So many of us have an understanding of racism and prejudice, but how many of us know its history? Modern racism has deep roots in slavery, eugenics, sterilization, and annihilation. Though racism is more commonly seen today as an imbalance of power, knowing the history of how far that power has gone truly provides a context of understanding that must be applied in schools when students are placed in learning environments that are underfunded, uninspiring, and unforgiving in comparison to what kinds of learning may be available on the "other side of town".
Watch the videos on "Scientific Racism: The Eugenics of Social Darwinism", and "A Tale of Two Schools" then answer the discussion questions below:
- What is racism and how does it manifest in schools? Share one point from each video that was either new to you, surprising, or even shocking.
- What possibilities are there for change?