Many of the characters in books written for students are white males. They don’t reflect everyone’s background. One girl became frustrated when she couldn’t connect to the characters. In response, she began to gather books about black girls and then give these books to schools. Now that she has exceeded her original goal and collected almost 4,000 books, the girl has started to consider how to impact schools in an even larger way. Listen to the story hear more about this remarkable campaign.
Story Length: 3:41
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February 24, 2022
4:58
A high school student from Virginia is working to include more learning about women, and especially women of color, in the social studies curriculum. She was inspired to start the Women for Education, Advocacy, and Rights organization based on her experiences not seeing women that looked like her in her history education, as well as sexist social media trends and gender inequality in her school. Listen to hear how she is making changes in her school district’s curriculum and to learn about some important, but often unknown, women from American history.
Read MoreFebruary 27, 2020
3:54
For Black History Month, a major bookseller placed “Diverse Editions” on its shelves with classic books by white authors featuring black faces on the covers. The bookstore says it hoped the covers would help to engage new audiences in classics like The Wizard of Oz, Frankenstein, and Romeo and Juliet. However, the action sparked outrage among many who say the bookseller is cashing in on Black History Month without truly honoring black authors. Listen to hear a writer explain why she considers the move to be “literary blackface” and what bookstores can do to support diversity.
Read MoreFebruary 26, 2016
4:21
The annual Academy Awards, Hollywood’s biggest and most glamorous event, will air this Sunday night. Amid the excitement, there is some controversy. For the second year in a row, there are no nominees of color in the acting categories. The lack of diversity in nominees could reflect a larger pattern in the industry since many of Hollywood’s most influential people, both in front of and behind the camera, are white. Listen to this story and debate with your students: Should there be more diversity at the Oscars?
Read MoreNovember 19, 2015
3:49
At the University of Missouri several racially charged events went unaddressed. Racist graffiti, open racial slurs and simmering racial tension were met with no response from the school’s administration. Out of frustration, many students protested. One graduate student went on a hunger strike and the football team refused to play until the President of the university resigned. The pressure by students forced the President, as well as the Chancellor, to step down. Listen to this story to hear more about the message this sends to the students on this campus.
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