Talking in the classroom about racial inequity and injustice can be difficult. But teachers must engage students in courageous conversations, if we are to help our students become responsible citizens. Teaching about the history of race, racism, and resistance, especially in our own communities, can be an effective entry point for students.

Enduring Understandings

  • Slavery existed in the North and was central to the development and growth of the northern economies.
  • Slavery was an institution designed to create profit for enslavers. Enslaved people were viewed as property and provided their masters with great wealth.
  • Slavery shaped the beliefs of Northerners about race and whiteness even as they worked as allies to people of color.
  • Systemic racism is a foundation of American society. Throughout history Black Vermonters have faced bias and discrimination, and this is still true today.
  • Enslaved people were human beings with inspirations, dreams, fears, and families. They resisted their enslavement in small and large ways
  • After slavery, freed people worked to maintain their cultural traditions and create new futures for their families. Stories of enslaved people live on through their descendants.

Lessons and Primary Sources

Teaching about race and African American history needs to be holistic. It is critical that students be exposed to the whole range of human experience that has characterized the lives of black people in the US. Teachers need to move beyond portrayals of black people as simply victims or heroes. Similarly, while we emphasize the realities of white supremacy and structural racism, students also need to see how white people have been and continue to be allies in the struggle for racial justice and social and economic equity. The lessons, primary sources, and bibliographies presented here have been curated with these goals in mind.

Discussion

It is easy to talk about making your classroom a safe space for engaging students in challenging discussions about controversial or emotional topics, but doing so effectively requires intention and takes work. Safe spaces aren’t created so students can be comfortable. They are created so students can bravely speak respectfully and be heard with respect.

Discussion protocols will help you facilitate courageous conversations with your students, by building trust, modeling inclusivity, acknowledging uncertainty, and developing self-awareness.

Protocols for Courageous Conversations >

Anti-Bias Books

Recommendations from Flow of History teachers.

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These materials were developed with funding from the Windham Foundation and the Bay and Paul Foundations. Thank you!