. And educators started to rethink their curriculum to promote Black Americans’ experiences and challenge the dominance of whiteness. A new awareness seemed to be emerging as the country began to reckon with its racist past.

And yet, when the EdWeek Research Center in August asked teachers if they had the training and resources necessary to teach an anti-racist curriculum, just 11 percent said they did .

So, even as educators see the need to equalize and improve the educational experience for Black students, they might not have the tools or the support to address curriculum, practices, and policies that have long denied Black students the same opportunities to thrive as their white peers.

That dissonance demands our attention. That’s why we chose to dedicate the entire issue of this Big Ideas special report to addressing anti-Black systemic racism in schools.

Below is a roundup of the report’s bold ideas—all of which the writers believe will lead to a more equitable education for Black students in both practice and policy.

We’re looking forward to hearing how you are working to create a better and safer educational experience for our nation’s Black students. Please connect with us on social media by using #K12BigIdeas or by emailing [email protected] .

1. Our public school system owes Black people reparations.

“Black Americans won’t reach true economic justice until our nation’s K-12 leaders fully confront and make amends for the public education system’s racist history,” writes Education Week’s Daarel Burnette II. Read more.

2. Self-reflection is painful and necessary.

Over the course of more than three decades, veteran reporter Debra Viadero, who is white, wrote more than 250 education stories for Education Week. She recruited three Black education scholars to review some of her coverage on achievement and opportunity. What did she learn? Read more.

3. Internet access is a universal right.

“Broadband access opens a gateway to generational progress that millions of Americans currently can’t enter,” Mark Lieberman, from Education Week, explains. Read more.

4. It’s time to end policing as we know it. (Opinion)

“We can only create safe spaces for students to learn with the full removal of SROs in schools and greater investments in counselors and therapists,” writes M’munga Songolo, a student from Portland, Ore. Read more, including the introduction by Education Week’s Corey Mitchell.

5. Teacher preparation programs must step up. (Opinion)

As part of building an anti-racist education system, teacher preparation programs have to completely abandon their current model and try something new, says Keziah Ridgeway, a teacher at Northeast High School in Philadelphia. Read more, including the introduction by Education Week’s Madeline Will.

6. Students need anti-bias training, too. (Opinion)

“My fellow high school students need training in inclusion, diversity, and anti-racism,” writes Zoë Jenkins, a student at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Ky. “So I’m creating that training.” Read more, including the introduction by Education Week’s Catherine Gewertz.

7. Teachers need more than anti-racists resource lists.

“Teachers need to ask whose perspectives are at the core, who put them there, and why,” writes Education Week’s Sarah Schwartz. Read more , including Schwartz’s related Q&A with LaGarrett King , an associate professor of social studies at the University of Missouri’s College of Education.

8. Principals can’t build anti-racist schools alone.

It takes time. It’s uncomfortable. And there will be pushback. Principals need to root out policies and practices that disproportionately affect Black and brown students, but they will need support. Education Week’s Denisa R. Superville explores what that will take. Read more.

Illustrations by Jamiel Law A version of this article appeared in the September 23, 2020 edition of Education Week

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August 19, 2022

In Schools, Honest Talk about Racism Can Reduce Discrimination

New laws make it harder for teachers to discuss racism and inequality, but psychological evidence shows these conversations dispel causes of bias and distress

By Camilla Mutoni Griffiths & Nicky Sullivan

Vanessa Brantley-Newton

“Where are the Native Americans now?” asked fifth grade students in an Iowa City classroom last year. There are many ways their teacher, Melanie Hester, might have answered. She could have pointed out that today Native Americans live in cities and towns across the U.S. About 20 percent live on reservations , and Hester could have used that to open a discussion of the U.S. government’s forcible movement and isolation of tribes. Hester might have also discussed how European and American settlers brutally killed many Native Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Instead she evaded the question and continued her lesson without offering historical context for her students to understand the present. Teachers across the country are avoiding explicit conversations about race, racism and racial inequality because of a series of recent laws passed in several states. In Iowa, for example, a law prohibits any teaching that suggests the U.S. is “fundamentally or systematically racist or sexist.” The Iowa law also specifies that teachers must ensure that no student feels “discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of that individual’s race or sex.” The laws in other states lay out similar logic.

The legal language seems, for the most part, protective of children. But the effect is quite the opposite. As psychologists who study how parents and teachers communicate with kids about race, we can attest to an ever growing body of scientific evidence that suggests these laws are failing the children they purport to help.

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First, years of research make it evident that kids notice racial and ethnic disparities from an early age. For example, psychologists have found that white kids as young as age four will consistently pair white families with higher-wealth items (such as nice cars and bigger houses) and Black families with lower-wealth items (for instance, run-down cars and smaller houses). In other words, very young children are aware of persistent racial disparities in wealth. Around the same age, children begin forming preferences for wealthier kids with more “stuff,” which, given the link between wealth and racial background in the U.S., may result in white children preferring and choosing to play with other white peers over Black peers.

Second, we know that when children notice differences between people or groups, they usually look for an explanation. Here a psychological principle called the inherence bias comes into play. In general, when we see someone behave in a distinctly different way from others, we assume there is something inherently different about that person. Adults often fall into this trap: if someone cuts you off on the highway, you are likely to assume they are a bad driver rather than assume, for instance, that they are a good driver who happens to be rushing to a hospital in an emergency. In the same way, children are more likely to attribute a wealth difference between communities to the groups’ capabilities or intelligence rather than something external, such as a historical advantage one group has had over another. Children often go one step further and think that groups are biologically or innately different. These attitudes are what psychologists call essentialist beliefs because they attribute group differences to some deep, underlying and often unknown “essence.”

These tendencies toward inherence and essentialism are especially harmful when we think about children’s efforts to understand racial disparities. Scientists agree that race is not biological. It is not inherent or innate. Instead race is the product of social and cultural ideas that are imposed on groups of people. These ideas become codified in our institutions and in the ways that we interact with one another, thus producing the inequalities we see in the world.

This means that children need external explanations, such as historical injustices and racial discrimination, to understand the differences between groups that they are observing. Without that context, children can mistakenly believe that racial difference is inherent, which leaves them with an inaccurate understanding of the world. More concerning, these beliefs about the inherent or essential nature of racial difference are actually a foundation of racial bias. In fact, multiple studies have found that when kids have more essentialist beliefs about race, they also hold more stereotypes about other racial groups.

In other words, without explicit discussions about race and the external, rather than internal, causes of racial disparities, children will come to the wrong conclusions and may develop racial biases. In principle, these problems could apply to any child who is not given greater context for racial differences. White children may be especially at risk because they are often the least likely to have conversations about racism with their families. In fact, one of us (Sullivan) tracked almost 1,000 parents in 2020 and found that white Americans were significantly less likely to talk to their children about race than Black Americans, even after the much publicized murder of George Floyd prompted national protests and dialogue about racism.

When we think about new laws limiting discussion of race in schools, it’s critical to keep in mind how they will impact children of color specifically. The research we’ve discussed suggests that students will be more likely to develop racially biased views in the absence of explicit lessons. As a result, children of color are likely to face more discrimination, not less. This outcome is clearly at odds with the language of the laws, which explicitly state that children should not be made to feel psychological distress because of their race. Yet that is precisely what will happen if children of color face more discrimination.

In contrast, explicit conversations with kids about racial disparities can help reduce some of the negative consequences we have described. In one study, white elementary school students who received history lessons about racial discrimination faced by Black people had more positive views of Black people and were less likely to hold stereotypes than students who didn’t receive such lessons. And those lessons did not lead either white or Black children to hold more negative views of white Americans, which is a commonly voiced concern among those who oppose teaching about racism. There is also early evidence from a preprint paper (which has not yet been through peer review) that when parents engage in honest, accurate conversations about race with their children, it can decrease kids’ racial biases .

The laws passed in Iowa and elsewhere claim to protect kids from forming racist beliefs, but the research suggests they are more likely to do the opposite. When it comes to children’s understanding of racism and the development of racist beliefs, the biggest danger isn’t teaching or talking to children about these topics—it’s staying quiet.

Camilla Mutoni Griffiths is a social psychologist at Stanford University SPARQ. She studies how our interactions with American institutions contribute to racial attitudes and biases.

Nicky Sullivan Nicky Sullivan is a Ph.D. student in developmental and social psychology at Stanford.

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‘Stand for Racial Justice’ High School Essay Contest Winner: Elisa Unangst

The following essay by Elisa Unangst of Twinsburg was the second-place winner in the sophomore-freshmen group. She is a student at Twinsburg High School.

Officer! Please do not shoot. Please don’t sh —

Bodies crusted in crimson. Time is passing and people are too. Nearby witnesses howl as they sprint to survive. Victims of the violence lying on the cold pavement, waiting for their exit. Because one person with a gun decided the color of someone’s skin made them “threatening,” innocent lives are lost. Red and blue lights flash in the distance. Ironic how the enemies come to save them. This is racism and it needs to end.

There is a problem rooted so deep in the establishment of our nation that many people live as if their own skin color is superior. According to Merriam Webster Learner’s Dictionary , racism is “poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race (or) the belief that some races of people are better than others.” The definition is simple enough for children to understand, yet people frequently choose to ignore its meaning. It is easy to read these words and state racism’s wrongfulness, yet somehow racism still exists.

As more people open their eyes to this predicament, a solution is vital. The wait to dismantle and demolish racism has been long. Ending racism starts with everyday people deciding they will not tolerate racism. Some ways to make a difference include confronting people who are being racist, amplifying the voices of people who are suffering, and teaching children that people still die because of their race. As a nation, it is important to speak up against racism, be willing to acquire new information, and most importantly mend the harm done to victims of racism.

As straightforward as this may seem, many humans are still actively racist. Change can only occur through self-reflection and people looking outside themselves. They may not know people who are harmed by racism or experience it firsthand. Having a personal relationship with people who experience racism makes me commiserate and advocate for their human rights. My family, my friends, members of my community, are all people who I adore and do not want to see being treated inequitably. When people understand the significance of their seemingly harmless behavior, they can understand the pain they have caused. Their actions have brought terror and often result in harm to innocent people (children, brothers, aunts, friends), sometimes killed and never coming back. If someone’s actions would not be acceptable towards their own family, then they are not acceptable for anyone’s family.

Will we strive towards doing better in this moment? Because in this moment of self-recognition we can make a change and join others to combat racial prejudice. We can join the transformation and the awakening of change in communities. Throughout this movement we work to heal those who have been hurt and inspire rising generations to follow in these long-awaited footsteps towards the good of all. This nation has the capability to demonstrate equality. Open your eyes and see beyond your own color. Anyone can learn from mistakes. Together we can end racism.

The Stand for Racial Justice High School Essay Contest was sponsored by Tri-C’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Center in partnership with cleveland.com, The Plain Dealer and Sun News.    

January 15, 2021

John Horton, 216-987-4281 [email protected]

Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — Essay Topics on Racism: 150 Ideas for Analysis and Discussion

Essay Topics on Racism: 150 Ideas for Analysis and Discussion

Here’s a list of 150 essay ideas on racism to help you ace a perfect paper. The subjects are divided based on what you require!

Before we continue with the list of essay topics on racism, let's remember the definition of racism. In brief, it's a complex prejudice and a form of discrimination based on race. It can be done by an individual, a group, or an institution. If you belong to a racial or ethnic group, you are facing being in the minority. As it's usually caused by the group in power, there are many types of racism, including socio-cultural racism, internal racism, legal racism, systematic racism, interpersonal racism, institutional racism, and historical racism. You can also find educational or economic racism as there are many sub-sections that one can encounter.

150 Essay Topics on Racism to Help You Ace a Perfect Essay

General Recommendations

The subject of racism is one of the most popular among college students today because you can discuss it regardless of your academic discipline. Even though we are dealing with technical progress and the Internet, the problem of racism is still there. The world may go further and talk about philosophical matters, yet we still have to face them and explore the challenges. It makes it even more difficult to find a good topic that would be unique and inspiring. As a way to help you out, we have collected 150 racism essay topics that have been chosen by our experts. We recommend you choose something that motivates you and narrow things down a little bit to make your writing easier.

Why Choose a Topic on Racial Issues? 

When we explore racial issues, we are not only seeking the most efficient solutions but also reminding ourselves about the past and the mistakes that we should never make again. It is an inspirational type of work as we all can change the world. If you cannot choose a topic that inspires you, think about recent events, talk about your friend, or discuss something that has happened in your local area. Just take your time and think about how you can make the world a safer and better place.

The Secrets of a Good Essay About Racism 

The secret to writing a good essay on racism is not only stating that racism is bad but by exploring the origins and finding a solution. You can choose a discipline and start from there. For example, if you are a nursing student, talk about the medical principles and responsibilities where every person is the same. Talk about how it has not always been this way and discuss the methods and the famous theorists who have done their best to bring equality to our society. Keep your tone inspiring, explore, and tell a story with a moral lesson in the end. Now let’s explore the topic ideas on racism!

General Essay Topics On Racism 

As we know, no person is born a racist since we are not born this way and it cannot be considered a biological phenomenon. Since it is a practice that is learned and a social issue, the general topics related to racism may include socio-cultural, philosophical, and political aspects as you can see below. Here are the ideas that you should consider as you plan to write an essay on racial issues:

• Are we born with racial prejudice? 
• Can racism be unlearned? 
• The political constituent of the racial prejudice and the colonial past? 
• The humiliation of the African continent and the control of power. 
• The heritage of the Black Lives Matter movement and its historical origins. 
• The skin color issue and the cultural perceptions of the African Americans vs Mexican Americans. 
• The role of social media in the prevention of racial conflicts in 2022 . 
• Martin Luther King Jr. and his role in modern education. 
• Konrad Lorenz and the biological perception of the human race. 
• The relation of racial issues to nazism and chauvinism.

The Best Racism Essay Topics 

School and college learners often ask about what can be considered the best essay subject when asked to write on racial issues. Essentially, you have to talk about the origins of racism and provide a moral lesson with a solution as every person can be a solid contribution to the prevention of hatred and racial discrimination.

• The schoolchildren's example and the attitude to the racial conflicts. 
• Perception of racism in the United States versus Germany. 
• The role of the scouting movement as a way to promote equality in our society. 
•  Social justice and the range of opportunities that African American individuals could receive during the 1960s.
•  The workplace equality and the negative perception of the race when the documents are being filed. 
•  The institutional racism and the sources of the legislation that has paved the way for injustice. 
•  Why should we talk to the children about racial prejudice and set good examples ? 
•  The role of anthropology in racial research during the 1990s in the USA. 
•  The Black Poverty phenomenon and the origins of the Black Culture across the globe. 
•  The controversy of Malcolm X’s personality and his transition from anger to peacemaking.

Shocking Racism Essay Ideas 

Unfortunately, there are many subjects that are not easy to deal with when you are talking about the most horrible sides of racism. Since these subjects are sensitive, dealing with the shocking aspects of this problem should be approached with a warning in your introduction part so your readers know what to expect. As a rule, many medical and forensic students will dive into the issue, so these topic ideas are still relevant:

• The prejudice against wearing a hoodie. 
•  The racial violence in Western Africa and the crimes by the Belgian government. 
•  The comparison of homophobic beliefs and the link to racial prejudice. 
•  Domestic violence and the bias towards the cases based on race. 
•  Racial discrimination in the field of the sex industry. 
•  Slavery in the Middle East and the modern cultural perceptions. 
•  Internal racism in the United States: why the black communities keep silent. 
•  Racism in the American schools: the bias among the teachers. 
•  Cyberbullying and the distorted image of the typical racists . 
•  The prisons of Apartheid in South Africa.

Light and Simple Ideas Regarding Racism

If you are a high-school learner or a first-year college student, your essay on racism may not have to represent complex research with a dozen of sources. Here are some good ideas that are light and simple enough to provide you with inspiration and the basic points to follow:

• My first encounter with racial prejudice. 
•  Why do college students are always in the vanguard of social campaigns? 
•  How are the racial issues addressed by my school? 
•  The promotion of the African-American culture is a method to challenge prejudice and stereotypes. 
• The history of blues music and the Black culture of the blues in the United States.
• The role of slavery in the Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. 
•  School segregation in the United States during the 1960s. 
•  The negative effect of racism on the mental health of a person. 
•  The advocacy of racism in modern society . 
•  The heritage of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and the modern perception of the historical issues.

Interesting Topics on Racism For an Essay 

Contrary to the popular belief, when you have to talk about the cases of racial prejudice, you will also encounter many interesting essay topic ideas. As long as these are related to your main academic course, you can explore them. Here are some great ideas to consider:

• Has the perception of Michael Jackson changed because of his skin transition? 
•  The perception of racial problems by the British Broadcasting Corporation. 
•  The role of the African American influencers on Instagram. 
•  The comparison between the Asian students and the Mexican learners in the USA. 
•  Latin culture and the similarities when compared to the Black culture with its peculiarities. 
•  The racial impact in the “Boy In The Stripped Pajamas”. 
•  Can we eliminate racism completely and how exactly, considering the answer is “Yes”? 
•  Scientific research of modern racism and social media campaigns. 
•  Why do some people believe that the Black Lives Matter movement is controversial? 
• Male vs female challenges in relation to racial attitudes.

Argumentative Essay Topics About Race 

An argumentative type of writing requires making a clear statement or posing an assumption that will deal with a particular question. As we are dealing with racial prejudice or theories, it is essential to support your writing with at least one piece of evidence to make sure that you can support your opinion and stand for it as you write. Here are some good African American argumentative essay examples of topics and other ideas to consider:

•  Racism is a mental disorder and cannot be treated with words alone. 
•  Analysis of the traumatic experiences based on racial prejudice. 
•  African-American communities and the sense of being inferior are caused by poverty. 
•  Reading the memoirs of famous people that describe racial issues often provides a distorted image through the lens of a single person. 
•  There is no academic explanation of racism since every case is different and is often based on personal perceptions. 
•  The negatives of the post-racial perception as the latent system that advocates racism. 
•  The link of racial origins to the concept of feminism and gender inequality. 
•  The military bias and the merits that are earned by the African-American soldiers. 
•  The media causes a negative image of the Latin and Mexican youth in the United States. 
•  Does racism exist in kindergarten and why the youngsters do not think about racial prejudice?

Racism Research Paper Topics 

Dealing with The Black Lives Matter essay , you should focus on those aspects of racism that are not often discussed or researched by the media. You can take a particular case study or talk about the reasons why the BLM social campaign has started and whether the timing has been right. Here are some interesting racism topics for research paper that you should consider:

• The link of criminal offenses to race is an example of the primary injustice .  
• The socio-emotional burdens of slavery that one can trace among the representatives of the African-American population. 
• Study of the cardio-vascular diseases among the American youth: a comparison of the Caucasian and Latin representatives. 
• The race and the politics: dealing with the racial issues and the Trump administration analysis. 
• The best methods to achieve medical equality for all people: where race has no place to be. 
• The perception of racism by the young children: the negative side of trying to educate the youngsters. 
• Racial prejudice in the UK vs the United States: analysis of the core differences. 
• The prisons in the United States: why do the Blacks constitute the majority? 
• The culture of Voodoo and the slavery: the link between the occult practices.
• The native American people and the African Americans: the common woes they share.

Racism in Culture Topics 

Racism topics for essay in culture are always upon the surface because we can encounter them in books, popular political shows, movies, social media, and more. The majority of college students often ignore this aspect because things easily become confusing since one has to take a stand and explain the point. As a way to help you a little bit, we have collected several cultural racism topic ideas to help you start:

• The perception of wealth by the Black community: why it differs when researched through the lens of past poverty?  
• The rap music and the cultural constituent of the African-American community. 
• The moral constituent of the political shows where racial jargon is being used. 
• Why the racial jokes on television are against the freedom of speech?  
• The ways how the modern media promotes racism by stirring up the conflict and actually doing harm. 
• The isolated cases of racism and police violence in the United States as portrayed by the movies. 
• Playing with the Black musicians: the history of jazz in the United States. 
• The social distancing and the perception of isolation by the different races. 
• The cultural multitude in the cartoons by the Disney Corporations: the pros and cons.
• From assimilation to genocide: can the African American child make it big without living through the cultural bias?

Racism Essay Ideas in Literature 

One of the best ways to study racism is by reading the books by those who have been through it on their own or by studying the explorations by those who can write emotionally and fight for racial equality where racism has no place to be. Keeping all of these challenges in mind, our experts suggest turning to the books as you can explore racism in the literature by focusing on those who are against it and discussing the cases in the classic literature that are quite controversial.

• The racial controversy of Ernest Hemingway's writing.  
• The personal attitude of Mark Twain towards slavery and the cultural peculiarities of the times. 
• The reasons why "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee book has been banned in libraries. 
• The "Hate You Give" by Angie Thomas and the analysis of the justified and "legit" racism. 
• Is the poetry by the gangsta rap an example of hidden racism? 
• Maya Angelou and her timeless poetry. 
• The portrayal of xenophobia in modern English language literature. 
• What can we learn from the "Schilder's List" screenplay as we discuss the subject of genocide? 
• Are there racial elements in "Othello" or Shakespeare's creation is beyond the subject?
• Kate Chopin's perception of inequality in "Desiree's Baby".

Racism in Science Essay Ideas 

Racism is often studied by scientists because it's not only a cultural point or a social agenda that is driven by personal inferiority and similar factors of mental distortion. Since we can talk about police violence and social campaigns, it is also possible to discuss things through different disciplines. Think over these racism thesis statement ideas by taking a scientific approach and getting a common idea explained:

• Can physical trauma become a cause for a different perception of race? 
• Do we inherit racial intolerance from our family members and friends? 
• Can a white person assimilate and become a part of the primarily Black community? 
• The people behind the concept of Apartheid: analysis of the critical factors. 
• Can one prove the fact of the physical damage of the racial injustice that lasted through the years? 
• The bond between mental diseases and the slavery heritage among the Black people. 
• Should people carry the blame for the years of social injustice? 
• How can we explain the metaphysics of race? 
• What do the different religions tell us about race and the best ways to deal with it? 
• Ethnic prejudices based on age, gender, and social status vs general racism.

Cinema and Race Topics to Write About 

As a rule, the movies are also a great source for writing an essay on racial issues. Remember to provide the basic information about the movie or include examples with the quotations to help your readers understand all the major points that you make. Here are some ideas that are worth your attention:

• The negative aspect of the portrayal of racial issues by Hollywood.  
• Should the disturbing facts and the graphic violence be included in the movies about slavery? 
• Analysis of the "Green Mile" movie and the perception of equality in our society.  
• The role of music and culture in the "Django Unchained" movie. 
• The "Ghosts of Mississippi" and the social aspect of the American South compared to how we perceive it today. 
• What can we learn from the "Malcolm X" movie created by Spike Lee? 
• "I am Not Your Negro" movie and the role of education through the movies. 
• "And the Children Shall Lead" the movie as an example that we are not born racist. 
• Do we really have the "Black Hollywood" concept in reality? 
• Do the movies about racial issues only cause even more racial prejudice?

Race and Ethnic Relations 

Another challenging problem is the internal racism and race and ethnicity essay topics that we can observe not only in the United States but all over the world as well. For example, the Black people in the United States and the representatives of the rap music culture will divide themselves between the East Coast and the West Coast where far more than cultural differences exist. The same can be encountered in Afghanistan or in Belgium. Here are some essay topics on race and ethnicity idea samples to consider:

• The racial or the ethnic conflict? What can we learn from Afghan society? 
• Religious beliefs divide us based on ethnicity . 
• What are the major differences between ethnic and racial conflicts? 
• Why we are able to identify the European Black person and the Black coming from the United States? 
• Racism and ethnicity's role in sports. 
• How can an ethnic conflict be resolved with the help of anti-racial methods? 
• The medical aspect of being an Asian in the United States. 
• The challenges of learning as an African American person during the 1950s. 
• The role of the African American people in the Vietnam war and their perception by the locals. 
• Ethnicity's role in South Africa as the concept of Apartheid has been formed.

Biology and Racial Issues 

If you are majoring in Biology or would like to research this side of the general issue of race, it is essential to think about how we can fight racism in practice by turning to healthcare or the concepts that are historical in their nature. Although we cannot explain slavery per se other than by turning to economics and the rule of power that has no justification, biologists believe that racial challenges can be approached by their core beliefs as well.

• Can we create an isolated non-racist society in 2022? 
• If we assume that a social group has never heard of racism, can it occur? 
• The physical versus cultural differences in the racial inequality cases? 
• The biological peculiarities of the different races? 
• Do we carry the cultural heritage of our race? 
• Interracial marriage through the lens of Biology. 
• The origins of the racial concept and its evolution. 
• The core ways how slavery has changed the African-American population. 
• The linguistic peculiarities of the Latin people. 
• The resistance of the different races towards vaccination.

Modern Racism Topics to Consider 

In case you would like to deal with a modern subject that deals with racism, you can go beyond the famous Black Lives Matter movement by focusing on the cases of racism in sports or talking about the peacemakers or the famous celebrities who have made a solid difference in the elimination of racism.

• The Global Citizen campaign is a way to eliminate racial differences. 
• The heritage of Aretha Franklin and her take on the racial challenges. 
• The role of the Black Stars in modern society: the pros and cons. 
• Martin Luther King Day in the modern schools. 
• How can Instagram help to eliminate racism? 
• The personality of Michelle Obama as a fighter for peace. 
• Is a society without racism a utopian idea? 
• How can comic books help youngsters understand equality? 
• The controversy in the death of George Floyd. 
• How can we break down the stereotypes about Mexicans in the United States?

Racial Discrimination Essay Ideas 

If your essay should focus on racial discrimination, you should think about the environment and the type of prejudice that you are facing. For example, it can be in school or at the workplace, at the hospital, or in a movie that you have attended. Here are some discrimination topics research paper ideas that will help you to get started:

• How can a schoolchild report the case of racism while being a minor?  
• The discrimination against women's rights during the 1960s. 
• The employment problem and the chances of the Latin, Asian, and African American applicants. 
• Do colleges implement a certain selection process against different races? 
• How can discrimination be eliminated via education? 
• African-American challenges in sports. 
• The perception of discrimination, based on racial principles and the laws in the United States. 
• How can one report racial comments on social media? 
• Is there discrimination against white people in our society? 
• Covid-19 and racial discrimination: the lessons we have learned.

Find Even More Essay Topics On Racism by Visiting Our Site 

If you are unsure about what to write about, you can always find an essay on racism by visiting our website. Offering over 150 topic ideas, you can always get in touch with our experts and find another one!

5 Tips to Make Your Essay Perfect

• Start your essay on racial issues by narrowing things down after you choose the general topic. 
• Get your facts straight by checking the dates, the names, opinions from both sides of an issue, etc. 
• Provide examples if you are talking about the general aspects of racism. 
• Do not use profanity and show due respect even if you are talking about shocking things. The same relates to race and ethnic relations essay topics that are based on religious conflicts. Stay respectful! 
• Provide references and citations to avoid plagiarism and to keep your ideas supported by at least one piece of evidence.

Recommendations to Help You Get Inspired

Speaking of recommended books and articles to help you start with this subject, you should check " The Ideology of Racism: Misusing Science to Justify Racial Discrimination " by William H. Tucker who is a professor of social sciences at Rutgers University. Once you read this great article, think about the poetry by Maya Angelou as one of the best examples to see the practical side of things.

The other recommendations worth checking include:

- How to be Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi . - White Fragility by Robin Diangelo . - So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo .

The Final Word 

We sincerely believe that our article has helped you to choose the perfect essay subject to stir your writing skills. If you are still feeling stuck and need additional help, our team of writers can assist you in the creation of any essay based on what you would like to explore. You can get in touch with our skilled experts anytime by contacting our essay service for any race and ethnicity topics. Always confidential and plagiarism-free, we can assist you and help you get over the stress!

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398 Racism Essay Titles & Writing Examples

• 🔖 Secrets of Powerful Racism Essay

🏆 Best Racism Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

🥇 most interesting racism topics to write about, 🎓 simple & easy racism essay titles, ⚡ shocking essay topics on racism, 👍 good essay topics on racism, 💡 interesting essay titles about racism, ❓ racism questions for essay.

Looking for powerful racism essay topics? You will find them here! This list contains a great variety of titles for racism-themed papers. We’ve also included useful tips and plenty of racism essay examples to help you write an outstanding paper.

🔖 Secrets of a Powerful Racism Essay

Writing an essay on racism may seem easy at first. However, because racism is such a popular subject in social sciences, politics, and history, your piece needs to be truly powerful to receive a high mark. Here are the best tips to help make your racism essay stand out:

• Consider the historical causes of racism. Papers on racism often focus on discrimination and equality in modern society. Digging a bit deeper and highlighting the origins of racism will make your essay more impressive. Check academic resources on the subject to see how racism was connected to the slave trade, politics, and social development in Europe. Explore these ideas in your paper to make it more compelling!
• Show critical thinking. Racism essay titles often focus on the effects of racism on the population. To make your essay more powerful, you will need to discuss the things that are often left out. Think about why racial discrimination is still prevalent in modern society and who benefits from racist policies. This will show your tutor that you understand the topic in great depth.
• Look for examples of racism in art. One of the reasons as to why racism spread so quickly is because artists and authors supported the narratives of race. If you explore paintings by European artists created in 17-18 centuries, you will find that they often highlighted the differences between black and white people to make the former seem less human. In various literary works, such as Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Shakespeare’s Othello, racism plays a vital role. In contrast, more recent works of art consider racism from a critical viewpoint. Examining how racism is reflected in the art will help you to earn an excellent mark for your analysis of the subject.
• Discuss the influences of racism. Of course, one of the key racism essay topics is the impact of racism on black populations in various countries. It is true that discrimination plays an essential role in the lives of black people, and reflecting this in your paper will help you to make it influential. You can discuss various themes here, from police brutality to healthcare access. Support your claims with high-quality data from official sources. If appropriate, you can also show how racism affected your life or the lives of your friends and loved ones.
• Show the correlation between racism and other social issues. Racism is connected to many different types of discrimination, including sexism and homophobia. This allows you to expand your paper by showing these links and explaining them. For instance, you could write an essay on racism and xenophobia, or find other topics that interest you.

Finally, structure your essay well. Write an outline first to determine the sequence of key points. You can check out a racism essay example on this website to see how other people structure their work.

Racism Thesis Statement, Main Body, & Conclusion

A typical essay should have an introduction, the main body, and a conclusion. Each paragraph of the main body should start with a topic sentence. Here’s what a topic sentence for racism-themed essay can look like:

Racism continues to be a pervasive issue in society, with deep-rooted prejudices and discrimination that impact individuals and communities across the globe.

Don’t forget to include a racism essay thesis statement at the end of your introduction to identify the focus of the paper! Check out these racism thesis statements for inspiration:

Racism is pervasive social problem that manifests in various forms, perpetuating systemic inequalities and marginalizing minority groups. Through an examination of racism’s history and its psychological impact on individuals, it becomes evident that this pressing issue demands collective action for meaningful change.

In your essay’s conclusion, you can simply paraphrase the thesis and add a couple of additional remarks.

These guidelines will help you to ensure that your work is truly outstanding and deserving of a great mark! Be sure to visit our website for more racism example essays, topics, and other useful materials.

These points will help you to ensure that your work on racism is truly influential and receives a great mark! Be sure to visit our website for example papers, essay titles, and other useful materials.

• Racism in the “Dutchman” by Amiri Baraka Generally, one is to keep in mind that Baraka is recognized to be one of the most important representatives of the black community, and the theme of racism in The Dutchman has, therefore, some historical […]
• Racism in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain The character of Pap is used to advance the theme of racism in the book. In the closing chapters of the book, Huck and Tom come to the realization that Jim is not property but […]
• The Problem of Racism in Brazilian Football Skidmore describes it as the relationships that could result into conflict and consciousness and determination of the people’s status in a community or a particular group. In football, racism damages pride of the players and […]
• Racism in The Paper Menagerie Essay Also, it is a tragedy of the society the influence of which can be too devastating to heal.”The Paper Menagerie” teaches the audience how ungrateful and cruel a child can become under the pressure of […]
• Racism in “The Black Table Is Still There” by Graham The black table, as he calls it, is a table, that was and still is, present in his school’s cafeteria, that accommodated the black students only depicting no more than racism in schools.
• Racism in Music: “(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue” The extreme popularity of the song among the black population can be explained with references to the fact that Armstrong changed the original lyrics to accentuate the social meaning of the composition and elaborated the […]
• Racism and Motherhood Themes in Grimke’s “Rachel” In addition, her mother kept the cause of the deaths of Rachel’s father and brother secret. In essence, the play Rachel is educative and addresses some of the challenges people face in society.
• Racial Discrimination Effects in Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody The vivid description of events from the beginning gives the reader a clear picture of a girl who was born in problems and in spite of her intelligence she always became a victim of circumstances.
• Racism and Discrimination as Social Constructs This is because the concept of race has a negative connotation in the society. For example in some societies, especially the western society; the concept of race implies un-fair treatment and discrimination of a particular […]
• Racism and Gender in Beyoncé’s Lemonade The album Lemonade by an American singer Beyonce is one of the brightest examples when an artist portrays the elements of her culture in her music. Along with music videos, the album features a number […]
• Systemic Racism and Discrimination Thus, exploring the concept of race from a sociological perspective emphasizes the initial aspect of inequality in the foundation of the concept and provides valuable insight into the reasons of racial discrimination in modern society.
• Social Construction of Race and Racism Although ‘race’ as a description of the physical condition probably dates back to the dawn of the human species, most scholars agree that it was primarily through European expansion in the 16th to the 19th […]
• Racial Discrimination at the Workplace The main change that is discussed in this essay is the introduction of legislation that will see the creation of a special authority that is aimed at guaranteeing the freedom of all workers at the […]
• Racism in Play “Othello” by William Shakespeare Since Othello is dark-skinned, the society is against his marriage to the daughter of the senator of Venice. In summary, the play Othello is captivating and presents racism as it was.
• Imperialism and Racism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness He lauds “the book’s anti-imperialist theme…a stinging indictment of the callous and genocidal treatment of the Africans, and other nationals, at the hands of the British and the European imperial powers,” and also details the […]
• Is Troy Maxson (Wilson’s Fences) a Victim of Racism? As a black American, Troy’s childhood experiences have been passed on to his children, making him a victim of an oppressive culture. Therefore, this makes Troy a victim of racism and culture, contributing to his […]
• Colonialism and Racism in Foe by J. M. Coetzee and Small Island by Andrea Levy This paper will try to expound on the relevance of real-life politics, of colonialism and racism, with regards to two popular works of fiction that used as themes or backdrop colonialism and racism.
• Racism and Sexism as a Threat Women suffer from sexism, people of color are affected by racism, and women of color are victims of both phenomena. Prejudices spread in families, communities, and are difficult to break down as they become part […]
• Racial Discrimination in “A Raisin in the Sun” Racial discrimination is the main theme of the book, strongly reflecting the situation that prevailed during the 1950s in the United States, a time when the story’s Younger family lived in Chicago’s South Side ghetto.
• Sexism, Racism, Ableism, Ageism, Classism The absurdity and blatant sexism of this issue made me angry at how the United States is unable to resolve and overcome the lack of gender equality.
• Racism in Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” The formalist analysis of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep repeats the same mistake, as it focuses on the plot devices and tropes presented in the story.
• Racism in Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” The main focus of the story is the problem of racism, particularly to African-American people in the United States. In terms of other issues that “Battle Royal” demonstrates and that are further developed in the […]
• The Problem of Racism and Injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee In the novel, Harper Lee demonstrates her vision of the question of the social inequality with references to the problem of racism in the society based on prejudice and absence of actual principles of tolerance […]
• The Anatomy of Scientific Racism: Racialist Responses to Black Athletic Achievement Miller is of the view that it is the white scholars that are responsible for impeding the success of black athletes and performers.
• Racism and Intolerance: The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: Crafting a Legacy by Messer elaborates on the legacy of the event and its repercussions and offers a profound analysis of the issue, which strengthened my focus of the research.
• Contrast Between Tituba and John Indian and Countering Racism The declaration suggests that Conde believed the story of Tituba’s maltreatment needed to be told to expose the truth she had been denied due to her skin color and gender.
• Racism: De Brahm’s Map and the Casta Paintings However, De Brahm’s map is one of the most striking pieces of evidence of the conquest of space and the entrenchment of the idea of land and people as titular property.
• Racism and Inequality in Society The idea of race as a social construct is examined in the first episode of the documentary series “The Power of an Illusion”.
• Anti-Racism: Marginalization and Exclusion in Healthcare This essay examines the course’s impact and the concepts of marginalization and exclusion in healthcare. Marginalization is a concept that has profoundly influenced the understanding of race and racism in healthcare.
• The Issue of Racism in the United States The entire history of the United States is permeated with the evolution of the ideas of racism. Turning to history, we can see that the U.S.moved from slavery to using the Black population to solve […]
• History of Racial Discrimination in Haiti and America The choice of topic, racial discrimination in Haiti and America, was influenced by beliefs, values, and assumptions emphasizing the importance of equality and justice for all races.
• Racism and History of Discrimination As a result, advocacy should be aimed at creating new models in criminal justice that will ensure the protection of all minority groups and due process.
• Racial Discrimination and Color Blindness Of the three ideologies, racial harmony is considered the most appropriate for coping with problems of racism and racial injustice due to various reasons.
• Race, Racism, and Dangers of Race Thinking While it is true that some forms of race thinking can be used to justify and perpetuate racism, it is not necessarily the case that all forms of race thinking are inherently racist. Race thinking […]
• Racial Discrimination in American Literature In this way, the author denies the difference between people of color and whites and, therefore, the concept of racism in general.
• Racism in the US: Settler Imperialism They prove that colonial imperialism is a structure, not a contextual phenomenon and that, as such, it propagates the marginalization of native people.
• Why Empathy in Racism Should Be Avoided Empathy is the capacity to comprehend and experience the emotions and ideas of others. Moreover, empathic emotions are essential to social and interpersonal life since they allow individuals to adapt their cognitive processes to their […]
• Racial Discrimination in High Education This peer-reviewed scholar article was found in the JSTOR database through entering key words “race affirmative action” and marking the publication period between 2017 and 2022.
• Social Sciences: Racism Through Different Lenses A thorough analysis of diversity adds value to social interactions by informing human behavior through a deeper understanding of racism and its impacts on society. Using the humanities lens leads to a better understanding of […]
• Racial Discrimination in Dormitory Discrimination is considered to be behavior that restricts the rights and freedoms of the individual. Therefore, it is essential to investigate discrimination in dormitories and propose solutions to this problem, such as disseminating knowledge about […]
• Racism and Its Impact on Populations and Society The ignorance of many individuals about other people’s cultures and ethnicities is one of the causes of racism. One can examine the various components of society and how they relate to the issue of racism […]
• Institutionalized Racism and Individualistic Racism Excellent examples of individualistic racism include the belief in white supremacy, racial jokes, employment discrimination, and personal prejudices against black people. Overall, institutionalized and individualistic racism is a perversive issue that affects racial relations in […]
• Community Engagement with Racism To enhance the population’s degree of involvement in racism, the study calls for collaboration; this can be seen as a community effort to foster a sense of teamwork.
• Racism Detection with Implicit Association Test Racial bias is deeply rooted in human society and propelled by norms and stereotypic ideologies that lead to implicit bias and the unfair treatment of minority groups.
• Identity and Belonging: Racism and Ethnicity In the documentary Afro Germany – Being Black and German, several individuals share their stories of feeling mistreated and excluded because of their skin color.
• Policies to Eliminate Racial Disparities and Discrimination The solution to exclusion is to build social inclusion in the classroom and within the school by encouraging peer acceptance, cross-group friendships, and built-in prevention.
• Causes, Facilitators, and Solutions to Racism These theories suggest that racism serves a particular function in society, occurs due to the interactions of individuals from dominant groups, and results from a human culture of prejudice and discrimination.
• Racial Discrimination and Justice in Education An example is the complaint of the parents of one of the black students that, during the passage of civilizations, the Greeks, Romans, and Incas were discussed in the lessons, but nothing was said about […]
• Empathy and Racism in Stockett’s The Help and Li’s To Kill a Mockingbird To start with, the first approach to racism and promoting empathy is to confront prevalent discrimination and racism, which was often shown in The Help. Another solution to racism and the possibility of promoting empathy […]
• Racism in the Healthcare Sector In 2020, the cases and instances of racism in healthcare rose by 16% from 2018; there were notable instances of racism in various spheres of health. 9% of blacks have been protected from discrimination and […]
• Racism in Healthcare and Education The mission should emphasize that it promotes diversity and equality of all students and seeks to eliminate racial bias. It is necessary to modify the mission to include the concept of inclusiveness and equality.
• Institutional Racism in the Workplace Despite countless efforts to offer African-Americans the same rights and opportunities as Whites, the situation cannot be resolved due to the emergence of new factors and challenges.
• Racism in Education in the United States Such racial disparities in the educational workforce confirm the problem of structural racism and barrier to implementing diversity in higher medical education. Structural racism has a long history and continues to affect the growth of […]
• Rhetoric in Obama’s 2008 Speech on Racism When the audience became excited, it was Obama’s responsibility to convey his message in a more accessible form. To conclude, Obama’s speech in 2008 facilitated his election as the first African American President in history.
• How to Talk to Children About Racism The text begins by referring to recent events that were related to race-based discrimination and hatred, such as the murder of George Floyd and the protests dedicated to the matter.
• Care for Real: Racism and Food Insecurity Care for Real relies on the generosity of residents, donation campaigns, and business owners to collect and deliver these supplies. The research article discusses some of the factors that contribute to the creation of racism […]
• Racism Towards Just and Holistic Health Therefore, the critical content of the event was to determine the steps covered so far in the fight for racial equality in the provision of care and what can be done to improve the status […]
• The Racism Problem and Its Relevance The images demonstrate how deeply racism is rooted in our society and the role the media plays in spreading and combating racism.
• Aspects of Socio-Economic Sides of Racism And the answer is given in Dorothy Brown’s article for CNN “Whites who escape the attention of the police benefit because of slavery’s long reach”.. This shows that the problem of racism is actual in […]
• Tackling Racism in the Workplace It means that reporting racism to HR does not have the expected positive effect on workplace relations, and employees may not feel secure to notify HR about the incidences of racism.
• Issue of Racism Around the World One of the instances of racism around the world is the manifestations of violence against indigenous women, which threatens the safety of this vulnerable group and should be mitigated.
• Environmental Racism: The Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan The situation is a manifestation of environmental racism and classism since most of the city’s population is people of color and poor. Thus, the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, is a manifestation of environmental racism […]
• The “Racism and Discrimination” Documentary The documentary “Racism and Discrimination” is about an anti-racist teacher Jane Elliot who attempts to show the white people the feeling of discrimination. The central argument of the documentary is diversity training to seize the […]
• Abortion-Related Racial Discrimination in the US In spite of being a numerical minority, Black women in the U.S.resort to abortion services rather often compared to the White population.
• Social Problems Surrounding Racism, Prejudice and Discrimination This kind of discrimination makes the students lose their self-esteem and the traumas experienced affects the mental health of these students in the long term.
• The Unethical Practice of Racism in a Doctor’s Case The involvement of Barrett in the protest is both unethical for the university’s image and immoral for the community. However, the school would likely face tougher court fines and a direct order to reinstate Barrett’s […]
• The Problem of Racism in America One explanation of racism by feminist thinkers is that racism is a manifestation of the agency and power of people of a particular racial identity over others.
• Racism: “The Sum of Us” Article by McGhee The economic analysis and sociological findings in America have drawn a detailed picture of the cost of racism in America and how to overcome it together.
• Contemporary Sociological Theories and American Racism The central intention of this theory paper is to apply modern theoretical concepts from the humanities discipline of sociology to the topic of racism in the United States.
• A Cause-and-Effect Analysis of Racism and Discrimination As a result, it is vital to conduct a cause-and-effect analysis to determine the key immediate and hidden causes of racism to be able to address them in a proper manner.
• Cause and Effect of Racial Discrimination Irrespective of massive efforts to emphasize the role of diversity and equality in society, it is still impossible to state that the United States is free from racial discrimination.
• Institutional Racism Through the Lenses of Housing Policy While not being allowed to buy property because of the racial covenants, the discriminated people had to house in other areas.
• Role of Racism in Contemporary US Public Opinion This source is useful because it defines racism, describes its forms, and presents the survey results about the prevalence of five types of racial bias.
• The Mutation of Racism into New Subtle Forms The trend reflects the ability of racism to respond to the rising sensitivity of the people and the widespread rejection of prejudice.
• Racism: Healthcare Crisis and the Nurses Role The diminished admittance to mind is because of the impacts of fundamental bigotry, going from doubt of the medical care framework to coordinate racial segregation by medical care suppliers.
• Origins of Racial Discrimination Despite such limitations as statistical data being left out, I will use this article to support the historical evaluation of racism in the United States and add ineffective policing to the origins of racism.
• Beverly Greene Life and View of Racism The plot of the biography, identified and formed by the Ackerman Institute for the Family in the life of the heroine, consists of dynamics, personality development and its patterns.
• Historical Racism in South Africa and the US One of the major differences between the US and South Africa is the fact that in the case of the former, an African American minority was brought to the continent to serve the White majority.
• Capitalism and Racism in Past and Present Racism includes social and economic inequalities due to racial identity and is represented through dispossession, colonialism, and slavery in the past and lynching, criminalization, and incarceration in the present.
• Minstrels’ Influence on the Spread of Racism The negative caricatures and disturbing artifacts developed to portray Black people within the museum were crucial in raising awareness on the existence of racism.
• How Parents of Color Transcend Nightmare of Racism Even after President Abraham Lincoln outlawed enslavement and won the American Civil War in 1965, prejudice toward black people remained engrained in both the northern and southern cultural structures of the United States.
• A Problem of Racial Discrimination in the Modern World This minor case suggests the greater problem that is unjustly treating people in the context of the criminal justice system. In the book, Stevenson writes about groups of people who are vulnerable to being victimized […]
• Beverly Tatum’s Monolog About Injustice of Racism Furthermore, the author’s point is to define the state of discrimination in the country and the world nowadays and explore what steps need to be taken to develop identity.
• Issue of Institutional Racism Systemic and structural racisms are a form of prejudice that is prevalent and deeply ingrained in structures, legislation, documented or unpublished guidelines, and entrenched customs and rituals.
• Racism in America Today: Problems of Today Even though racism and practices of racial discrimination had been banned in the 1960s after the mass protests and the changes to the laws that banned racial discrimination institutionally.
• Evidence of Existence of Modern Racism It would be wrong to claim that currently, the prevalence and extent of manifestations of racism are at the same level as in the middle of the last century.
• Culture Play in Prejudices, Stereotyping, and Racism However, cognitive and social aspects are significant dimensions that determine in-group members and the constituents of a threat in a global religious view hence the relationship between religion and prejudices.
• Latin-African Philosophical Wars on Racism in US Hooker juxtaposition Vasconcelos’ ‘Cosmic Race’ theory to Douglass’s account of ethnicity-based segregation in the U.S.as a way of showing the similarities between the racial versions of the two Americas.
• Confronting Stereotypes, Racism and Microaggression Stereotypes are established thought forms rooted in the minds of particular groups of people, in the social environment, and in the perception of other nations.
• Racial Discrimination in Dallas-Fort Worth Region Thus, there is a historical imbalance in the political representation of racial minorities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Nonetheless, the Black population is reported to thrive best in the suburban areas of DFW, where this […]
• Healthcare Call to Action: Racism in Medicine To start the fight, it is necessary to identify the main manifestations of discrimination in health care, the reasons for the emergence of the location of social superiority and discrimination, and the scale.
• White Counselors Broaching Race and Racism Study The essence of the verbal behavior of the consultants is the ways of their reaction in the process of interaction with the client – the basic skills of counseling, accessibly including race and racism topics.
• British Colonial Racism for Aboriginal Australians Precisely this colonial racism and genocide can be considered to be the cruelest in the history of the world and may have influenced the ideas and plans of Adolf Hitler, who got inspired by the […]
• The Black People: Sexuality and Racial Discrimination Interview Review Nevertheless, the author does not provide practical solutions to the issue of racism and discrimination of the LGBTQ community. The purpose of this interview is to demonstrate the author’s attitude to the sexuality of black […]
• Racial Discrimination Through the Cosmetics Industry The variety of preconceptions such as the hypersexuality of black women and the perception of their beauty as an unideal version of whites’ one also indicates racism.
• Racism Evolution: Experience of African Diaspora As a result, distinct foundations fostered the necessity of inequality to establish effectiveness of inferiority and superiority complexes. To determine the effect of slavery and racism to modern society.
• Racial Discrimination and Residential Segregation Despite the end of segregation policies and the passing of Fair Housing laws and numerous subsidy measures, people of color cannot access wealthy areas, facing unofficial exclusion into poorer parts of the city.
• Significance of Perceived Racism:Ethnic Group Disparities in Health Coates points out that a sign of the gulf between blacks and whites manifests in the context where there is expectation for him to enlighten his opinions while in mind the essential indication lies in […]
• Racism as Origin of Enslavement Some ideas are mentioned in the video, for example, the enslavement of Black people and their children. The most shocking fact mentioned by the speaker of the video is that children of enslaved people were […]
• Colorblind Racism and Its Minimization Colorblind racism is a practice that people use to defend themselves against accusations of racism and deny the significance of the problem.
• The Bill H.R.666 Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2021 That is why the given paper will identify a current and health-related bill and comment on it. This information demonstrates that it is not reasonable to oppose passing the bill under consideration.
• Summary of the Issue About Racism In schools in the United States, with the advent of the new president, a critical racial theory began to be taught.
• How the Prison Industrial Complex Perpetuate Racism In the United States, the system is a normalization of various dynamics, such as historical, cultural, and interpersonal, that routinely benefit the whites while causing negative impacts for the people of color.
• Battling Racism in the Modern World Racism and racial discrimination undermine the foundations of the dignity of an individual, as they aim to divide the human family, to which all peoples and people belong, into different categories, marking some of them […]
• Indian Youth Against Racism: Photo Analysis The main cause of racism within American societies is the high superiority complex possessed by the white individuals living with the Asian American in the society.
• Racism: Do We Need More Stringent Laws? The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice is worried that national origin discrimination in the U.S.may go undetected because victims of prejudice are unaware of their legal rights or are hesitant to complain […]
• Problem of Racism in Schools Overview Racism should be discouraged by all means and the government should do its best to educate citizens on the importance of unity and the disadvantages of racism.
• US Immigration Policy and Its Correlation to Structural Racism That may create breaches in the immigration policy and cause social instability that could endanger the status of immigrants and even negatively affect the lives of the nationals.
• America: Racism, Terrorism, and Ethno-Culturalism The myth of the frontier is one of the strongest and long-lived myths of America that animates the imagination of the Americans even to this day.
• Issue of Racism in Healthcare The theory would question whether racism in healthcare is ethical and whether it facilitates the provision of care in a manner that is centered on values such as compassion, fairness, and integrity.
• Solving Racial Discrimination in the US: The Best Strategies The Hollywood representation of a black woman is often a magical hero who “is a virtuous black character who serves to better the lives of white people…and asks nothing for herself”.
• Popular Music at the Times of Racism and Segregation The following work will compare and contrast the compositions of Louis Armstrong and Scott Joplin and examine the impact of racism on popular music.
• Temporary Aid Program: Racism in Child Welfare The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in the context of child welfare disparities.
• Western Scientific Approach as a Cause of Racism This paper will highlight the main methods of refuting the works of racist anthropologists and how they influenced the emergence of stereotypes about people of color.
• How Does Racism Affect Health? Many people of color experience internalized racism, which can lead to anxiety and depression that can be the cause of physical issues.
• Citizen: An American Lyric and Systemic Racism In essence, the primary objective of the author is to trigger the readers’ thoughts towards the devastating racism situation in America and the world in general.
• The Reflection of Twain’s Views on Racism in Huck Finn One of the most problematic aspects in the novel that potentially can make readers think that Twain’s attitude toward slavery and racism is not laudable is the excessive usage of the n-word by all sorts […]
• Black as a Label: Racial Discrimination People are so used to identifying African Americans as black that they refuse to accept the possibility of the artificiality of labeling.
• The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Racial Discrimination The author argues that despite increasing the overall prosperity of the local communities, the policies and projects of the Tennessee Valley Authority did not address the well-being of the white population and Afro-American citizens equally.
• Flint Water Crisis: Environmental Racism and Racial Capitalism The Flint crisis is a result of the neoliberal approach of the local state as opposed to the typical factors of environmental injustice; a polluter or a reckless emitter cutting costs. The two main factors […]
• Cancer Alley and Environmental Racism One of the sources under study is valuable, as it examines the current situation of the coronavirus and the impact of pollution on human health.
• Cancer Alley and Environmental Racism in the US Bentlyewski and Juhn argue that the environmental racism in the country has been the result of aligning the public environmental policy and industrial activity to benefit the white majority and, at the same time, shifting […]
• American Healthcare in the Context of Racism According to the researchers, the fundamental issue of racism in health care is the practitioners and public health representatives’ lack of desire to recognize the health specifics of racial and ethnic minorities, which results in […]
• Origins of Modern Racism and Ancient Slavery The diversity of African kingdoms and the empires were engaged in the slave trade for hundreds of years prior to the beginnings of the Atlantic slave trade. The working and living condition of slaves were […]
• Root Causes and Solutions to Racism Media is meant to eradicate racism and maintain unity among people but the case is different in some situations. Also, it is vital to make children understand nothing is amusing in the use of stereotypes […]
• Contribution of Racism to Economic Recession Due to COVID-19 The historical injustice accounts for unequal employment opportunities and the economic profile of the minority groups. Therefore, economic recovery for the older Latinos and Blacks is limited due to the lack of flexible occupational benefits.
• What Stories Can Teach Us About Racism On top of this before the establishment of the school there was no public education for the Negro children and this made it more difficult for the children to access education just like the other […]
• Racism in Canadian Medical System The difference in the treatment of indigenous and non-indigenous individuals in Canada is a result of racism in the medical facility.
• Profit and Racism in the Prisons of the United States As an argument for the work of prisoners, the prison of Angola makes the argument that work is a way of rehabilitation for the prisoner.
• Rio Tinto: Case Study About Racism and Discrimination The repercussions of this situation for the preservation of cultural heritage may be considerable, as the expert community was denied an opportunity to research the artifacts.
• Racism: US v. The Amistad and Dred Scott v. Sandford In legal terms, the key difference between the two was that the Africans from Amistad were freeborn and enslaved in violation of the international agreements, while Dred Scott, despite his sojourn in Illinois, was born […]
• Critical Social Problems Research: Racism and Racial Domination According to his opinion, which is proven today by many examples including the attitude of the authorities, people of color are treated as if they are worthless and not destined to achieve success.
• Criminal Justice: Racial Prejudice and Racial Discrimination Souryal takes the reader through the racial prejudice and racial discrimination issues ranging from the temperament of racism, the fundamental premise of unfairness, the racial biasness and the causes of racial unfairness to ethical practices […]
• Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch Discrimination Racism Lawsuit: An Analysis The case was filed in June 2003, and the claim was that this company has grossly violated the rights of the citizens as provided for in the constitution of the country.
• The History of Racial Discrimination and Its Effects on the American Races The saddest part of it all is that our Indian American brothers are discussed in public and used as examples in a manner that makes it seem like they exist only as a mere caricature […]
• Racial Discrimination in the US Criminal Justice System This report argues that when one studies the proportion of blacks in the Cincinnati community and the number of times that they have been stopped for traffic violations, one finds that there is a large […]
• Policing in America: The Issue of Violence and Racism While the former proposition has various negative aspects to be considered, the latter appears to be the appropriate reaction to the challenges posed for the United States’ society in 2020.
• Institutional and Interpersonal Racism, White Privilege One should be aware of the fact that issues such as institutional and interpersonal racism, privilege, power, and bias are complex problems, which need a thorough analysis and consideration of all the facts.
• Anti-Racism in Shakespeare’s Othello For Shakespeare, Brabantio’s views are representative of the racial prejudice of the society in general, rather than of his personal feelings towards the protagonist. On the other hand, Othello’s story is cohesive and believable; he […]
• The Development of a Measure to Assess Symbolic Racism The originators of the concept applied it only to the African-American race, while other scientists engaged in researching and applying the construct of symbolic racism to other races and cultures.
• Racism and Tokenism in Bon Appetit: Leadership and Ethical Perspective Leadership is defined as a set of actions and beliefs of a manager who directs and controls the followers to achieve a common goal.
• From “Scientific” Racism to Local Histories of Lynching Both chapters serve as a premise to the following arguments in the book, arguing that White power is still dominant in the contemporary world, and give context to the broader scale of oppression worldwide.
• Subjective Assumptions and Medicine: Racism The given supposition demonstrates that Allen believed in the superiority of white southerners over Black Americans because the latter ones were made responsible for the deteriorated health of the former.
• Racism Experiences in the Workplace in the UK This research paper provides the background of racism in the UK, particularly in the area of employment. The UK struggles against racial discrimination and paves the way to equity and inclusion in the area of […]
• The History of Immigration to the United States and the Nature of Racism The development of the idea of race and ethnicity along with the idea of racial antagonism has two main stages in the history of the United States.
• Race and Racism in the USA: The Origins and the Future In conclusion, the author suggests that the possible solution to the problem of racial conflicts is the amalgamation of different races and ethnics.
• Racially Insensitive Name-Calling in Classroom Probably, the teacher had to initiate the lesson devoted to the topic of racial discrimination and to think over all the stages of the discussion, to organize it in a polite and friendly manner.
• Environmental Racism in the United States: Concept, Solution to the Problem With regards to this definition, a row of issues connected to social justice and the equality in the rights of people which is firmly established in the Constitution of the United States are to be […]
• Protecting George Wallace’s Organized Racism Instead of claiming that segregation was a necessary evil or that it benefited the minorities, he claimed that it is the only way to protect the freedom of the white people.
• How Can the World Unite to Fight Racism? One of the highly discussed topics in the modern world is the question of racism. It all leads to the idea that racism could be fought due to the improved educational system, where the teachers […]
• Racism in America and Its Literature In the first part of this stanza, Hughes articulates his view that when an African American is finally sitting at the table, others will recognize the beauty of African Americans.
• Race, Class and Gender. Racism on Practice The separation and the segregation on an individual or group is what is based on the grounds of racism, and this has been well illustrated in the book the Ethics of Living Jim Crow where […]
• Racism: Term Definition and History of Display of Racism Remarks It is no wonder that this form of discrimination is known to have caused the worst wars in the world and led to nations being formed together with all forms of legal codes.
• Institutional Discrimination, Prejudice and Racism Racism that is in the society today is not evident like that of the early 19th and 20th century which was characterized by among other things separation based on color of the skin, religious differences […]
• Racism in Contemporary North America The reality of the matter is that the different cultures and races share the political atmosphere, however, when it comes to religious, moral, and social practices, the diversified humanity of Canada does not share the […]
• Racial and Gender Discrimination in the Workplace and Housing Job discrimination is that discrimination which arises at the places of work Factors that include the presence of a high population of the unemployed create room for the vice.
• “Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison: Themes of Racism and Unequal Opportunity But the mismatch of the real-life and the world of the primer becomes obvious to the reader from the first pages of the novel.
• Racism Without Racists in Patriarchal Society First of all, it should be mentioned that color-blind racism is not a new ideology that is only developing in the contemporary American society; it has been strengthening its positions over several decades gradually becoming […]
• The Problem of Racism in Canada The main focus of the article “Racism in the Justice System” can be understood due to the title of the article.
• Exploring and Comparing Racism and Ethnocentrism In their works, Martin Luther King and Gloria Anzaldua describe experience of racial minorities and segregation caused by their color of skin and cultural beliefs.
• Racism Cannot Be Unlearned Through Education
• Racism in Movies: Stereotypes and Prejudices
• Facing Racism: A Short Story
• White Supremacy as an Extreme Racism Group
• American Racism: So Why Isn’t Obama White?
• Rasism in “No Telephone to Heaven” by Michelle Cliff
• Racism Issues: Looking and Stereotype
• Anti-Racism Policy Statement in Australian Schools
• Racism, Minorities and Majorities Analysis
• Racism and Ethnicity in Latin America
• Racial Discrimination in Song ‘Strange Fruit’
• Racism Effects on the Premier League Players
• Social Psychology: Racism in Jury Behaviour
• Racism in the United States of the 21st Century
• “A Genealogy of Modern Racism” by C. West
• Appiah’s Ideas of Racism, Equality, and Justice
• Racism in Media: Positive and Negative Impact
• Racism: Once Overt, but Now Covert
• Racism: “Get Out” Film and “Screams on Screens” Article
• How Racism Makes Us Sick: Public Talk That Matters
• Environmental Racism and Indigenous Knowledge
• Scientific Racism: the Eugenics of Social Darwinism
• Racism in the “Do the Right Thing” Movie
• Islam and Racism: Malcolm X’s Letter From Mecca
• Racism vs. “Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself”
• Racism in Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders
• Racism in Australian Football League Sporting Clubs
• Thomas Jefferson on Civil Rights, Slavery, Racism
• Racial Discrimination Forms Against Afro-Americas
• White Privilege and Racism in American Society
• Racism, Privilege and Stereotyping Concepts
• Racism in Rankine’s “Citizen” and Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad”
• Kansas State University Community’s Racism Issues
• Racism in the United States: Before and After World War II
• Baldwin’s and Coates’ Anti-Racism Communication
• The Problem of Racism and Injustice
• Racism as the Epitome of Moral Bankruptcy
• Racism and Prejudice: “Gone With the Wind“ and “The Help”
• Racism in “The Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison
• Racism in Trump’s and Clinton’s Campaigns
• Colin Powell and the Fight Against Structural Racism
• Racism in “Passing” and “Uncle Tom’s Children” Novels
• Racism in “To Kill Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee
• Racism Elimination and Sociological Strategies
• Racism History in No Name on the Street by Baldwin
• “Nigger” as a Racially Directed Slur
• Social and Cultural Diversity and Racism
• Racism and Discrimination in Religion Context
• Racism in Film “Savages” by Oliver Stone
• Racism: Theoretical Perspectives and Research Methods
• Racism in the Setting the Rising Sun Postcard
• Darwin’s and Galton’s Scientific Racism
• Does Racism and Discrimination Still Exist Today?
• The Voting Rights Act and Racial Discrimination
• English Literature Impact on Racism Among Africans
• Jerrell Shofner’s Views on the Racial Discrimination
• Asian American Communities and Racism in the USA
• Racial Discrimination and Its Effects on Employees
• Racial Discrimination in Social Institutions
• King’s and Obama’s Views on Racism in America
• Racism in USA: Virginia Laws on Slavery
• Racism as a Reality of Modern American Society
• Rodney King’s Case of Racial Discrimination
• Racism Issue and Solutions
• Intersectionality and Gendered Racism
• Racism and Education in the United States
• Racism in Michigan University
• Conflict and Racial Hostility
• Racism as a Case of Ignorance and Prejudice
• Racism and Segregation in American History
• Humanism, Racism, and Speciesism
• Racism in American Schools
• Racist America: Current Realities and Future Prospects
• The Challenges of Racism Influential for the Life of Frederick Douglass and Barack Obama
• Racism: Impact on Minorities in American Society
• Racism Against Native Americans
• Obama’s First Election and Racism
• Adolf Hitler: From Patriotism to Racism
• “Globalization and the Unleashing of New Racism: an Introduction” by Macedo and Gounari
• Problems of Environmental Racism
• How Obama’s First Election Has Been Affected by Racism?
• How Different Young Australians Experience Racism?
• Racial Discrimination in Organizations
• Understanding Race and Racism
• In Australia, Are Cultural Rights a Form of Racism?
• Racism, Stigma, and Eexism – Sociology
• Racism and Ethnicity in United States
• ‘Animal Rights’ Activists and Racism
• The Racial Discrimination Among Employers
• Psychological Impact: Stereotyping, Prejudice and Racism
• Multicultural Psychology: Cultural Identity and Racism
• How Fake News Use Satire as a Medium to Address Issues on Racism?
• Young Australians and Racism
• Relationship Between Institutionalized Racism and Marxism
• Democratic Racism in Canada
• Social Construction of “Race” and “Racism” and Its Relationship to Democratic Racism in Canada
• Ethnicity: Oppression and Racism
• Black or White Racism
• Racism in Family Therapy by Laszloffy and Hardy
• The Roma Problems and the Causes of Racism
• Racial Discrimination in the US
• The ‘Peopling’ Process of Australia Since 1788 With Influence of Racism
• Is Racism and Anti-Semitism Still a Problem in the United States?
• Globalization and Racism
• Society Moral Standards: Racism and Its Harmful Effects
• Racism in Native Son
• The Issue of Racial Segregation in the United States
• Racism and Male Dominance in Education
• Comparison of Racism in the United States and South Africa
• English Racism During World Cup
• The Historical Roots of Racism in Australia
• Maya Angelou: Racism and Segregation in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
• Racism Is Not All About Individual Attitude
• Discrimination, Prejudice and Racism in the United States
• Racial or Ethnical Discrimination
• The Role of Racism in American Art During the 1930s and 1940s
• Promotion of Racism in US Through Sports
• Racism in U.S. Criminal Justice System
• Racism, Colonialism and the Emergence of Third World
• Slavery and Racism: Black Brazilians v. Black Americans
• Why the Philosophy of King is More Effective in Fighting Racism than Malcolm’s?
• Racism and Discrimination: White Privilege
• Racism and Segregation in the United States
• The Root Cause of Racism and Ethnic Stratification in the US
• Racism and Anti-Semitism in the United States: The Issues Which Are Yet to Be Solved
• Racism in the USA
• Evidence of Racism in the American Schools
• Analysis on Religion, Racism and Family Conflicts
• Racism in American Schools: A Critical Look at the Modern School Mini-Society
• The Concept of Racism
• The Theme of Liberation From Racism in Two Plays by August Wilson
• The Policy Status Quo to Prevent Racism in American Schools
• Racial Profiling: Discrimination the People of Color
• Racism as a Central Factor in Representing Asian American History
• Reducing Racism in the University of Alberta and University of York
• Achebe’s Views on Racism
• Racial Stereotypes in Movie Industry
• Racism in the American Nation
• The Civil Rights Movement: Ending Racial Discrimination and Segregation in America
• Institutionalized Racism and Sexism
• The Problem of Global Racism in Modern World
• Comparison of Ethnicity and Racism in “Country Lovers” and “The Welcome Table”
• Racial Discrimination at the World Bank
• Australian Identities: Indigenous and Multicultural
• Racial Discrimination in America
• Institutionalized Racism From John Brown Raid to Jim Crow Laws
• Racism in America After the Civil War up to 1900
• Have You Experienced Racism in Korea?
• Racism in the “Crash”
• Contemporary Racism in Australia: the Experience of Aborigines
• Racism By Thomas Jackson
• Addressing the Racism in Society
• Racism in the Penitentiary
• Different Challenges of Racial Discrimination
• Slavery, Racism, and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
• American Indians: Racial Segregation and Discrimination
• Why it is Safe to Say that Northrop’s Book Exposes the Roots of Racism in America
• Psychological Development: Racism, Affirmative Action and Health Care
• How Has Racism Changed Throughout History, Starting From the Emancipation Proclamation to Today?
• Do Racism and Discrimination Still Exist Today?
• How Did Ideas of Black Stereotypes and Racism Become Embedded in American Culture?
• How Does Racism Affect the Way of a Caste Like System?
• What Connection Is Between Globalization and Racism?
• Why Do Exist Discrimination and Racism?
• How Do Educational Institutions Perpetuate Racism, Sexism, and Patriarchy?
• How Do Racism and Exclusion Shape the Social Geography of Race and Ethnicity?
• What Ways Does Cultural Racism Manifest Itself?
• How the Media Maintains Racism?
• Why Slavery and Racism Issues Still Affect America Today?
• How Racism and Ethnicity Affect the Sector of Education?
• How Has Racism Impacted Immigrant Families and Children?
• When Did Racism Begin?
• Racism: Why It’s Bad for Society and the Greater Health Issues It Creates?
• How Have Evolutionary Ideas Shaped Racism?
• Why Is Racism Bad for Society?
• What Effect Does Color-Blind Racism Have On Minorities in Society Today?
• How Does Sports Helped Diminish Racism?
• How Does Both Individual and Institutional Racism Impact Service Provision and the Experiences of People Receiving Services?
• Did Slavery Cause Racism?
• When You Think About Racism, What Do You Think About?
• What Does Racism Mean?
• Does Affirmative Action Solve Racism?
• Did Racism Precede Slavery?
• How Does Racism Affect Society?
• Does Racism Still Occur Today and Why People Can’t a Change?
• Between Compassion and Racism: How the Biopolitics of Neoliberal Welfare Turns Citizens Into Affective ‘Idiots’?
• Does Racism Play a Role in Health Inequities?
• Sexual Abuse Essay Titles
• Youth Violence Research Topics
• Black Lives Matter Topics
• Ethnocentrism Topics
• Fascism Questions
• Segregation Research Topics
• Genocide Essay Titles
• Workplace Discrimination Research Topics
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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How Racism Affects Children of Color in Public Schools

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Institutional racism doesn’t just affect adults but children in K-12 schools as well. Anecdotes from families, research studies, and discrimination lawsuits all reveal that children of color face bias in schools. They’re disciplined more harshly, less likely to be identified as gifted, or to have access to quality teachers, to name but a few examples.

Racism in schools has serious consequences—from fueling the school-to-prison pipeline to traumatizing children of color .

Racial Disparities in School Suspensions

Black students are three times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their White peers, according to the U.S. Department of Education.   And in the American South, racial disparities in punitive discipline are even greater. A 2015 report from the University of Pennsylvania Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education found that 13 Southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia) were responsible for 55% of the 1.2 million suspensions involving Black students nationwide.  

These states also accounted for 50% of expulsions involving Black students nationally, according to the report, titled “Disproportionate Impact of K-12 School Suspension and Expulsion on Black Students in southern States.” The finding most indicative of racial bias is that in 84 Southern school districts, 100% of students suspended were Black.

Disproportionate Rates of Discipline in Preschool

And grade school students aren’t the only Black children facing harsh forms of school discipline. Even Black preschool students are more likely to be suspended than students of other races. The same report showed that while Black students make up just 18% of children in preschool, they represent nearly half of preschool children suspended.

“I think most people would be shocked that those numbers would be true in preschool because we think of 4- and 5-year-olds as being innocent,” Judith Browne Dianis, co-director of the think tank Advancement Project told CBS News about the finding. “But we do know that schools are using zero-tolerance policies for our youngest also, that while we think our children need a head start, schools are kicking them out instead.”

Preschool children sometimes engage in troublesome behavior such as kicking, hitting, and biting, but quality preschools have behavior intervention plans in place to counter these forms of acting out. Furthermore, it’s highly unlikely that only Black children act out in preschool, a stage in life in which kids are notorious for having temper tantrums.

Given how Black preschoolers are disproportionately targeted for suspensions, it’s very likely that race plays a role in which children teachers single out for punitive discipline. In fact, a 2016 study published in Psychological Science showed that White people begin to perceive Black boys as threatening at just 5 years old, associating them with adjectives such as “violent,” “dangerous,” “hostile,” and “aggressive.”  

Consequences of Suspensions

The negative racial biases Black children face lead to high suspension rates that cause excessive absences in addition to preventing Black students from receiving education of the same quality as their White peers, both of these factors producing a stark achievement gap. Studies have shown that this can result in students falling behind academically, not reading at grade level by third grade, and eventually dropping out of school.   Pushing children out of class increases the chances that they will have contact with the criminal justice system.   A 2016 study published on children and suicide suggested that punitive discipline may be one of the reasons suicide rates among Black boys are rising.  

Of course, boys aren’t the only Black children targeted for punitive discipline in school. Black girls are more likely than all other female students (and some groups of boys) to be suspended or expelled as well.  

Low Representation in Gifted Programs

Poor children and children of color are not only less likely to be identified as gifted and talented but more likely to be identified as requiring special education services by teachers.

A 2016 report published by the American Educational Research Association found that Black third graders are half as likely as White third graders to participate in gifted and talented programs. Written by Vanderbilt University scholars Jason Grissom and Christopher Redding, the report, “Discretion and Disproportionality: Explaining the Underrepresentation of High-Achieving Students of Color in Gifted Programs,” also found that Hispanic students were also about half as likely as White people to be involved in gifted programs.

Why does this imply that racial bias is at play and those White students aren’t just naturally more gifted than children of color?

Because when children of color have teachers of color , the chances are higher that they will be identified as gifted.   This indicates that White teachers largely overlook giftedness in Black and brown children.

How Gifted Children Are Identified

Identifying a student as gifted involves a number of considerations. Gifted children may not have the best grades in the class. In fact, they may be bored in class and underachieve as a result. But standardized test scores, portfolios of schoolwork, and the ability of such children to tackle complex subjects despite tuning out in class may all be signs of giftedness.

When a school district in Florida changed the screening criteria for identifying gifted children, officials found that the number of gifted students in all racial groups rose. Rather than rely on teacher or parent referrals for the gifted program, this district used a universal screening process that required all second graders to take a nonverbal test to identify them as gifted. Nonverbal tests are said to be more objective measures of giftedness than verbal tests, especially for English language learners or children who don’t use Standard English.

Students who scored well on the test then moved on to I.Q. tests (which also face allegations of bias). Using the nonverbal test in combination with the I.Q. test led to the odds of Black students being identified as gifted rose by 74% and of Hispanics being identified as gifted by 118%.  

Lower Quality Education for Students of Color

A mountain of research has found that poor Black and brown children are the youth least likely to have highly qualified teachers. A study published in 2015 called “Uneven Playing Field? Assessing the Teacher Quality Gap Between Advantaged and Disadvantaged Students” found that in Washington, Black, Hispanic, and Native American youth were most likely to have teachers with the least amount of experience, the worst licensure exam scores, and the poorest record of improving student test scores.  

Related research has found that Black, Hispanic, and Native American youth have less access to honors and advanced placement (AP) classes than White youth do. In particular, they are less likely to enroll in advanced science and math classes. This can reduce their chances of being admitted to a four-year college, many of which require completion of at least one high-level math class for admission.  

Students of Color Overpoliced and Segregated

Not only are students of color least likely to be identified as gifted and enroll in honors classes, but they are also more likely to attend schools with a greater police presence, increasing the odds that they will enter the criminal justice system. The presence of law enforcement on school campuses also increases the risk of such students being exposed to police violence.   Recordings of school police slamming girls of color to the ground during altercations have recently sparked outrage across the nation.

Students of color face racial microaggressions in schools as well, such as being criticized by teachers and administrators for wearing their hair in styles that reflect their cultural heritage. Both Black students and Native American students have been reprimanded in schools for wearing their hair in its natural state or in braided styles.

Worsening matters is that public schools are increasingly segregated, more than they were in the 1970s. Black and brown students are most likely to attend schools with other Black and brown students. Students below the poverty line are most likely to attend schools with other poor students.  

As the nation’s racial demographics shift, these disparities pose serious risks to America’s future. Students of color comprise a growing share of public school students. If the United States is to remain a world superpower for generations, it’s incumbent upon Americans to ensure that disadvantaged students receive the same standard of education that privileged students do.

"Data Snapshot: School Discipline." Civil Rights Data Collection. U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Mar. 2014.

Smith, Edward J., and Shaun R. Harper. "Disproportionate Impact of K-12 School Suspension and Expulsion on Black Students in Southern States." University of Pennsylvania Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education, 2015.

Todd, Andrew R., et al. "Does Seeing Faces of Young Black Boys Facilitate the Identification of Threatening Stimuli?" Psychological Science , vol. 27, no. 3, 1 Feb. 2016, doi:10.1177/0956797615624492

Bowman, Barbara T., et al. "Addressing the African American Achievement Gap: Three Leading Educators Issue a Call to Action." Young Children , vol. 73, no.2, May 2018.

Raufu, Abiodun. "School-to-Prison Pipeline: Impact of School Discipline on African American Students." Journal of Education & Social Policy, vol. 7, no. 1, Mar. 2017.

Sheftall, Arielle H., et al. "Suicide in Elementary School-Aged Children and Early Adolescents." Pediatrics , vol. 138, no. 4, Oct. 2016, doi:10.1542/peds.2016-0436

Grissom, Jason A., and Christopher Redding. "Discretion and Disproportionality: Explaining the Underrepresentation of High-Achieving Students of Color in Gifted Programs." AERA Open , 18 Jan. 2016, doi:10.1177/2332858415622175

Card, David, and Laura Giuliano. "Universal Screening Increases the Representation of Low-Income and Minority Students in Gifted Education." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 113, no. 48, 29 Nov. 2016, pp. 13678-13683., doi:10.1073/pnas.1605043113

Goldhaber, Dan, et al. "Uneven Playing Field? Assessing the Teacher Quality Gap Between Advantaged and Disadvantaged Students." Educational Researcher, vol. 44, no. 5, 1 June 2015, doi:10.3102/0013189X15592622

Klopfenstein, Kristin. "Advanced Placement: Do Minorities Have Equal Opportunity?" Economics of Education Review , vol. 23, no. 2, Apr. 2004, pp. 115-131., doi:10.1016/S0272-7757(03)00076-1

Javdani, Shabnam. "Policing Education: An Empirical Review of the Challenges and Impact of the Work of School Police Officers." American Journal of Community Psychology , vol. 63, no. 3-4, June 2019, pp. 253-269., doi:10.1002/ajcp.12306

McArdle, Nancy, and Dolores Acevedo-Garcia. "Consequences of Segregation for Children’s Opportunity and Wellbeing." A Shared Future: Fostering Communities of Inclusion in an Era of Inequality. Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, 2017.

• Understanding 4 Different Types of Racism
• What Is Racism: Definition and Examples
• What Is the Definition of Internalized Racism?
• Understanding Racial Prejudice
• Does Reverse Racism Exist?
• The Roots of Colorism, or Skin Tone Discrimination
• Racial Profiling and Why it Hurts Minorities
• Five Myths About Multiracial People in the U.S.
• Why the Effects of Colorism Are So Damaging
• Racial Bias and Discrimination: From Colorism to Racial Profiling
• What Is the Definition of Passing for White?
• Understanding the Difference Between Race and Ethnicity
• A Guide to Understanding and Avoiding Cultural Appropriation
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• Common Black Stereotypes in TV and Film
• Scientific and Social Definitions of Race

Articles on Racism in schools

Displaying 1 - 20 of 26 articles.

More ethnic minority teachers are needed in UK schools – but teaching can affect their mental health and wellbeing

Terra Glowach , University of the West of England ; Malcolm Richards , University of the West of England , and Rafael Mitchell , University of Bristol

School attendance problems are complex, and our solutions need to be as well

Jess Whitley , L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa and Beth Saggers , Queensland University of Technology

Even school boards are now experiencing severe political polarization

Sachin Maharaj , L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa ; Stephanie Tuters , University of Toronto , and Vidya Shah , York University, Canada

To serve school communities and address inequities after COVID-19 , principals must become activists

Kenneth MacKinnon , Western University

Black youth yearn for Black teachers to disrupt the daily silencing of their experiences

Funke Oba , Toronto Metropolitan University

In Mexico, how erasing Black history fuels anti-Black  racism

Marycarmen Lara Villanueva , University of Toronto

Dismantling anti-Black racism in our schools: Accountability measures are key

Tanitiã Munroe , University of Toronto

Bullying, racism and being ‘different’: Why some families are opting for remote learning regardless of  COVID-19

Rebecca Collins-Nelsen , McMaster University ; J. Marshall Beier , McMaster University , and Sandeep Raha , McMaster University

Anti-Black racism is not a ‘consensual schoolyard fight’

Teresa Anne Fowler , Concordia University of Edmonton ; Cecilia Bukutu , Concordia University of Edmonton , and Elizabeth Coker Farrell , Concordia University of Edmonton

How teachers remember their own childhoods affects how they challenge school inequities

Lisa Farley , York University, Canada ; Debbie Sonu , Hunter College ; Julie C. Garlen , Carleton University , and Sandra Chang-Kredl , Concordia University

How to curb anti-Black racism in Canadian schools

Black History: How racism in Ontario schools today is connected to a history of segregation

Funké Aladejebi , University of Toronto

Racism contributes to poor attendance of Indigenous students in Alberta schools: New study

Teresa Anne Fowler , Concordia University of Edmonton

Schools after coronavirus: Seize ‘teachable moments’ about racism and inequities

Ardavan Eizadirad , Wilfrid Laurier University and Steve Sider , Wilfrid Laurier University

For a fairer education system, get the police out of schools

Celebrating diversity isn’t enough: Schools need anti-racist curriculum

Rola Koubeissy , Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Communities can combat racism, hate and extremism with education

Kawser Ahmed , University of Winnipeg

In Doug Ford’s e-learning gamble, high school students will lose

Beyhan Farhadi , University of Toronto

Québec’s Bill 21 may embolden religious bullying in schools

W. Y. Alice Chan , McGill University

Racialized student achievement gaps are a  red-alert

Vidya Shah , York University, Canada

Related Topics

• Anti-Black racism
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• Black teachers
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• Ontario schools

Top contributors

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, York University, Canada

Assistant Professor, Education, Concordia University of Edmonton

Associate professor, Graduate Program Director, School of Social Work, Toronto Metropolitan University

PhD candidate (ABD) and researcher, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

PhD Candidate, Sociology, York University, Canada

Equity and Diversity Education Manager, Western Sydney University

Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney

Professor, Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, York University, Canada

Instructor in Educational Leadership, Western University

Associate Professor, Childhood and Youth Studies, Carleton University

Professor - Autism and inclusive education, Queensland University of Technology

Adjunct Professor at the Political Science department, University of Winnipeg

Professor of Inclusive Education, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Assistant Professor, Educational Policy and Equity, University of Toronto

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NASP: The National Association of School Psychologists

Talking About Race and Privilege: Lesson Plan for Middle and High School Students

In this section.

• Social Justice Definitions
• Supporting Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Graduate Students: Tips for Graduate Educators and Students
• Supporting Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Students and Families: Tips for Educators in K–12 Settings
• NASP Antiracism Town Hall
• NASP Guidance for Ensuring Student Well-Being in the Context of the 2020 Election
• The Importance of Addressing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Schools: Dispelling Myths About Critical Race Theory
• Implicit Bias: A Foundation for School Psychologists
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Podcast Series
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Efforts in NASP's Strategic Plan
• SP4SJ Podcast and Google Hangout Series
• External Social Justice Resources
• Social Justice Lesson Plans
• Intersectionality and School Psychology: Implications for Practice
• Information for Schools Regarding the Final Rule on Public Charge and Its Potential Effects on Immigrant Students and Families
• National Book Read - Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Healthcare by Dr. Dayna Matthew
• Unequal City: Race, Schools, and Perceptions of Injustice by Carla Shedd

Understanding Race and Privilege

• Unequal City Book Group Guidance
• School Psychology Unified Antiracism Statement and Call to Action
• Supporting Marginalized Students in the Context of the 2020 Election: Tips for Parents
• Supporting Marginalized Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Caregivers
• Supporting Marginalized Students in the Context of the 2020 Election: Tips for Educators
• National Book Read 2021–2022 : Decolonizing Trauma Work: Indigenous Stories and Strategies
• Social Justice CQ Articles
• National Book Read 2022–2023: Troublemakers: Lessons in Freedom from Young Children at School
• National Book Read 2023–2024
• Resources for Difficult Conversations
• Resources to Amplify Student Voices

(To accommodate the diversity of school and teacher schedules, this lesson can be presented over multiple class periods or sessions. Teachers and others who will be facilitating this lesson are encouraged to make meaningful connections to other topics being covered in their classes or school curricula (i.e., literature that discusses discrimination or civics/history lessons) as well as relevant current events both in their local communities and throughout the United States.

Lesson Objectives

Upon completion of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Define the concept of privilege.
• Identify and express examples of privilege in their lives or the world in which they live.

Large Group Lecture

Directions: Instructors may use the lecture notes below to guide a presentation to students about the basic concept of privilege. The information below will also guide the activities that are included in the lesson plan. The warm-up activity, “ Privilege Walking Lesson Plan ,” might be helpful to introduce the topic. A link is included at the end of the lesson plan.

It is important for teachers and facilitators to be aware of the myriad emotions students could express as a result of this lesson. For example, some may become overtly emotional, defensive, angry, or even happy. To best manage these responses, we recommend that those who will be delivering these lessons have already established positive rapport with their students. Especially if the lesson will take place after a crisis incident related to privilege, the instructor may want to enlist the support of a co-instructor or cofacilitator. Instructors and facilitators are encouraged to monitor students’ emotional states throughout the lesson.

Very importantly, instructors and facilitators should help students to understand that everyone has the potential of experiencing privilege. For example, if a classroom has a majority African American population, the class might focus on what it means to experience privilege if they are Christian or speak English. Instructors, therefore, should be aware of their students’ backgrounds and adjust the lesson accordingly.

What Is Privilege?

Suggestions: Depending on students’ cognitive abilities and developmental levels, teachers can provide the definition and/or have students define what privilege means to them as young people.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary (2016) defines privilege as the following:

• a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor
• special enjoyment of a good or exemption from an evil or burden
• a special opportunity to do something that makes you proud
• the advantage that wealthy and powerful people have over other people in a society

NASP (2016) states that privilege is based on two concepts:

1. Privilege Includes Unearned Advantages That Are Highly Valued but Restricted to Certain Groups. Unearned advantages are those that someone receives by identifying or being born into a specific group. It is important to note that the groups who have received these advantages have not earned them due to their own hard work but rather their affiliation (e.g., being born into a wealthy family provides privileges that others do not have, such as accessing education as well as mental health and medical services; White Americans are more likely to walk into a mall without the suspicion of stealing). Equally important to note is the reality that while some benefit from unearned advantages, others are victims of unearned disadvantage. Unearned entitlements are things of value that all people should have; however, they are often restricted to certain groups because of the values of the majority culture that influence political and social decisions. The example below illustrates this concept.

Example: John (a boy) is perceived to understand science better than Jane (a girl). Although John and Jane are both in the same science class and have the same grades on their assignments and exams, because he’s a boy, John’s perceived superior understanding of science can become advantageous if he (rather than Jane) is encouraged to join science clubs. Over time, John’s participation in various science clubs may lead to receiving better grades in science and improve his chances of being accepted into more rigorous and competitive classes and programs in the future.

Privilege oppresses certain groups. As explained by Wildman and Davis (1995),

Members of the privileged group gain many benefits by their affiliation with the dominant side of the power system. Privileged advantage in societal relationships benefits the holder of privilege, who may receive deference, special knowledge, or a higher comfort level to guide societal interaction. Privilege is not visible to its holder; it is merely there, a part of the world, a way of life, simply the way things are. Others have a lack, an absence, a deficiency.

Note: To continue the conversation in a way that is likely more personally meaningful, instructors could have students list the privileges that boys and girls experience. Using a T-chart, students could list both the advantages and disadvantages of being a boy or girl and share their responses with the larger group.

2. When Control or Power Has Been Given to One Group (Group A), This Group May Earn Privileges That Have Not Been Afforded to Other Groups (Group B and Group C). In other words, Group A can use their privileges to gain and exert even more power and influence over Groups B and C and thus enjoy privileges that are not accessible to others. The example below illustrates this concept:

A classroom teacher gives Group A the power to choose where they will sit during lunch. Due to the large number of students seated in the cafeteria during lunch, those who are seated closer to the exit doors are able to enjoy extra time at recess. Although Group A has not earned its right to sit near the exit doors (e.g., they did not complete a special task), because the teacher gave these students the power to choose their seats in the cafeteria, presumably because he/she liked them more than other students, Group A consequently controls the amount of time all students spend during recess.

Privilege exists when one group has something of value that is denied to others simply because of group membership and not based on what a person or group has done or failed to do (Johnson, 2006). For those who routinely benefit from privilege, the challenge is to not quickly deny its existence. It is important to recognize that privilege is a part of the reality that helps some while it impedes others’ experiences. For example, although being female or a person of color does not necessarily directly determine an outcome, these characteristics can easily and quickly make these individuals less likely to be hired, recognized, or rewarded in a variety of situations.

History of the Concept of Privilege

The concept of privilege can be seen in literature since W. E. B. Dubois wrote The Souls of Black Folk in 1903. In this book, he speaks of African Americans living in a world where they are not seen as just American, but as a “Negro” and an American. It further speaks to the concept that people of color are treated differently and that Caucasian Americans have an advantage over others due to the color of their skin. He wrote:

The Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world—a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his twoness—an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two reconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.

Peggy McIntosh is an American professor who revitalized the concept of privilege in her 1988 essay “White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see correspondences through work in women’s studies.” As a White woman, she discusses the following:

In writing this paper I have also realized that white identity and status (as well as class identity and status) give me considerable power to choose whether to broach this subject and its trouble. I can pretty well decide whether to disappear and avoid and not listen and escape the dislike I may engender in other people through this essay, or interrupt, answer, interpret, preach, correct, criticize, and control to some extent what goes on in reaction to it. Being white, I am given considerable power to escape many kinds of danger or penalty as well as to choose which risks I want to take.

Privilege Around Us

NASP (2016) illustrates that privilege is problematic (a) when it skews our personal interactions and judgments and (b) when it contributes to or blinds us to systemic barriers for those who do not possess a certain privilege, thereby creating or perpetuating inequity. In American culture, certain groups have the privilege of operating within settings—through no effort on their part—that are more conducive for their success, while others—through no fault of their own—find themselves in settings that make success more difficult (Miranda, Boland, & Hemmeler, 2009). Again, this concept refers to any advantage that is unearned, exclusive, and socially conferred. For example, with White privilege, White people are generally assumed to be law abiding until they show that they are not. On the other hand, people of color, in particular African Americans and Latinos, are routinely assumed to be criminals or potential criminals until they show that they are not (Johnson, 2006).

During this lesson, we will discuss the definitions that have already been provided. Throughout this discussion, keep in mind that many types of privilege exist. In other words, people can be privileged based on their racial/ethnic group membership, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status. Because we cannot adequately address all types in this lesson, we will focus on the concept of racial privilege. We also realize that this can be a difficult concept to understand and the conversations that follow might be uncomfortable for you and/or your peers. Note: Teachers may need to develop a safe place for students to feel comfortable with each other. Concerns of confidentiality may need to be discussed (i.e., Vegas rules: what is discussed during this lesson/class should stay in the classroom). If rapport has not already been established with their students, teachers may want to complete a trust building activity before beginning the lesson. Throughout the lesson and activities, keep in mind that it is possible for you to understand that different groups experience discrimination but not recognize the manner in which you experience your own privilege. To truly understand how you encounter privilege in your own life, it is necessary to take a close look at your personal experiences and reactions to those of others.

We will begin by discussing the concept of racial privilege. Sue (2003) discusses the concept of White privilege and defines it as follows:

The unearned advantages and benefits that accrue to White folks by virtue of a system normed on the experiences, values, and perceptions of their group. White privilege automatically confers dominance to one group, while subordinating groups of color in a descending relational hierarchy; it owes its existence to White supremacy; it is premised on the mistaken notion of individual meritocracy and deservedness (hard work, family values, and the like) rather than favoritism; it is deeply embedded in the structural, systematic, and cultural workings of U.S. society; and it operates within an invisible veil of unspoken and protected secrecy. (p. 137)

When thinking of the concept of White privilege, below are some advantages and disadvantages of being a recipient of White privilege.

When you attend school, your race will be portrayed positively in the curriculum. Individuals who share your racial background will be presented as examples of those who have contributed to American history. For example, you and your friends will be taught about the United States’s presence in Europe during World War II to stop the Jewish Holocaust without a discussion of its Japanese internment camps. Another example might be the discussion of famous inventors in the United States, such as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, who are predominantly White and male.

Disadvantages

The contributions of racial/ethnic minorities are limited, ignored, or portrayed negatively and/or in a stereotypic fashion. Examples include the portrayal of Native Americans as unsophisticated and in need of European (White) influence to better themselves; African American and Hispanic American history only being discussed during their designated months rather than throughout the year; Nat Turner’s slave “rebellion” (it’s presented as a rebellion to the slave owners instead of slaves fighting for their freedom); and viewing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech as his most significant contribution. (In fact, Dr. King spent a significant amount of time working to have the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed by Congress as well as ending segregation and poverty.)

Understanding How Privilege Impacts Opportunities to Learn

There are many other types of privilege that exist in our society. Another example of privilege involves having an “understanding of the Haves and Have-Nots” (Miranda, Boland, Hemmeler, 2009). For example, Student A comes from a family in which the parent/guardian works from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and makes a large enough income so that the student can attend a private preschool. The family’s income also allows the student to travel in a car to museums or other academically rich activities over the weekend. The parent is home at night and can review homework and read to the child before bed. On the other hand, Student B comes from a family in which the parent/guardian works two jobs from 1:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. A grandparent stays at the home to assist with child care because the parent cannot afford preschool and could not get onto the waiting list for Head Start. Although the grandparent makes sure that all of the student’s basic needs are met, the family cannot afford books to read at home and does not have a car to go to the public library. The family relies on public transportation, and the bus runs on a limited schedule during weekends. Both students enter kindergarten. Student A easily learned the topics that are being taught (i.e., letters, numbers, basic letter sounds) because they were already exposed to these concepts in preschool. Student B, however, struggles because this is the first time the student has been exposed to these concepts. The teacher assumes that Student A is highly intelligent because the student understands many of the topics that are taught in class. The teacher assumes that Student B will continue to struggle in school because the student is not learning at the same pace as the other students in the classroom. From this illustration, socioeconomic status (SES) is another example of how privilege affects the opportunities people have in our society.

Supplemental Questions

• Are the families rich? Are they poor?
• What is the ethnicity of Student A? What is the ethnicity of Student B?
• What is the educational level (highest degree completed by the parents) of Student A? What about Student B?
• What languages do the families speak?

Large Group Reflection

Directions: The instructor can have students call out their responses in a large group. A scribe can be selected to take notes on what students share. If students don’t immediately begin to participate, the instructor may want to introduce a few “yes/no” questions and have students raise their hands to respond. Students can also write their answers on an index card, place the index card in a bowl, and the teacher can randomly pull the responses to preserve students’ anonymity.

• Suggested answers: The U.S. should not be a color blind nation. People should recognize individuals’ ethnicity and their own. Prejudice and privilege affect all of us in different ways. Having discussions about these concepts when they occur can help the world respond and work to end prejudice and privilege.
• If students don’t know what prejudice means, the instructor should be prepared to explain the concept to the class.
• Suggested answers: A common answer to this question is, “How can people pick themselves up by their bootstraps if they do not have boots?” This question infers that all people have been given the same materials in life to be successful.
• The instructor can share articles on the effects of class and wealth in public education. This is an example from the Associated Press (AP) called “Divided America: In Recovery, Many Poor Schools Left Behind.” http://bigstory.ap.org/article/37c22cdf81504e5386e8a029e5ba94c7/divided-america-recovery-many-poorschools-left-behind
• Suggested answers: Everyone experiences receiving privilege or the negative outcomes of not receiving privilege. Privilege impacts everyone in today’s society. Although slavery ended after the Civil War, this does not mean that individuals do not continue to experience its negative effects. Communities around the country are still segregated. Wealthy families tend to live in wealthy communities. Impoverished families typically live in poor communities. Understanding privilege will help society provide equitable supports to help everyone succeed. Prejudice and privilege still impact our society today. Conversations like this help everyone learn how to end it.

Privilege Aptitude Test

Adapted From the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel https://civilrightsmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03 /YouthPrivilegeAptitudeTest.pdf

Directions: Answer each of the following questions with YES or NO. If your answer is YES, give yourself 1 point. If your answer is NO, give yourself 0 points. After you have answered each of the questions, add up all of your points. Please complete this activity without any assistance from your teacher or friends. Also, because everyone is different, your friends will likely have different answers that don’t apply to you. Very importantly, there are no right or wrong answers.

Notes for teachers: To accommodate the reading levels of some your students, you might consider reading each of the items aloud to the entire class. If students ask questions about the items, do your best to explain them without providing too many details. Encourage students to answer the items in the best way possible and that makes sense to them. If necessary, remind students that there are no right or wrong answers.

Reflection Questions

Directions: After you have completed the survey, in a small group (3–5 students), discuss the questions below. After you have discussed each question, choose one person from your group to share what was talked about with the larger class.

• How did you feel about this activity?
• As you were reading and answering the questions, how did you feel?
• Please describe your feelings to the others in your group.
• As you were reading the questions, can you think of other questions that should have been asked?
• If you were creating your own privilege survey, what additional questions would you include on the survey? What are your reasons for including these questions?
• Would you remove or rephrase any of the questions above? If so, why?
• How does your TOTAL SCORE compare to other students in your group?
• Why do you think that the scores are different for people in your group?
• As a group, choose to discuss specific questions from the survey.
• Why did you choose to discuss these questions?
• Compare the scores of each of your group members for each question.
• Discuss the possible reasons for the different scores amongst your group members.

Large Group Activity

Directions: After students have completed the survey and reflected in their small groups, have the students discuss the following questions in a large group. Depending on the answers provided or the culture of the group, race can be interchanged with sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability status, or socioeconomic status (SES). For example, if your class is majority Hispanic and Christian, you could have a conversation about the privilege of being Christian in America.

• Now that you have learned about privilege, think about how your race impacts your interactions with others in your school and neighborhood. Are there areas in which you are privileged? Are there areas in which you are not experiencing privilege?
• What does “White privilege” mean to you? Say the following to the large group: “Based on your experiences, finish this statement: Being White lets you ____________.” Note: Allow students to provide their opinions of the things that occur because of White privilege.
• Restate some of the examples the students provided. Then say the following: “Can these things only be achieved because of being White? What can privileged persons do so that nonmajority individuals can also achieve these things?”
• Say the following to the large group: “We have a lot to learn about each other’s (choose one: race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability status, or SES). Share at least one positive thing or misconception about what your (choose one: race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability status, or SES) means to you and that you want others to know.”
• Summarize the large group activity.
• List one thing that you learned today about privilege.
• What are two things that you found out makes you privileged?
• Starting today, how can you raise awareness about privilege with your friends and/or family?
• How did the lesson impact you? What emotions did you experience/feel?

Recommended Readings and Websites

There are a number of other resources, websites, and books one can use in the classroom or refer the students to research more about the topic of privilege. Below are a list of some of the most helpful and easily adapted activities and resources to use in the classroom.

Privilege Walk Lesson Plan – https://peacelearner.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/privilege-walk-lesson-plan/ Provides a quick activity to have students start the conversation about privilege at school.

Human Education: Resources for teaching about white privilege – http://humaneeducation.org /blog/2012/05/21/13-resources-for-teaching-about-white-privilege/ Provides a list of different resources to address privilege that includes articles, books, commentaries, and actual lessons on how to teach privilege in the classroom. A great list of resources to give to students or use as the basis of your lesson on privilege.

Two Towns of Jasper – http://www.pbs.org/pov/twotownsofjasper/lesson-plan-2/ From a PBS documentary called Two Towns of Jasper that details the brutal killing of a Black man in 1998. This resource comes with a full lesson on how to discuss the details of this documentary and provides a link to a resource library of other documentaries, as well as resources to teach privilege in the classroom.

Teaching Race in the Age of Obama – http://www.whiteprivilegeconference.com/pdf /framework_for_teaching.pdf Uses excerpts from the book Teaching Race in the Age of Obama , and explores racism, privilege, and color blind perspectives using a matrix of privilege and oppression that addresses the many areas of race relations in today’s society. A great resource to be adapted into a lesson.

Teaching Tolerance – http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-42-fall-2012/feature/confronting-white-privilege Provides a framework on confronting White privilege in the classroom. It addresses important aspects of diversity and privilege training and discussion, such as “bursting the bubble” and “disturbing the comfortable” in order to make lessons about privilege effective and powerful. The author also provides a toolkit to use during lessons in the classroom for grades 9–12.

Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W. J., Castañeda, C., Hackman, H. W., Peters, M. L., & Zúñiga, X. (2013). Readings for diversity and social justice (3rd edition). New York, NY: Routledge. Provides readings about different areas of social justice that include not only privilege and racism but sexism, ageism, and heterosexism, among many others. It also provides lesson plan activities and a voices section that details the experiences of real people who lived the different social injustices explored in the book. This book is great to use for high school students, and sections can be assigned for reading and discussion in the classroom.

DuBois, W. E. B. (1903). The souls of black folk . Chicago, IL: A. C. McClurg & Co. Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/408/408-h/408-h.htm

Johnson, A. G. (2006). Privilege, power, and difference (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Linsey, R. B., & Terrell, K. N. (2009). Cultural proficiency: A manual for school leaders (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see correspondences through work in women’s studies [Monograph]. Retrieved from http://www.collegeart.org/pdf/diversity/white-privilege-and-male-privilege.pdf

Miranda, A., Boland, A., & Hemmler, M. (2009). Understanding privilege in America. In J. M. Jones (Ed.), The psychology of multiculturalism in the schools: A primer for practice, training, and research (pp. 67–82). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

National Association of School Psychologists. (2016). Understanding privilege . [handout] Bethesda, MD: Author. Retrieved from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/social-justice

Sue, D. W. (2003). Overcoming our racism: The journey to liberation. San Francisco, CA: Wiley

© 2016, National Association of School Psychologists, 4340 East West Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-657-0270, www.nasponline.org

Contributors: Christina Conolly, Charles Barrett, Pricilla Kucer, and Schevita Persaud

Please cite this document as:

National Association of School Psychologists. (2016). Talking About Race and Privilege: Lesson Plan for Middle and High School Students [handout]. Bethesda, MD: Author.

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Companion Resources

Supporting Vulnerable Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Parents (Arabic)

NASP Guidance for Reinforcing Safe, Supportive and Positive School Environments for All Students

Marginalized Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Educators

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Racism in schools - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Racism in schools refers to the unfair treatment or discrimination experienced by students based on their race, ethnicity, or cultural background. This can manifest in various ways, such as verbal or physical harassment, biased grading, or exclusion from social activities. Racism in schools not only affects the academic performance of students but also their mental health and overall well-being. It is crucial to address this issue and promote a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students.

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How to stop racism in school

By Unite for Change

August 23, 2022

School is supposed to be a safe environment where children can learn, grow, and flourish.

Yet, studies and research point to a different reality for students of colour

Racism is embedded in our education system in a variety of ways. Students of colour are subjected to racist slurs. Black students are suspended at higher rates in comparison to other races. Educational curriculum that ignores people of colour and presents white experiences as the default. Anti-Indigenous racism from teachers. These are just a few examples.

Although many promote Canada as a nation that embraces multiculturalism, students of colour face racism every day.

Read on, and learn more about different ways racism in school can be prevented. This includes raising awareness about unconscious bias, creating culturally inclusive curricula, and implementing safe spaces for people of colour.

What we’ll be discussing:

• How does racism show up in schools?

Ways to Prevent Racism in Schools

• Establish Effective Anti-Racism Policies in Schools

Support the Anti-Racism Fund

How does racism show up in schools .

Racism is rooted in unequal power dynamics between racial groups, where assumptions about certain racial groups’ value and capacity are solely determined by characteristics of their skin color, hair texture, and culture. In the Canadian context racism often manifests itself through white supremacy where white people are deemed superior to all other races.

With this imbalance comes prejudice and acts of discrimination toward People of Colour at personal and systemic levels.

Our schools are not immune to this belief.

At an interpersonal level, referring to the racial discrimination that happens between people, students of colour may be excluded from activities, physically assaulted, or called racial slurs. A study commissioned by the CBC reported that more than half of racialized students were the victims of racist taunts. CBC included the story from one black student, he was called the n-word on several occasions and told to “go kill himself” by his classmates. It escalated to physical attacks that were filmed and shared on social media.

On a systemic level, referring to how racism has become embedded in institutional processes and policies, students of colour are inherently disadvantaged within our education system.

In the Peel region in Ontario (consisting of Mississauga, Brampton, and Halton) Black students make up 10.2 percent of the high school population but they represent 22.5 percent of students receiving suspensions. And a study in Alberta’s Rocky View Schools District uncovered that white privilege and racism by educators were a barrier to school attendance for many Indigenous Peoples. During the 2017-18 school year, 30 percent of students who identify as Indigenous were considered chronically absent citing cross-cultural anxiety between themselves and their educators as a key contributor to missing class. Of that, 80 percent were students who lived on a reservation.

School should be a safe place, where every student is celebrated and nurtured. This is not the case for students of colour. With an increase in hate crimes and racial discrimination, now more than ever, measures need to be put in place to make sure schools are safe and inclusive for everyone.

Here are a few ways racism can be prevented and eliminated in our schools.

1. Educate Teachers and Administrators About Unconscious Bias

Unconscious (or implicit) bias refers to the attitudes, assumptions, and stereotypes we hold unconsciously about different groups of people. These ingrained opinions can cause us to make quick judgments and assessments of others based on race. For example, a teacher may automatically assume a Black student is aggressive, troublesome, guilty, or dangerous whereas a white student is presumed to be gentle, innocent, or misunderstood.

This racial bias feeds into individual teachers’ actions and decision-making within our education systems, ultimately perpetuating systemic racism. For instance, in Toronto, 42 percent of Black high school students are suspended at least once by the time they graduate in comparison to 18 percent of white students.

Unconscious bias feeds on ignorance and silence – we can’t fix what we don’t know. That’s why it’s so important to educate school faculty about racial bias, how it presents itself, and what can be done to eliminate it.

If you’re a teacher, and your school hasn’t provided unconscious bias training, talk to your school’s administrators or school board. If you want to do it on your own, there are plenty of resources that you can take advantage of. For starters, you can take Harvard University’s Implicit Association Test (IAT) to learn whether implicit bias is present in your thinking and to what extent. You’ll also gain a better understanding of how these biases influence your beliefs, actions, attitudes, and decisions.

Many existing policies and laws in our society aim to address overt racism. But it’s just as critical to tackle unconscious racial bias. Too often, it goes unrecognized, creating inequality in our classroom — a place where all children should feel safe and free from prejudice.

2. Teach accurate history and culturally inclusive lessons

Many schools do not accurately teach Canada’s history. Most do not discuss the atrocities inflicted on Indigenous Peoples, such as the government-led assimilation that resulted in various racist initiatives like residential schools and the unjust treatment sanctioned through the Indian Act. They don’t cover the racism and segregation endured by Black Canadians, and the systemic racism that continues to create barriers in our society. And most don’t talk about the discrimination of Asians and South Asians in Canada, like how Chinese Canadians weren’t allowed to vote in provincial elections.

This needs to change.

School curriculums need to include Canada’s full history, addressing how White colonialism has shaped Canada and created systems of oppression that still exist today. Offering this type of education allows students to understand the reality of the world we live in, the privilege some students have, and the importance of eradicating racial discrimination. It could also inspire them to fight racism in their own way.

Students should also be exposed to the many important contributions of Indigenous Peoples and racialized Canadians. For example:

Harry Daniels

For many years the Metis Nation was not recognized in the Canadian constitution as Indigenous Peoples. As a result, their Indigenous rights and titles were not recognized. Harry Daniels, an Indigenous leader, successfully campaigned and lobbied to ensure the Metis were recognized as Indigenous Peoples and included in the Canadian constitution in 1982.

To date, in Section 35(2), the Constitution Act lists Indigenous Peoples of Canada as First Nations, Inuit, and Metis while “guaranteeing the existing Indigenous and treaty rights”.

Senator Anne Clare Cools

In 1984, Clare Anne Cools became the first Black Senator in the Senate of Canada. This position also meant that she became the first Black woman senator in North America. Senator Cools, retired from the senate in 2018. However, she was the senate’s longest-serving member and during her time she was a strong advocate for women and children, and survivors of domestic violence.

The Honourable Bardish Chagger

The Honourable Bardish Chagger is of South Asian Heritage and was born in Waterloo, Ontario. In 2015, she was elected as a Member of Parliament for Waterloo and became the minister of small business and tourism. In 2016, she was appointed as the Government House Leader in the House of Commons, making her the first woman to ever hold this position.

The Honourable Chagger is passionate about community building, assisting in anything from recreational sports to seniors programs. For her, “ we get out of our community what we put into our community “

The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson

The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson is of Chinese descent and was appointed as the 26th Governor-General of Canada in 1999. She was the first racialized person and first person of Asian heritage to ever hold that position. After retiring from being Governor-General in 2005, Clarkson and her husband established the Institute for Canadian Citizenship , offering programs and special projects that foster inclusion, create opportunities to connect and encourage active citizenship for new citizens of Canada.

Representation matters, and students of colour need their race represented and recognized in a positive, inspirational light. It can also replace some of the negative, unconscious assumptions , individuals may have about certain races.

Young people have the power to create change, and this drive for social justice and acceptance should be fuelled in the classroom. But this can only happen when our school curriculums include accurate teachings on culture, heritage, and history.

3. Increase racial literacy in the classroom

Students are exposed to media coverage about police brutality and racist treatment on a regular basis. And some are directly facing it in their everyday lives. As these incidents increase and continue to be brought to light, the need for conversations about race and racism in the classroom grows.

However, as educators, it can be difficult to find the right words when discussions about race and racism naturally transpire in the classroom. Instead of awkwardly tiptoeing around these conversations or unintentionally downplaying the severity of racism, educators should become more racially literate.

Racial literacy refers to “having the knowledge, skills, awareness, and dispositions to talk about race and racism.”

So how can teachers become racially literate?

Particularly for white educators, start with examining your own privilege. White supremacy is deeply embedded in our institutions, creating inherent advantages for white people. By not recognizing white privilege we perpetuate the myth that our society is just and inclusive for all. By recognizing white privilege we acknowledge that systemic racism exists.

Self-reflection is important but has to be paired with reflection on larger social structures and how personal identities are influenced by knowledge and systems that oppress others. An essay by Teresa Anne Fowler in the Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education explains how solely relying on self-reflection about racism as a professional development tool for teachers often keeps the focus on an individual’s experience in the classroom as a power figure. This not only isolates teachers from their students, making it harder to acknowledge the external systems and social constructions they are participating in within their classroom, but also clouds teachers’ abilities to acknowledge that students can still be victims of racism despite inward reflection.

To facilitate external reflection, commit to continually learning more about racism, how it affects Indigenous Peoples and racialized Canadians, and how it has been perpetuated throughout history. There are many resources you can start with, including a reading list from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Going one step further, take time to consume media that’s created by People of Colour and Indigenous Peoples. They offer a unique perspective that can help you better understand their experiences in Canada.

Lastly, become more mindful of the language used in the classroom. For example, removing language like “being colourblind” from our vocabulary. As stated by Dr. Tyrone C. Howard, “A colourblind approach says to students that you fail to see or acknowledge an integral part of who they are, their racial and ethnic background.”

Becoming more racially literate is an iterative and ongoing process, and within these discussions of race and racism, racial literacy also calls on teachers to be mindful of their students of colour. These students should not be put on the spot to share their experiences of racism or made to feel like they have to educate their classmates.

4. Create a Safe Space for Anyone Impacted by Racism at School

Many schools are working to create measures that prevent racism but these plans should also focus on how to create safe spaces for children who have been racially discriminated against.

So what exactly is a safe space? There are two ways of looking at it.

Create a collective culture of validation and accountability

On the one hand, a safe space is an environment that is free of bias, discrimination, criticism, emotional and physical harm for marginalized students. In this case, all schools should strive to be safe spaces. And if a student experiences racial discrimination, teachers and fellow students should validate a victim’s feelings. Too frequently, individuals of colour have to prove to White people that they were the victims of racism. Non-racialized students and teachers also shouldn’t minimize the situation or defend the racist behaviour. Instead, they should stand in solidarity, speak out against racist actions and learn more about racial discrimination. Lastly, the perpetrator of racism should face consequences for their actions and be required to learn more about racism and how it affects of people of colour.

Create a dedicated space for BIPOC students

On the other hand, a safe space is an actual place dedicated to racialized Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. In these spaces, racially marginalized students can openly discuss their shared experiences with others who are able to relate. It’s important to note that Black, Asian, or Indigenous-only spaces are different from White-only spaces. As explained in the Guardian, “self-organized “white spaces”…are made in opposition to diversity and multiculturalism – and that, coupled with the uniquely powerful positions white people hold in society, is why they are unacceptable and reek of segregation.” Instead spaces made only for marginalized racial groups “are founded on the basis of the true lived experiences of struggle.” Allowing and encouraging spaces like these in schools ensures students of colour have a physical place where they can bond with like-minded people, uplift one another, and escape from the racial oppression within our society (even if it’s just for a few minutes).

5. Establish Effective Anti-Racism Policies in Schools

To date, systemic racism continues to be embedded in Canada’s education systems and policies. There are still gaps in teaching materials that highlight Canada’s full history. Specific races are punished more severely than others. And children still face vicious racial taunts.

Now more than ever, there is a need for stronger policies that prevent racism both subtle and overt. But what makes a strong anti-racism policy?

A study led by doctoral candidate Britney L. Jones at the University of Connecticut examined various anti-racist policies from different countries. Using her findings Jones shares different areas of focus policies should have. This includes:

Creating an inclusive school environment through developing a more cultural and racial inclusive curriculum.

Implementing a system for reporting and addressing racial incidents. In addition to disciplinary actions, it would also include specific ways to support victims.

A focus on hiring a more diverse staff who have the skills and knowledge to have thoughtful conversations about race and racism.

Conducting studies to identify any barriers to racial equality, and allocating funds to meet equity goals.

By incorporating these focal points, Jones believes anti-racism policies can be effective — if they are enforced. But equally important is the need to strike down existing policies that perpetuate systemic racism.

Well-intended Policies: Africentric teaching excluded from virtual learning

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Toronto District School Board provided its public schools with the tools and resources to conduct online learning for its students and prevent the spread of the virus. However, the option for online programming was not made available for alternative teachings, which offer students something different from the mainstream curriculum. This directly impacted the Africentric Alternative School, which delivers teachings in a way that caters to Black students and their experiences.

In response to the backlash, the Board stated “At this time, alternative programs will not be available through Virtual School,” the statement reads.

“With more than 77,000 students in the TDSB Virtual School, we do not have the resources to support the instructional focus of each of the TDSB’s alternative schools in the virtual school environment.,” wrote Ryan Bird, media relations manager for the board.

And while this may seem like an innocent explanation, we have to understand that “curricula and teaching practices have been unable to create inclusive learning spaces for Black students. ” As a result, Black students were twice as likely to drop out of school than other students and were under-represented in gifted programming in Ontario schools.

By removing access to africentric teachings, the Board perpetuates an environment that has continued to disenfranchise Black youth. Unfortunately, this policy did not change during the pandemic. And although schools have reopened, this is a prime example of how policies that may not seem racist, can be racially discriminating – which highlights the need to examine policies from an anti-racist perspective.

Anti-racist Policies in action: Phasing out Academic vs. Applied Streams

Another example is the issue of academic streaming, where students are grouped based on academic ability between an academic or applied (non-academic courses) track when starting high school. A 2015 report found that students taking applied courses in Grade 9 were less likely to go to university and only 40 percent would graduate within 5 years.

Data confirmed that Black students were disproportionately streamed into the applied track. 53 percent of Black students were in academic programs in comparison to 81 percent of White students. And 39 percent of Black students were enrolled in applied programs, compared to 16 percent of White students. In 2021, Ontario’s Minister of Education announced that streaming would be phased out in an effort to combat the systemic discrimination that is embedded in the education system.

Schools are supposed to be safe places where each individual can flourish. But for many, it’s a place where they are discriminated against and harassed because of the colour of their skin. We must eradicate racism in our schools and implement measures that prevent racial discrimination. This includes increasing diversity among faculty, filling gaps in our curriculums, improving racial literacy, and providing unconscious bias education.

We all play a role in fighting racism. But the task at hand can seem overwhelming. That’s why Unite for Change created the Anti-Racism Fund.

This Fund supports multiple programs that tackle racism at the institutional, interpersonal, and internal levels to create real change. Some of the programs offer training to educators, increasing their racial literacy and equipping them with the tools needed to combat racism. The Fund also supports initiatives centered around research to help highlight the existing issues related to racism within different sectors. Additionally, the Fund supports advocacy efforts, community building, intersectionality, and much more.

At Unite for Change, we empower Canadians to come together and make real change. With our Anti-Racism Fund, you can tackle racism head-on, and help eradicate it in all areas of our society —including our schools. With your donation, you are standing in solidarity with People of Colour, including all the students who have ever experienced racism at school. You are helping to prevent racism and supporting programs that offer healing, increase inclusion, and advocate for long-lasting change. Join us in the fight against racism. Donate today.

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Social justice , human rights , racism, asian heritage month and canada’s history of anti-asian racism, human rights , women’s rights, the fight for gender equality continues this international women’s day, black history month: a q & a with charities supporting black communities, february 27.

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4 Corinth High students win America250 essay contest awards

CORINTH — Nonpartisan nonprofit America250 didn't have to scour the state for the Mississippi winners of its essay contest; all four students attend Corinth High School.

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the “America250” initiative is “working to engage every American in commemorating the 250th anniversary of our country,” the initiative website reads. “This multi-year effort, from now through July 4, 2026, is an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.”

During the 2024 spring semester, America 250 held an essay contest called America’s Field Trip for elementary through high school students across the country. Students were asked to answer the question, “What does America mean to you?”

When CHS English composition teacher Susan Bailey learned about the contest, she encouraged her students to compete.

The CHS students dominated the state. Nationwide, there were 150 awardees; all four Mississippi winners were CHS students.

CHS’s recent graduates Andrew Carpenter and Jerry Pham won first-place slots, while then-juniors Maddie Gray and Tilden Studdard took second-place awards.

“They did a great job, and I was super proud of them,” Bailey said.

The first-place awardees traveled over the summer to some of America’s iconic historical and cultural sites; second-place awardees received $500 cash awards.

Carpenter went to Rocky Mountain National Park, while Pham visited D.C. America250 covered expenses for the trips and organized activities while they were there.

Carpenter and his dad camped out in tents with two other America250 student-parent duos. They took a bus tour of Rocky Mountain biomes, including the high-altitude alpine biome.

“It was absolutely just breathtakingly gorgeous,” Carpenter said. They rode back down the mountain on horses.

In his essay, Carpenter created a “backronym” for “America,” using each letter in the word as the initial letters for aspects of the country: aspiration, multiculturalism, equality, resilience, innovation, community and accountability.

“Together, these values form the foundation of a nation that strives to fulfill its promise of liberty, equality, and opportunity for all,” Carpenter wrote in his essay. “In conclusion, America is not just a word but a symbol of freedom, diversity, and unity.”

Pham and his mom went on the D.C. trip, the focus of which was the National Museum of American History. They and their fellow America 250 program members toured the archives, seeing objects not currently on display. Their America250 representative also helped them extend the intended three-hour museum visit to five hours. The Star-Spangled Banner, as well as C-3PO and R2-D2, were highlights of the visit for Pham.

Pham told the Daily Journal about his parents emigrating from Vietnam, arriving in America with almost nothing, and building a life and a business for themselves.

“For me, America symbolizes the chance to create a life that respects my roots while looking forward to the future,” Pham wrote in his America 250 essay.

Studdard focused on American unity in his submission.

“Despite great diversity and differences in cultural backgrounds, I have seen people come … together to grieve, to celebrate and just for fun,” Studdard wrote. “I believe that this ability to unite through adversity is what makes America so special as it enriches our society with knowledge of cultures beyond the bounds of our borders.”

With college approaching in a year, Studdard is saving his $500 in winnings, he told the Daily Journal.

All three of the boys said they were taken aback when they got emails notifying them they were America250 awardees. Carpenter initially thought the email was a scam; it sounded too good to be true.

“I'm very thankful I won, but it was one of those things I was not expecting,” Carpenter said.

Unlike the boys, Gray submitted a video essay rather than a written one.

“America is not without its difficulties or flaws,” she said in the video. “Social injustice, inequality and continual bias are still some things that we deal with today.”

Even so, “it’s a place where people can follow their goals, celebrate who they are, and work towards a common goal of success and growth.”

New Times, New Thinking.

How racist are British schools?

Kalwant Bhopal presents school as a terrible place to be an ethnic minority in her book Race and Education. The evidence suggests otherwise.

By Tomiwa Owolade

Earlier this year a TV series, Boarders , dramatised the vexed relationship between race and education in the UK. In the BBC drama, a distinguished boarding school called St Gilbert’s gets itself into trouble when a video is leaked of a group of its students urinating on a homeless man. In order to improve its image, St Gilbert’s agrees to a scheme whereby five black inner-city kids are awarded full scholarships to attend the school.

The show is full of the clichés that typify many screen and fictional accounts of race. There is the racist and thick posh white boy. The black girl who complains about bougie coffee shops destroying black communities. The white girl who sexually fetishises black boys. There is even, to top it all off, a black actor playing a Nigerian character with an unforgivably bad accent; most of the people watching the show will not be Nigerian and so will be none the wiser.

Boarders presents school as a terrible place to be if you are a black kid, and Kalwant Bhopal makes the same assertion in her new book Race and Education: Reproducing White Supremacy in Britain . In it, Bhopal, a professor of education and social justice at the University of Birmingham, examines secondary schools and universities in Britain; her method is critical race theory (CRT). This is a set of ideas developed by American legal scholars in the 1970s and 1980s to explain how and why the civil rights legislation of the 1950s and 1960s was unable to defeat racism. Racial inequality persisted after the civil rights revolution, these scholars argued, and racism is so embedded in society that legislation was insufficient.

Bhopal applies this to a British context. “I work from the premise,” she writes, “that racism is a given in society, and is central to explaining how education reinforces systems and structures of Whiteness and White privilege that benefit White people.” Elsewhere she writes: “Everything has a racial element.”

According to Bhopal, ethnic minority students in schools and universities experience racism “on a daily basis”. This is either through explicit racist abuse, micro-aggressions, or institutional and structural racism. All of this leads to one outcome: white students benefiting at the expense of their non-white peers. As I read the book, though, the same set of questions kept recurring: is this fact true? Is this statement correct? Can I trust this passage? The answer to all these questions, upon finishing the book, is a resounding no.

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Bhopal argues, for instance, that ethnic minority pupils are “more likely to be excluded or expelled and to face harsher punishment compared with their White peers”. This isn’t true. It is more accurate to state that some ethnic minority pupils are more likely to be excluded or expelled than some white students. But the groups with the highest exclusion rates by far are white: Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller communities had, respectively, 43 and 35 exclusions for every 10,000 pupils in 2022-23.

The groups with the lowest exclusion rates, by contrast, are Indian and Chinese pupils: for both demographics, one pupil is excluded from every 10,000. The exclusion rate for white British pupils is 13 for every 10,000. This means that white British students are 13 times more likely to be excluded from schools than Indian and Chinese students.

If we focus specifically on black African pupils, rather than generalising about black pupils, we notice something equally startling and contrary to the narrative presented by Bhopal: black African pupils are excluded at a rate of six pupils for every 10,000. This means black African pupils are also less likely to be excluded from schools than white British students. It is black Caribbean pupils who are more likely to be excluded than white British students.

It only took me a minute to check this. I found it on the gov.uk website. Either Bhopal didn’t look this up, or she knows but can’t reconcile them with an ideology in which race shapes every aspect of education. Either way, it makes her account unreliable.

In one passage she admits that “there is evidence to suggest that Chinese and Indian students perform better compared with other groups” and adds that this is “due to their cultural and family background (irrespective of their social class), which includes a significant emphasis on professional careers and high educational achievement, a committed work ethic and access to support networks within and outside the family”. This assertion may well be correct, but it is plainly inconsistent with the general message of the book, in which she repeatedly claims that ethnic minority students “are more likely to be excluded from school, experience racism, or be offered less support compared with white pupils”. Do Chinese and Indian pupils not count as ethnic minority students? Bhopal also presents a graph in the book from the Department for Education that looks at GCSE attainment: the graph shows not only Indian and Chinese pupils outperforming white British pupils on this measure, but black African and Bangladeshi pupils too.

Bhopal is allergic to the word “some”. She speaks in generalities. And yet the education system is more complex than her analysis will allow. Some ethnic minority students are struggling. Some are thriving. Likewise, some white British pupils – in particular, white working-class boys – are languishing while others are doing extremely well. Bhopal seems less interested in reflecting this nuanced reality than advancing her belief that racism guides educational outcomes.

She argues that “recent data from the Department of Education also suggests that inequalities in gaining good A-level grades are related to ethnicity”. But the graph she uses to support this claim illustrates the very opposite: getting a good A-level is not related to ethnicity. Some ethnic minority groups are doing well while others are not, and similarly with white groups.

When she is not wrong as a matter of fact, Bhopal presents arguments with dubious assumptions. She states that “only 14.9 per cent of teachers were identified as being from an ethnic minority background… compared with the high numbers of students from an ethnic minority background, this figure is relatively low”. But Bhopal doesn’t explain why it’s a problem that the teacher demographic doesn’t precisely match the student demographic.

Speaking from personal experience, I was not especially in thrall to the black and brown teachers at my school; I didn’t feel any safer with or validated by them than I felt with my white teachers. Some of my black and brown teachers were awful and some were good – I wouldn’t expect this to be any other way. They were not saints or icons carrying the black experience on their backs, but human beings with ordinary human strengths and weaknesses.

In another passage, Bhopal scolds schools for the way they teach history. She argues that: “In schools, children are taught to value European history and culture in an environment in which the history and culture of other ethnic groups are at best ignored or treated as subordinate, or, at worst, demonized.” One can make the case that schools should expand the scope of what they teach. This is fair. We live in a world where cultures and nationalities are increasingly interconnected; education should do a better job of reflecting this. But Britain is a European country. A curriculum that favours the history of European culture need not be to the disadvantage of ethnic minority students; they are just as British and European as their white peers. They are equally entitled to feel part of the legacy that constitutes British and European history.

In any case, if it is important for ethnic minority schoolchildren to be taught about their cultures in order to feel more included in the British school curriculum, what relevance is the history of Indian culture to a child from a black African background? What relevance is the history of African kingdoms to a child from an Indian background? These subjects are worthy of study – but on the basis of knowledge rather than for tokenistic, identity-based reasons.

If inclusion is the guiding criteria, the only truly inclusive way of relaying history is by teaching British history. This connects children from various backgrounds with something common to all of them: the country in which they live.

In other parts of the book, Bhopal presents anonymised testimony from victims of racism: secondary school and university students along with university lecturers and professors.

These accounts all paint the same picture: British education is a racist dystopia. She quotes a university student called Jonathan (not his real name) who states: “These days, it’s more acceptable to be racist. I think the way things have progressed – or not progressed – around race has made it more OK for people to say racist things and for people to see that as a legitimate view.”

Who would be callous enough to cast doubt on someone recounting traumatic experiences? And yet it is patently nonsense to claim racist statements are more acceptable in mainstream society today than they were in the past. Are we to believe the present is more racist than a time when blackface was presented on prime-time television, when the National Front was marching through multi-racial neighbourhoods, and when football fans were throwing banana peels at black footballers?

This is not to say we live in a post-racist country. Such a statement would be absurd in light of the heinous race riots that engulfed many towns and cities in England earlier this month, when asylum seekers and British Muslim communities were demonised and targeted by far-right thugs. Education is likewise not free from the racism that afflicts wider society. Far too many students still endure racist abuse from their teachers. But the fight against racism will not be best served by relying on those who think it shapes every aspect of society: when it comes to education, in particular, the evidence does not support this conclusion.

Race and Education: Reproducing White Supremacy in Britain Kalwant Bhopal Pelican, 288pp, £10.99

Purchasing a book may earn the NS a commission from Bookshop.org, who support independent bookshops

[See also: Britain’s exam delusion ]

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This Is the Casual Racism That I Face at My Elite High School

Unexpectedly, the school did something about it.

By Rainier Harris

Rainier Harris is a senior at Regis High School and a Queens native.

Starting senior year in the middle of a pandemic has brought on more challenges than ever: Navigating college applications and maintaining my G.P.A. while dealing with Zoom burnout and no physical connection to my friends.

I attend Regis , the academically rigorous Catholic high school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. To those who get in, it is tuition-free, and it is regularly recognized as one of the top high schools in the country.

So it is more than a little troubling that I know I will have to deal with casual racism at such an institution. Even as classes have started remotely, the racism that many Black students like me have experienced and continue to experience in school feels more emotionally draining than ever.

I felt immense pride entering Regis , but also great pressure. My older brother had been a stellar student there. He went to Yale University for political science, then immediately completed a simultaneous J.D./M.B.A. in three years at Yale Law and Yale School of Management.

My sister is a senior at Yale, studying computer science and music. Getting the “best education possible” is the mantra of my Jamaican-immigrant parents. As their youngest child, I feel the pressure to replicate. I feel a certain level of success is expected.

And yet even in this high-achieving environment, among peers who are “supposed to know better,” I have felt constantly diminished.

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High School Assignment Sparks Controversy for Asking Students to Answer ‘Is God Real?’

“This is some crazy s--- overall and also on a technical level,” said a Skiatook High School student’s mother

A homework assignment ignited uproar online after a concerned parent shared a photo of the questions a teacher wanted her child to answer, including "Is God real?"

Oklahoma mother Olivia Gray posted her sophomore daughter Nettie Gray’s world history assignment from a Skiatook High School teacher on Facebook on Aug. 15, describing it as “some crazy s---.”

The assignment — titled “How did the world start?” — ended with two questions that raised concerns: “Is God real?” and “Is Satan real?”

“It’s being called a research paper,” Olivia wrote of the assignment, which asked students to provide sources using APA Style to support their answers. 

“This is some crazy s--- overall and also on a technical level. Literally the kid had been in school ONE WEEK,” she concluded.

Many reacted to the assignment in the comments section of Olivia's Facebook post.

“This assignment is wrong on more than ten levels,” one person commented, while another wrote, “I’m stunned and horrified they are even being allowed to push or preach their own personal religion/religious bias like that onto students in a public school in the United States.”

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In a statement to area news outlet 2 News Oklahoma on Aug. 19, the school district addressed the situation.

“Skiatook Public Schools became aware of the World History assignment in question through a social media post,” the statement read. “Once administration reviewed the assignment, it was determined that the presentation of the material was not conducive to our instructional plan.”

“Administration and staff will continue to collaborate on best practices to meet the Oklahoma Academic Standards,” the statement added.

PEOPLE reached out to Skiatook Public Schools’ Superintendent Rick Loggins and Director of Curriculum Tim Buck for comment about the controversial assignment, but did not immediately hear back.

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Photo of Chatsworth Charter High School soccer team during team huddle. (Photo courtesy Maximiliano Ramirez)

Overlooked and Overwhelmed: The Mental Health Crisis Among Student-Athletes

Dorian Darghali

While the stigma against mental illness is decreasing, high school student-athletes in America are still failing to receive adequate support necessary to overcome their ongoing mental health battles on and off the field.

Some states, however, recognize the need for increased mental health support within high school athletic departments. In October 2023, Ohio passed state legislature with the intent to aid high school athletes with mental health struggles. Now, there is a requirement for high school coaches to provide mental health training to their athletes. Since anxiety and depression have become worse post-pandemic, student-athletes experience greater feelings of failure and pressure.

As a student-athlete, I am relieved that states like Ohio are implementing stronger mental health initiatives for high school athletes– a highly overlooked segment when it comes to teen mental health.  I believe we are overlooked due to the misconception that athletes are “perfect.”  Moreover, since we exercise regularly , we do not need further mental health treatments or discussions. Any time a male student-athlete is feeling “down” or “not himself,” he is simply told by the coach to just get on the field and “man up.”

When this pressure is unchecked, many student-athletes suffer silently with anxiety, depression and even suicidal ideation. Thus, I believe California should take further action to support high school athletes who are suffering with mental illnesses.

Media coverage has since advocated the many stories of students athletes struggling with depression, anxiety, OCD and even suicidal ideation. In March 2022, Sarah Fuller , the goalkeeper for the University of North Texas, began to spread awareness for mental health. After experiencing her own mental illness and after at least five student athletes in the time span of two months had committed suicide, she spoke out.

Throughout my athletic and academic pursuit, I, along with various teammates, have combated mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. However, I kept these struggles to myself as I did not want to burden my teammates or coach.

I will never forget my first anxiety attack. I had just stepped onto the field, when I suddenly felt a fluttering sensation within my chest, as if my heart was trying to escape my body. With this feeling intensifying my whole body, I felt as if time was beginning to slow down. The field, the one place I relied on to bring me comfort, was now the place haunting me.

It wasn’t until I opened up to a teammate of mine, where we discovered together how many student athletes also face these unspoken issues. We as a team came to the consensus that many of us were struggling either from anxiety or depression due to the stress of wanting to be recruited by the collegiate level.

With such a heightened volume of student athletes wanting to be recruited, it serves as a surprise that only 1%   of high school athletes get a full ride to play sports in college and fewer than 2% receive any athletic scholarship.

Academically, we as students already feel an abnormal amount of pressure to gain admission into top universities, which is why we resort to external activities such as sports to relieve us from our worries. However, where do we turn to for mental health support when our sports begin to add to our stress, anxieties and depression?

If student athletes spend the majority of their time at school and at sports practices, then help must first start at the school level. In order to achieve this goal, there needs to be proper mental health resources set in place at all school districts. Moreover, specifically for student athletes wanting to pursue an academic and athletic journey at the collegiate level.

I believe California would benefit from the type of legislature Ohio had passed. California as a state can do much more to support high school student athletes by involving coaches within campus mental health programs. If coaches can better understand the pressures that student athletes face, then they can work together to create a healthier and more empowering sporting environment. In turn, student athletes won’t feel so isolated with their mental health problems and can feel safe confiding in their coaches.

Overall, tackling mental health issues amongst all high school students would be more effective. Moreover, by acknowledging how much pressure there is to become successful. To get all A’s. To get into the top college. To be recruited by a Division One school. These cannot be the only ways high school students can feel better about themselves. As a society, we must re-think the ways in which we approach mental health. It must become a conversation, rather than handful of mental health brochures at the school nurse’s office.

Thankfully, the talk of implementing local youth mental health boards is becoming a popular topic.

In California, a local bill, AB 2411: Local Youth Mental Health Boards , has been introduced in the House. I believe this is a good sign of positive change. Through opening more collaborative efforts between adults and youth, we can create more sustainable and effective approaches to mental health, especially amongst high school athletes.

By fostering a culture of understanding and compassion within the athletic community, we can ensure that no student athlete has to suffer in silence. Together, we can build a future where the mental well-being of high school athletes is prioritized just as much as their physical performance, creating a healthier and more supportive environment for all.

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Opinion: Are eco-friendly brands using the environment as a selling point, or are they truly making a difference?

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As back-to-school season is around the corner, students and teachers share similar questions about what school supplies to buy and what should be prepared for courses. However, one question has not been answered: Should artificial intelligence, or AI, be used in the...

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What’s the Common App? Everything to Know for Senior Year

The Common Application, or Common App , is an online platform used by students to apply to multiple colleges and universities with one application. Over 900 institutions worldwide participate, saving students time applying to colleges during a hectic senior year . The application usually opens on August 1 each year. But be sure to verify the exact date.

Why Use the Common App?  

1. simplifies applications:  .

During your senior year, balancing academics, extracurricular activities, and college applications can be challenging. The Common App allows you to enter your personal details, academic history, and extracurricular activities just once, and then send this information to any  participating colleges you wish to apply to. 

2. Manages College Essays Efficiently:  

One of the key components of the Common App is that it eliminates the need for multiple  college essays . With the Common App, you write a single personal essay that’s sent to all the colleges on your list. This saves you time and effort. It allows you to focus on crafting a strong essay that highlights your unique experiences and strengths. Some colleges may require supplemental essays, which can also be managed through the Common App. 

3. Streamlines Recommendation Process:  

The Common App makes it simpler to submit  letters of recommendation . You can invite your teachers and counselors to upload their letters directly to the platform. It’s easy to track the status and be assured that all required documents are submitted.

4. Includes a Fee Waiver Option:  

Applications come with fees, but if that’s a concern, the Common App offers a fee waiver request option. If you’re eligible for  SAT fee waivers , you can have your application fees waived at many colleges. This makes it less burdensome for students from various financial backgrounds to apply .

5. Provides Deadline Management:  

The Common App lets you keep track of all your application deadlines in one place, which is especially useful during your busy senior year. This feature helps you stay organized so you won’t miss any deadlines.