The lesson was not that racism can be defeated in an afternoon or that we could make injustice disappear. The lesson was: When someone is harmed, we have a choice.
Author: Jesse Hagopian
Jesse Hagopian is a Rethinking Schools editor and on the staff of the Zinn Education Project. He is the co-editor of the Rethinking Schools books Teaching for Black Lives and Teaching Palestine. He also serves on the Black Lives Matter at School steering committee and is the director of the Black Education Matters Student Activist Award.
Rethinking Schools is a grassroots publisher that amplifies social justice education inside and outside of the classroom. Our magazine, books, and other resources promote equity and racial justice in the classroom. We encourage grassroots efforts in our schools and communities to enhance the learning and well-being of our children and to build a broad democratic movement for social and environmental justice.
Our Zinn Education Project — coordinated with Teaching for Change — has almost 200,000 educators who have registered to access our “people’s history” materials.