Social Justice Consciousness

Students recognize unfairness on the individual level and injustice at the institutional or systemic level, locally, nationally, and globally, analyzing its harmful impact on themselves and others. They link their own well-being with that of people who differ from themselves and understand that one’s well-being may result from the marginalization of others. They identify key figures and groups, seminal events, strategies and philosophies relevant to social justice history around the world. Students also actively pursue alternative perspectives by searching for and examining traditionally marginalized viewpoints and ways of knowing and being.

EVIDENCE shows that students of color and, to a lesser extent white students, can learn to analyze individual unfairness and systemic injustice, locally, nationally, and globally, in terms of its harmful impact on oneself and others, when a curriculum designed to decolonize students’ understandings focuses directly on these issues, and teachers use a pedagogy that supports students as they struggle with difficult issues.

• Students created this video illustrating how teaching and learning about injustices works in Marisol Moreno's fourth grade classroom.

EVIDENCE shows that through “critical service learning,” students of all ages can learn to hear and seek out marginalized perspectives about oppression as people experience it.

EVIDENCE that supportive and critical analysis of popular cultural forms can help adolescents of color develop critical consciousness and healing.

    Positive academic identities

  Positive social identities

    Respectful engagement with diverse people

    Social justice action

  Case Studies: Pedagogy in Action

     FAQs on Multicultural Learning

     TEDx Talks by NAME Members

      Resources for Professional Development