Page 7 - Paths to Change

Educator Guide Preface Privilege makes a lot of assumptions; primarily, it assumes choice. It assumes the same vehicles to change are available to everyone, yet the very need for systemic overhaul change debunks that theory by default. The purpose of this BlackIQ exploration is to examine protesting as a route to reform by studying various movements, demonstrations, and initiatives that took place in the United States during the spring of 2020 and as early as 60 years prior. The exploration looks closely at the catalyst for protests and the historical context that causes so many to choose protesting as a vehicle for change. As students across the globe are living this moment in history, they will inevitably have heard and internalized information from numerous sources, including the voices of their respective communities within their own homes, as well as the voices of mass media filtered through its own unique agenda and biases. This BlackIQ illuminates the historical basis of protesting, allows students to unpack the violence and criticism associated with protesting, and introduces perspectives on protesting of a consistently marginalized group – Black Americans. This inquiry-based exploration of race relations in America uses a diverse text set, that allow students to analyze and synthesize information in order to develop claims for evidence-based discourse. At the conclusion of the exploration, students should be able to create a piece of writing to support their stance on the topic with clarity, confidence, and an awareness of their own biases. Historical Context The 2020-2021 school year presents educators with a unique opportunity. Amidst a shift in America’s climate, in large part due to a modern-day civil rights movement, educators are in the position to harness the energy of change and use it to transform the way students learn and the way students think. While racial injustice and police brutality against Black Americans is at the root of the various movements and protests, mass media and the court of public opinion (filtered through the lens of privilege and white supremacy) have shifted the moral basis of the movement to shallow debates about patriotism and capitalist trophies while dismissing the centuries of systemic racism that have contributed to a very real and dark reality for Black Americans. Our students have undoubtedly encountered all facets of America’s racial inequities as witnesses, victims, or perpetrators of oppression and microaggressions. Without judgement, students are asked to bring those experiences to this inquiry-based study which, by definition, only requires thoughtful questions and embraces all answers grounded in evidence produced from critical analysis. When thinking about the effectiveness of The Black Inquiry Project 6