Foundations in Social Justice

Foundations in
Social Justice
For Parents and Educators
Oak Meadow, Inc.

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Table of Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................................0vii
What You Can Expect in This Course
Important Note About Course Content
Definitions of Social Justice Terms
How to Get the Most Out of This Course
Unit 1: Getting Started with Social Justice................................................. 1
Lesson 1: We’re All Different and We All Belong...............................................03

Group Labels and Group Identity
Activity and Reflection #1: Group Identity
Speaking on Behalf of a Group
Activity and Reflection #2: Group Statements and Assumptions
Lesson 2: What You Know.........................................................................................09

Where We Are Now
Activity and Reflection #3: Continuum of Action
Moving Forward
Activity and Reflection #4: Social Justice Skills and Knowledge
Lesson 3: How to Talk About the Hard Stuff.......................................................017

When Is the Right Time?
Creating Effective Learning Experiences
Activity and Reflection #5: Activities for All Ages
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Table of Contents Foundations in Social Justice
Unit 2: Principles of Social Justice.................................................................. 23
Lesson 4: What Does a Socially Just World Look Like?....................................025

Elements of a Socially Just Society
Oppression and Privilege
Activity and Reflection #6: Recognizing Privilege
Lesson 5: Influencing Change..................................................................................031

Spheres of Influence
Activity and Reflection #7: Community Forest
Unit 3: Racial Justice.............................................................................................. 35
Lesson 6: What Story Are We Telling?...................................................................037

Opening the Dialogue About Race
Activity and Reflection #8: Making Goals
Lesson 7: What Can I Say?..........................................................................................041

Conversation Openers
Activity and Reflection #9: Snap Judgments
Mirrors, Windows, and Doors
Activity and Reflection #10: Mirrors, Windows, and Doors
Lesson 8: Acting for Racial Justice..........................................................................047

Action Is Empowering
Lesson 9: Religious Diversity...................................................................................049

Are Race and Religion Connected?
Activity and Reflection #11: Multicultural Celebration
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Foundations in Social Justice Table of Contents
Unit 4: Economic Justice...................................................................................... 53
Lesson 10: Money Matters.........................................................................................055

Capitalism and the 99%
New Economic Models
Activity and Reflection #12: Making Cents of Privilege
Lesson 11: New Ways to Think About Money......................................................061

What Messages Are We Giving Our Kids About Money?
Activity and Reflection #13: Money Makes a Difference
Taking Action to Make a Difference
Activity and Reflection #14: Making Change Happen
Unit 5: Disability Justice...................................................................................... 67
Lesson 12: Independence Versus Interdependence.........................................069

Reframing the Focus of Disability Justice
A Model of Interdependence
Activity and Reflection #15: Don’t Laugh at Me
Lesson 13: Acknowledging Disability with Grace and Honesty...................075

Developing Appropriate Responses
Activity and Reflection #16: The Spoon Theory
Lesson 14: Disability Awareness.............................................................................079

Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities
Mental Health and Mental Illness
Ageism and Disabilities Related to Aging
Disability Justice for All
Activity and Reflection #17: How Does It Feel?
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Unit 6: Gender and Orientation Justice....................................................... 85
Lesson 15: Gender Roles and Sexism.....................................................................087

What Gender Messages Are You Sending?
Activity and Reflection #18: Gender Expectations
Lesson 16: Gender Identity........................................................................................091

From Gender Binary to Gender Spectrum
Lesson 17: Sexual Orientation..................................................................................093

Love Without Labels
Activity and Reflection #19: Heterosexual Questionnaire
Lesson 18: Changing the Narrative........................................................................099

Learning Is Action
Activity and Reflection #20: Toolkit Activities
Unit 7: Making Connections............................................................................... 103
Lesson 19: Web of Connection..................................................................................0105

Collective Liberation
Lesson 20: Lifelong Learning...................................................................................0107

Where Do We Go from Here?
Activity and Reflection #21: Where Are We Now?
Feedback Survey
Professional Development Certificate of Completion
Appendix...................................................................................................................... 113
Definition of Social Justice Terms..........................................................................0113
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Introduction
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
What is social justice? How can we begin to understand the issues and experiences that others face?
How can we help our children gain an awareness of bias and injustice without becoming over-
whelmed, frightened, or discouraged? What can we do to help children to interact with the world in a
way that is conscious and connected? How can we equip ourselves and our kids with the tools to be
positive agents of social change?
In this course, we’ll explore ways to bring social justice principles and action into our everyday parent-
ing and teaching. Gaining a more complex understanding of how your actions impact others will
improve your ability to find equitable and just ways of interacting. It will transform the way you under-
stand and relate to those who have a different life experience from yours. In addition, it can open
opportunities for your family to connect with many different people. This will increase your respon-
siveness to issues that arise within your family, community, and world, which will create a safer, health-
ier, more equitable world for everyone.
Social justice isn’t just something that we learn about and then move on; hopefully it will become part
of your life, and your family or classroom—part of who you are. Consider this course the first step on a
journey to build awareness and open transformative dialogue.
What You Can Expect in This Course

There are seven units in this course:
Unit 1: Getting Started with Social Justice Unit 5: Disability Justice
Unit 2: Principles of Social Justice Unit 6: Gender Justice
Unit 3: Racial Justice Unit 7: Making Connections
Unit 4: Economic Justice
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Introduction Foundations in Social Justice
These units are divided into lessons that present the information in manageable chunks and allow you
time to absorb and work with the material. These are not the only topics in social justice, but they are a
good place to start. Feel free to customize this course by exploring other topics and resources. Let it be
a springboard that will launch you into a lifetime of learning.
In each unit, you’ll find the main topics explained, and then see links to a variety of reading, viewing,
and listening resources, all of which were carefully chosen to help you learn about the different topics.
You’ll also find activities that provide the opportunity to explore the material in a personally relevant
way and worksheets that encourage you to reflect on your learning.
Throughout the course, you will see words that you might not be familiar with. You can look up these
terms or refer to the definitions section of the course. At the end of the course, you’ll find a list of
resources used in the course and a list of recommended children’s books. Check your local library for
them, and suggest the library purchase the books to make them available to many people in your com-
munity. Keep your eyes open for new resources as you learn more and meet others involved in social
justice issues.
We’ll use the experiential learning circle (based on work by David Kolb, Roger Greenaway, and others). In
it, each step leads naturally to the next:
1. Do It! First, we do something. In this course, it will be reading an article, watching a video, trying
out a conversation with our kids, reading social justice books with our kids, or taking action for
social justice together.
2. What? We reflect on the experience: What happened (or didn’t happen)? What issues came up in
conversations? What questions arose?
3. So What? Next, we relate the experience to our lives. Why does this matter? How does this fit
into or challenge our world view? We connect our experience to what others have experienced
and to the principles of social justice.
4. Now what? We make a plan for next steps. What else would strengthen our learning? What else
might we try?
5. Do it! Take the next action and keep the experiential learning circle going.
Important Note About Course Content

This course includes difficult topics and some of the resources include profanity. Please review all
material before choosing what to share with your children. Some of the resources and activities are
meant for adults only, and others are for children of different ages. This course is written for adults. It
is meant to guide your own learning about social justice topics and to give you tools to use to help
guide children in gaining age-appropriate awareness about social justice. You might find it most help-
ful to complete each unit on your own first, and then choose what activities and resources to share
with your children.
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Foundations in Social Justice Introduction
Definitions of Social Justice Terms

In the course, you may come across terms you are unfamiliar with or unsure about. Refer to the list of
definitions included here to get a sense of how the term is being used in this course. You can also do
online research to learn more about the terminology and concepts.
See Appendix
How to Get the Most Out of This Course

After reading the material in each lesson, take the time to read or view the linked resources and then
do the related activities. Don’t rush through the activities; give yourself time to be thoughtful and sort
through your feelings. Afterward, write down your thoughts using the prompts in the reflections. You
might find it helpful to keep a journal as well as you move through this course. It’s as much about your
personal transformation as it is about teaching children about awareness and action around social
justice.
Some activities and reflections are meant to be done individually, and others are more effective in a
group setting (even if it is just a group of two). The reflections are mainly aimed at adults, but you
might find they offer rich discussion points for your work with children. As you process your own feel-
ings and experiences, you can help distill the essence of these learning touchpoints into a form that is
appropriate for your children.
This course is designed for parents and educators to go through each unit at their own pace, either on
their own or with other adults. You can expect to spend between 2–3 hours on each unit. It can be
helpful to set a goal for completing the course. For instance, you might decide to complete one unit
every two weeks, or to complete the entire course in 6 weeks (one unit per week). You may want to
choose a specific time each day or week to focus on this work; creating a planned time for the course-
work is especially important if you are working with others.
Social justice is a collective process. You will get more out of this course if you do it with a small group
of people to develop a community of practice. It could be with one other family, or a group of educa-
tors. Whatever your community of practice looks like here are questions to answer before you start:
1. How often will we meet?
2. What will we do when we meet? For instance, will we watch videos and do readings together?
Will we share our answers to reflection questions? Will we have more general discussions after
everyone has completed a unit in their own?
3. How will we organize facilitation? Will we rotate who facilitates the meeting? Will we have an
open-discussion format?
4. What will our kids do while we meet? Will older kids join the conversation? Will we rotate
childcare, or have older kids provide childcare?
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Introduction Foundations in Social Justice
5. Will there be refreshments? How will that be organized?

One last thought: You (or others) might find some of the questions difficult to answer, especially at
first when you are just learning how to recognize and analyze these social issues. Don’t worry if you
don’t have answers—just considering these questions is often enough to initiate the process of inner
transformation.
We hope this course gives you a solid foundation in social justice principles and a toolbox of skills to
help you build on your experience and use your new awareness to effect positive change in the world.
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UNIT 1:
Getting Started
with Social Justice
“Not everything that is faced can be changed,
but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
James Baldwin
Mural by La Morena, Phoenix, Arizona
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Lesson
1 We’re All Different

and We All Belong
Group Labels and Group Identity
Take a minute to think about who you are and what you like to do. Do you like to read? Do you like to
draw? Maybe you like dogs or hip-hop music or anime. Maybe you ride a motorcycle, or garden, or
cook, or go camping. Think about the family labels that apply to you. Are you a mother, a son, a cousin,
a sister? What about social relationships? Are you a friend, a teammate, a colleague, a neighbor, an
employee, or a volunteer? We all belong to many groups at once.
Watch
Watch this short video from TV2 Denmark:
“All That We Share”
This video is a great one to share with your older children and teens. Afterwards, talk about the experi-
ence of watching the video—what feelings did it bring up? How might the exercise have affected those
who participated in it?
Activity #1: Group Identity

Throughout this course, you’ll find a lot of activities and reflections. These are designed to give you the
opportunity to work with the topics in a personal way. Activities are meant to be done in a group with
your family members, in a classroom setting, or with friends or a study group. Reflections can be done
individually or with others as a group activity or discussion.
For the first activity, list all the groups you belong to—think big and small. Each person can create
their own list because everyone is an individual. Afterwards, compare where your areas of interest or
roles overlap with others in your family or group, and which interests or roles are uniquely yours.
Afterwards, choose from your list three labels that you most identify with. (For now, we won’t include
identities related to ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.) Circle these three or write them in a sepa-
rate list.
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Lesson 1: We’re All Different and We All Belong Foundations in Social Justice
Reflection #1: Group Identity

Throughout this course, you’ll find worksheets for writing down your reflections—the act of writing
encourages introspection and brings a deeper awareness and an intention to your work.
Take a few minutes to reflect on the group identity activity and the concept of group identities. After
writing down your thoughts, you may want to have an informal discussion about the experience.
Think about the three groups that you chose to circle. Why did you choose them? What makes you
identify strongly with each activity or role? What does this say about who you are?
Think about all the groups you belong to. Can you think of another person who belongs to all the same
groups? Is that person very much like you? How are you two different?
Are there any common traits or values shared among members of a particular group you are in? Does
everyone in the group share these traits or values?
Write down two or three thoughts or questions that came up during this exercise.
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How might this experience change the way you think of or relate to others that are in your group? How
might it change the way you relate to others outside of your group?
Speaking on Behalf of a Group

Sometimes we identify with a particular interest or aspect of our nature. Perhaps you describe yourself
as an introvert and a singer. Just because we take on a particular identity, it doesn’t mean that identity
defines us or our behavior. It is just one more part of who we are.
Suppose you are a singer, and someone asks you “Do all singers like to sing in public?” Do you think you
can speak for all singers? If you’re an introvert, would you be comfortable speaking for all introverts? If
you are a parent, can you speak for all parents? For instance, you might think, “Parents always worry
about their kids,” or “Parents never have enough time for themselves,” and this might be a very accu-
rate description of your experience as a parent. But is it true of all parents? Probably not, and there’s no
way of knowing for sure without talking to all parents.
When someone speaks about a group to which they belong, it is often well-meaning but their experi-
ence is not necessarily an accurate reflection of others in the group. When someone speaks about a
group to which they don’t belong, it is sometimes well-meaning, but it can also be very inaccurate, mis-
guided, and even unfair.
Have you ever had an assumption made about you based on your membership in a particular group?
Was this assumption an accurate reflection of your experience? Was it an accurate reflection of the
experience of everyone in the group? See if any of these statements sound familiar:
“Everyone in that neighborhood is poor.”
“That school is full of troublemakers.”
“Homeschoolers are weird.”
“Skateboarders are dangerous.”
“Teenagers are so self-absorbed.”
“Little brothers are pests.”
“Only rich kids go to that school.”
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Sometimes the statements seem positive or complimentary:

“Little kids have endless energy.”
“Gay men are such good cooks.”
“Old people are good storytellers.”
“Black people are such good dancers.”
“All Asians are smart.”
Can you think of statements you’ve heard (or made) that make assumptions or judgments about
groups of people?
Regardless of the intent behind the words, making general statements about individuals based on a
group identity is misleading and unfair. It leads to stereotyping and discounts or marginalizes those
who do not fit into the limits of the statement. But this is often what we ask others to do: make general
statements about a group identity based on their own experience.
“You’re Hispanic—tell me, how do Hispanic Americans feel about undocumented farm workers
in this country?”
“How will gays like you respond to the efforts around transgender bathroom access?”
“Since you have a disability, can you explain what people with disabilities think are the biggest
obstacles to employment?”
Can you think of times you’ve asked others to speak for a group they belong to, making assumptions or
statements about the whole group based on their experience? Have there been times when you’ve
been asked to do this? How did you respond? We all have the right and responsibility to express our
personal truth, but no one should assume that an individual’s experience or opinion reflects the expe-
rience or opinion of others.
Watch
Watch this short video:
“How Microaggressions Are Like Mosquitos Bites.”
Activity #2: Group Statements and Assumptions

Choose one of the groups to which you belong and complete the following statements:
Every [insert group label here] likes to .
Every [insert group label here] dislikes .
For instance, if you like to sing, you might say “Every singer likes to sing in the shower” or “Every singer
dislikes singing with someone who is off-key.”
Next, estimate how likely it is that others in this group would agree with your statements. Would half
the people in the group agree? 75%?
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 1: We’re All Different and We All Belong
Like statement: % agreement likely among group members

Dislike statement: % agreement likely among group members
Repeat the exercise, but this time make statements about someone else’s group (one to which you
don’t belong but someone in your study group does). The statements will reflect the speaker’s assump-
tions about what members of the group like and dislike.
Afterwards, complete the reflection about your experience.
Reflection #2: Group Statements and Assumptions

How did it feel to make statements and assumptions about a group to which you belong?
How did it feel to make statements and assumptions about a group to which you don’t belong?
How did it feel to hear someone outside your group make assumptions about you? Did you agree or
disagree with their statements?
If less than 100% of the members of a group agree with your statement, is that statement accurate?
What percentage of the group would need to agree in order for that statement to be deemed true for
the entire group?
Is it fair to make assumptions about members of a group to which you belong? Why or why not?
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Is it fair to make assumptions about members of a group to which you don’t belong? Why or why not?
How might this experience change the way you make assumptions about others? How might it change
the way you respond when asked to make statements about a group?
Write down two or three thoughts or questions that came up during this exercise.
Consider This
At the end of each lesson, you’ll find one or more relevant quotes. You are encouraged to use these as
discussion prompts with your family, class, or group. You might want to post a quote somewhere
prominent in your house to promote discussion not just between family members but with anyone
that comes into your home.
If you think you’re too small to have an impact,

try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.
Anita Koddick
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Lesson
2 What You Know

Where We Are Now
When we are learning to see and appreciate each person as an individual, it helps to remember that
we all have something to teach others and we all have something to learn from others. Everyone—
regardless of the common traits and group identities they may share with others—has a unique set of
experiences and knowledge. This is especially true when it comes to social justice issues around topics
such as race, economic status, disabilities, and gender orientation. We all come to these issues from a
different starting point. Examining our own beliefs is the first step to unlocking behaviors and
assumptions that may be holding us back from expressing kindness and support for others and help-
ing to create a more just world.
Read the following graphic from the Anti-Defamation League, starting at the bottom with the founda-
tion of prejudiced attitudes, and consider how simple behaviors can lead to serious problems:
Pyramid of Hate
GEN OCIDE
Violence
(Threats, Assault, Arson, Murder)
Discrimination
(Employment, Housing, Educational, Harassment)
Acts of Prejudice
(Name Calling, Ridicule, Social Avoidance, Telling Jokes, Social Exclusion)
Prejudicial Attitudes
(Accepting Stereotypes, Not Challenging Jokes)
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Lesson 2: What You Know Foundations in Social Justice
In the Pyramid of Hate, notice how the base is built on unchallenged—and often unnoticed—stereo-
types and jokes. In the first unit, we experienced what it’s like to make assumptions about people
based on their group identity. While often unintentional, remarks about others that are thoughtless
(or baseless) contribute to an atmosphere of misunderstanding, stereotypes, and prejudice. It doesn’t
matter if the speaker doesn’t mean any harm; harm is caused regardless of the intent. For this reason,
being intentional in our thoughts, words, and actions is a worthy goal, and an important element of
social justice education.
Next, consider this graphic, also from the Anti-Defamation League, and think about how simple behav-
iors can lead to positive change:
Pyramid of Alliance
ALLIAN CE
Commitment
to Change
(Monetary Aid, Job Choice,
Organizations, Education)
Initial Acts of Alliance

(Interrupt Jokes, Provide Information,
Speak up)
This graphic presents us with a model for intentional action. Notice that “provide information” is a key
element in the foundation layer. Assumptions and misinformation are often the result of a pervasive
atmosphere of prejudice in a society. In the exercise where we made statements about a particular group,
we made assumptions about all the group members based on a limited experience (either our own expe-
rience or our limited information about another’s experience). When we take the time to listen and learn
about others, we often gain an appreciation of their individuality, separate from their group identity. This
helps us develop a more balanced view, making us less likely to make assumptions and more likely to
speak up when others are making broad generalizations that are unfair, biased, or prejudiced.
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 2: What You Know
Take some time to look at The Action Continuum (from the Step UP! Program developed by the
University of Arizona C.A.T.S. Life Skills Program). Note that the first block, “Activity Participating,”
refers to participation in oppression or prejudice.
Actively Denying, Recognizing, Recognizing, Educating Educating Supporting, Initiating,

Participating Ignoring No Action Action Self Others Encouraging Preventing
Supporting Oppression >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Confronting Oppression
We are all somewhere on the continuum and we are all in different places on different issues. For
example, one person might be denying or ignoring the oppression of people who are transgender
while actively supporting and encouraging action to end oppression of Native Americans.
Activity #3: Continuum of Action

This exercise is great for teens and adults.
Using the Continuum of Action above, identify where you are in relation to racial justice. Do you gener-
ally try to ignore racist remarks or actions? Do you recognize them but take no action? Take a minute to
check in carefully with yourself and then figure out where you are on the continuum at this time. Try to
do this activity without judging yourself or others who you are doing it with. The goal of this activity is
awareness, not shaming or judging.
You may choose to discuss your place on the continuum with the group, or you may just choose to become
aware of where you and others are. This activity requires trust and respect for one another’s honesty.
Next, identify where you are in relation to other issues, one at a time:
• classism • sexism
• ableism • ageism
• gender identity discrimination • discrimination based on religion
• sexual orientation discrimination
Include any other social justice issues you are interested in and would like to learn more about. Notice
if you are in different places along the path for certain issues.
Afterward, complete the following reflection on your experience.
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Reflection #3: Continuum of Action

Choose one (or more) of the following social justice issues and answer the questions below:
• racism • sexual orientation discrimination
What do you know about this topic? What are the main issues? What are some of the recent advance-
ments in this area?
What do you think you know about this topic? What are some of the assumptions you have? What do
you think is true but you aren’t sure?
What do you want to know about this topic?
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How do you feel about your place on the continuum of action? Do you have a goal in mind for where
you would like to be at the end of this course?
Moving Forward
Our goal in this course is to move forward on the continuum of action in all the areas of social justice.
For example, if we are denying and ignoring that classism exists, we want to move to actively recogniz-
ing how economic class affects individuals and society. Or if we are recognizing that racism is an issue
but we don’t know much about it, we want to move to the next step on the continuum and educate
ourselves about racism, and eventually begin to educate others.
An enlightening and comprehensive anti-bias framework was developed by Teaching Tolerance, based
on the four areas of anti-bias education described by Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards
in Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves.
Here are the four domains:
• Identity
• Diversity
• Justice
• Action
For each of these domains, goals for learning outcomes were developed, focusing on concrete skills
that children can develop. In the next activity, we’ll use a checklist based on the anti-bias framework to
help us check in where we are now and set social justice goals for ourselves.
Activity #4: Social Justice Skills and Knowledge

This activity is appropriate for older children, teens, and adults, and can be done individually or in a
group. The checklist is aimed at students but adults are encouraged to use it to reflect on their own
awareness of social justice topics and issues.
Put a check mark beside any skills and knowledge that are already in evidence in you, your family, or
your group. Feel free to add to the list of skills or customize it to make it more effective for you.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE ✓ SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

DOMAIN
Identity 1. I am aware of and comfortable with my membership in multiple groups in society,
and I have a positive view of who I am.
2. I know my family history and cultural background, and can comfortably talk
about my family and myself and describe our various group identities.
3. I know about current and past contributions of people in my main identity groups,
and understand how I am connected to the collective history and culture of other
people in my identity groups.
4. I can describe how my own identity is informed and shaped by my membership in
multiple identity groups.
5. I know that, while none of my group identities fully defines me, overlapping
identities combine to make me who I am, and that this is true for others, too.
6. I express pride and confidence in my many identities without perceiving or
treating anyone different than me as inferior.
7. I know there are similarities and differences between my home culture and the
other environments and cultures I encounter, and I can be myself in a diversity of
settings.
8. I am conscious of how I express my identity as I move between cultural spaces.
Diversity 1. I interact comfortably with people who are similar to and different from me, and
treat each person with respect.
2. I can accurately and respectfully describe ways that people (including myself) are
similar to and different from each other and others in their identity groups.
3. I respectfully express curiosity about the history and lived experiences of others.
4. I exchange ideas and beliefs with others in an open-minded, non-judgmental way.
5. I know how to talk, work, and play with others even when we are different or
when we disagree.
6. I relate to and build connections with others by showing them empathy, respect,
and understanding, regardless of our similarities or differences.
7. I can explain how the way groups of people are treated today, and how they have
been treated in the past, shapes their group identity and culture.
8. I understand that diversity includes the impact of unequal power relations on the
development of group identities and cultures.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE ✓ SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

DOMAIN
Justice 1. I know it is unfair to think all people in a shared identity group are the same.
2. I relate to all people as individuals rather than representatives of groups.
3. I can identify stereotypes when I see or hear them.
4. I can recognize and describe unfairness and injustice in many forms including
attitudes, speech, behaviors, practices, and laws.
5. I am aware that biased words and behaviors, and unjust practices, laws, and
institutions limit the rights and freedoms of people based on their identity
groups, and cause real harm.
6. I can explain some past and present ways that bias and injustice has impacted
individuals and groups of people.
7. I know that all people (including myself) have certain advantages and
disadvantages in society based on membership in different identity groups.
8. I know about the actions of people and groups who have worked throughout
history to bring more justice and fairness to the world.
Action 1. I pay attention to how people (including myself) are treated, and I try to treat
others how I like to be treated.
2. I express empathy when people are excluded or mistreated because of their
identities and I know how to stand up for myself and for others when faced with
exclusion, prejudice, and injustice.
3. I know how to get help if I need it when standing up to exclusion, prejudice, and
injustice.
4. I can respectfully speak up to people when their words or actions are biased or
hurtful, and I can communicate with respect even to people whose words or
actions are biased or hurtful.
5. I speak up or take action when I see unfairness, even when it’s not popular or easy
or when no one else does.
6. I do not let others convince me to go along with injustice.
7. I join with diverse people to plan and carry out collective action against exclusion,
prejudice, and discrimination.
8. I know a variety of strategies and creative ways to help work toward social justice
goals.
We’ll complete this checklist again at the end of the course so you can actively check your progress and
make new goals and plans.
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Reflection #4: Social Justice Skills and Knowledge

Thinking about your experience in going through the checklist of skills and knowledge, did anything
surprise you? Did you find one domain that included more check marks than another?
Did you notice strengths you didn’t realize you had? Did you notice particular areas of weakness?
Looking at the checklist, what areas would you like to explore further?
Consider This
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single

moment before starting to improve the world.
Anne Frank
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Lesson
3 How to Talk About

the Hard Stuff
When Is the Right Time?
As parents, we are teaching our kids all the time. We teach them practical skills, like how to stay safe
and healthy. We make sure they learn necessary academic skills. We teach them cultural skills to help
them make sense of the world and social skills to help them thrive. Along the way, we pass on our value
systems through how we relate to people around us, how we spend our time, and how we think and
talk about topics like spirituality, money, and nationality. Our values might include things such as kind-
ness, generosity, hard work, interconnectedness with the Earth, and fairness.
There are also difficult topics that our children eventually need to learn about, such as homophobia,
bigotry, racial profiling, poverty, and genocide or forced relocation of ethnic groups. Topics such as
these can be challenging, bewildering, and frightening. We might want to avoid these conversations
because we don’t feel we have the right tools, or because we don’t have the answers, or because we
want to protect our kids for as long as possible from the hard realities of life. However, the collective
wisdom is shifting as many parents and educators realize the importance of talking openly with kids
about the “hard stuff” in order to give them the tools to recognize problems and protect themselves
and others from harm.
Social injustices are impacting our kids, whether we like it or not, whether we are ready or not. Our
kids are being placed in gender boxes. They are targeted for being “different.” In many subtle ways,
they are influenced to see light skin as better than dark skin. Our kids are receiving strong messages
from society about who belongs and who doesn’t, who is powerful and who isn’t. This impacts our kids
more than we might realize. We need to help them learn skills for engaging respectfully with differ-
ences and standing up for justice.
If we are more aware and equipped to talk about social justice issues with our kids, to have these hard
conversations, we will be better able to support them in facing the realities in their lives. They will have
more self-knowledge and self-respect. And they will have knowledge about and respect for others.
This is empowering.
A big question that people often ask is, “How early can I talk with my kids about difference and injus-
tice?” Here’s what two leaders in the field of early education, Louise Derman Sparks & Julie Olsen
Edwards, say in their curriculum, Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves:
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• Children pick up on differences as early as age 2. By age 4, they have already internalized their
own social identity.
• Anti-bias teaching provides children positive and appropriate responses to difference, whereas
“colorblindness” is harmful because it doesn’t recognize each child’s lived experience and value.
• When you begin to use anti-bias teaching, there will be an increase in talking about differences—
this is how kids learn rules/limits about behavior.
So, how do we actually talk with young children about difference and injustice? The same way we talk
about anything that is important to us: in a matter-of-fact way, using honesty, age-appropriate lan-
guage, and sincerity.
Listen
Listen to this enlightening and practical 60-minute podcast about how to talk with kids about sex, rac-
ism, and death: This American Life - Birds & Bees.
Creating Effective Learning Experiences

As our children grow up, we modify how we communicate and the things we do together. This is true
for social justice education as well. Parents and teachers know their kids—how they communicate,
how they learn best, and what their limits are. Trust that intimate knowledge you have of your kids
when you are planning how to bring social justice principles and teaching into your family or
classroom.
Different things will work for different families or groups of adults and children. Find what works for
your group. This will depend on the ages of your kids, their temperaments, and other commitments.
For instance, you might read a book together, serve food at a soup kitchen, write a letter to someone
who is incarcerated, talk with a community member, or participate in a racial justice rally. Afterwards,
you can reflect on the experience: what you felt, what you learned, what you might do differently next
time. Reflections can happen through group or one-on-one conversations, journaling, art work, or any
other form of self-expression that helps each person process and reflect on the experience.
Here are a few tips on creating successful learning experiences for children:
• Timing. Depending on the age and temperament of your children, find a time in the day when
everyone is at their best. Try to keep your conversations and action within this time period.
• Guidance. Ask a few questions to get the conversation going but don’t force it if they aren’t inter-
ested. The same goes with taking action; choose something to do together but don’t force partici-
pation. Observing your participation can be a powerful learning tool.
• Love. Speak from a place of love for others, and for your children. If they say something that
makes you feel disappointed, view it as an opportunity to share and learn together.
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• Integration. Integrate teaching into natural activities like watching TV, watching or playing
sports, going to movies, cooking, cleaning, and shopping. Make social justice awareness part of
your daily life and who you are.
• Fun. Join or invite friends to take action with you. Find or create empowering and inspiring stories
and works of art and music. Join family-friendly marches and rallies for social justice issues. Enjoy
the solidarity and camaraderie of drum circles, parades, chanting and singing, traditional dances,
and other uplifting group activities.
Activity #5: Activities for All Ages

Find an activity to do with your children, choosing one or more activities from the following resources:
• With your high school age kids, look at Facing History and Ourselves. Choose a topic that interests
you (global immigration, antisemitism and religious tolerance, race in U.S. history, and many
more), and then choose a reading and answer the discussion questions.
• For kids in the middle grades, explore each person’s unique individuality in “My Multicultural Self”
from Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance). Or search under “Classroom Resources/
Lessons” at Learningforjustice.org for more options, where you can filter the results by grade level,
topic, and subject.
• For kids in the early grades, Starting Small by Teaching Tolerance includes a wide array of realistic
scenarios and suggested activities.
• For grades K-12, check out the great resources at Zinn Education Project. Click on Teaching Materials
and then filter by reading level.
Reflection #5: Activities for All Ages

What activity did you do? Was it an effective learning experience? Why or why not?
What questions or comments come up during or after the activity, either from you or your child?
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Did this activity help you address a difficult topic with your kids? Have you had any conversations
about difficult topics yet?
What are the hard conversations you have avoided so far? What would help you to have those
conversations?
What are your strengths in bringing social justice into your parenting? What are your challenges?
What social justice issues do you want your children to be aware of? Which issues do you want to learn
more about? Which issue do you want to start with?
Consider This
Use the quotes at the end of each lesson to spark conversation and reflection. If you like a quote, learn
more about the person who said it. Find out about that person’s work in the realm of social justice.
It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right
thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any
fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know
what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.
Mahatma Gandhi
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Key take-aways for Unit 1

• We all are part of different groups. Keep an open mind and don’t judge people based on their
groups or your own experience.
• We each speak for our own unique experience and perspective and can’t be expected to speak
about another’s experience.
• Offer resources, activities, and conversations about social justice topics as part of your daily life.
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UNIT 2: Principles of
Social Justice
“For all those that have to fight for the respect
that everyone else is given without question.”
N.K. Jemisin, The Fifth Season
Mural in Madrid, Spain (Image credit: Nancy O’Connor)
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Lesson
4 What Does a Socially

Just World Look Like?
Elements of a Socially Just Society
There are many ways to think about social justice, yet most frameworks include some variation of the
following principles from Parenting for Social Justice.
A socially just world
• meets everyone’s basic needs (food, housing, health care, education, job, retirement, and elder
care) in a dignified way.
• treats people from every background with dignity and respect.
• supports the development of all people to their full potential.
• guarantees equitable distribution of resources.
• makes sure all people are physically and psychologically safe and secure.
• ensures everyone has a voice in the decisions that affect them.
To achieve social justice, we must speak out and take action about anything that is not in line with
those principles. And the more organized we are, the more likely we are to succeed. For example, per-
haps an individual chooses not to shop at a big brand store because of their labor practices or in pro-
test against the vast amount of wealth that is being funneled into the hands of a few people at the top
of the organization. However, unless that individual’s action is connected to an organized boycott, it
will have little to no lasting impact on the organization and the system that supports it.
Social injustices are connected to a political and economic system which concentrates wealth and
power in the pockets of a few, while many people go hungry and the planet is depleted and damaged.
When people come together to stand up against that concentration of power and wealth, connected
by the vision of the social justice principles, they achieve big victories: universal health care, local food
systems, community-wide bartering, worker-owned businesses/cooperatives, childcare co-ops, sus-
tainable energy projects, and more.
To achieve social justice, we must not only work together to create the world where those principles
are a reality, but we also have to be careful that the same injustices don’t continue. We have to work to
develop leadership for marginalized groups so our social, political, and business structures and organi-
zations better reflect societal diversity. When we bring social justice principles into our families in
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Lesson 4: What Does a Socially Just World Look Like? Foundations in Social Justice
both conversation and action, we are providing our kids with the skills to achieve justice and equity in
whatever they do.
Oppression and Privilege

Let’s look more closely at how social justice is relevant in our daily lives. Have you ever experienced
feeling “different”? Have you been discriminated against because of that difference? This feeling of dif-
ference is common. Many of us feel different at one time or another. However, discrimination because
of difference is oppression. When a whole group of people is discriminated against because of a charac-
teristic they share, that is part of a system of oppression.
Oppression is closely connected to amassing and maintaining wealth and power. The flip side of
oppression is privilege. The natural result of keeping one group down is that all people who do not share
that group identity are then awarded unearned privileges. Often a privileged group has no idea they
are privileged. It is like the air they breathe—they don’t even have to think about it. It is just part of
their identity.
Consider the graphic below, “On a Plate: A Short Story about Privilege” by Toby Morris (Pencilsword).
Better yet, click on the link and read the entire piece (it’s very short).
As the graphic suggests, many children growing up in middle class households have no idea that they
are privileged because of their economic status. Privileges like having a warm, comfortable home,
going to college, and getting a job through a personal contact are all taken for granted.
It is important to remember that oppression and privilege are not naturally occurring in the world.
These systems are created, which means we can create something different. In fact, we already are!
There are many ways that people have joined together throughout the centuries to fight inequality
and injustice, and to make great gains for people of color, for women, for the LGBT community, for
people with disabilities, for religious and ethnic groups, and for youth.
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A social justice framework recognizes that we are all harmed by oppression, whether we are the
oppressor or the oppressed, and that when we build relationships based on social justice principles,
and when we stand up to oppression, we create stronger families and more just, equitable communi-
ties that benefit all of us.
Read
Read one or both of the following articles about oppression and privilege:
• “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh
• “What I Said When My White Friend Asked For My Black Opinion on White Privilege” by Lori Lakin
Hutcherson, Good Black News
Watch
Watch this poetry performance by a young teen:
“Rise Up and White Boy Privilege” by Royce Mann
After watching this video, you may choose to share it with your children (depending on their ages).
Afterwards, discuss feelings that it brings up.
Oppression functions at the societal level, yet it shows up in our personal lives, and results in negative
feelings. We all fall in different places on the oppression/privilege continuum. Guilt, shame, rage,
internalized superiority, internalized inferiority, and hate are just some of the feelings that happen as
a result of oppression. We are made to feel that we are personally at fault for not only what is happen-
ing but for the feelings we have.
What can we do with those feelings? We can begin by recognizing they exist. We can identify where
they come from, and then we can use them to motivate us to make changes for ourselves, our families,
and all of humanity. Healing comes from recognizing that these issues are bigger than any of us indi-
vidually. And it comes from being honest about the emotions we are feeling and looking for the root
causes of those emotions. For many people, healing comes from taking collective action to change a
political and economic system that is oppressive, and from envisioning and creating a socially just
system.
How can we help our children figure out what to do when they are confronted with hurtful experi-
ences that represent some form of injustice or oppression? Often these experiences immobilize us, or
lead us to deny, suppress, or just sit with the harmful feelings for long periods of time. How can we
empower ourselves to action? One idea is to write down the incident, capturing how it felt. This experi-
ence can then be shared with someone who is informed and whose judgment you trust. This simple
act begins the process of healing and transformation.
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Activity #6: Recognizing Privilege

There are two options for this activity; the first is for teens and adults, and the second is for children.
This activity is aimed at teens and adults:

Watch the following video together: “What is Privilege? ” Afterward, try this exercise from
SocialJusticeToolbox.com: “Privilege for Sale.” You will need to come up with a list of privileges ahead of
time and adapt the activity for the size group you have.
This activity is aimed at children:

Use “Everyone’s a Helper” (from Learning for Justice) to explore the concept that everyone has strengths
and struggles, and we all have ways we can help others.
Reflection #6: Recognizing Privilege

In what ways have you experienced privilege?
In what ways have you felt disadvantaged or oppressed?
What feelings arise when you think about unearned privilege that you have benefited from? How do
you feel about knowing that others have not benefited from these privileges and have sometimes
been discriminated against because of it?
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What will help you to work through those feelings?
Consider This
It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One

must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to
believe in it. One must work at it.
Eleanor Roosevelt
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Lesson
5 Influencing Change
Spheres of Influence
A lot of things have to change for the dream of a socially just world to be realized. This can feel very
overwhelming. It is important to realize that small behaviors can have a large impact. We can start by
recognizing the different levels of influence we have and to start with where we are right now.
It’s helpful to break down social justice efforts into micro, mezzo, and macro levels. What’s done indi-
vidually and within our families (micro), in our communities (mezzo), and in the wider world (macro) all
have relevance. The important thing is to begin developing awareness and making change on the most
basic level: within yourself.
Think about your spheres of influence as rings spreading in World
ever-widening ripples. The innermost circle is yourself,
and circles of influence grow outward: Country
• Self Region
• Family and the people closest to you Community
• Community
Family
Self
• State or geographical region
• Country
• World
If you begin with a focus on personal transformation
and change within your family, those changes will have
a ripple effect on your community and beyond. Our social
justice work can create a web of connections with others.
Relationships and interconnectedness with others are really at the
heart of this work.
We start with ourselves and move outward at the pace that we are able. Each person is different, and
we are likely to participate at different levels of engagement at different times in our lives. Find ways
to participate and contribute that work for you. There is room for EVERYONE in the movement for
social justice!
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Activity #7: Community Forest

Most of you have probably heard of a family tree. In this project, you will create a forest to represent
the backgrounds of the members of your community. These can be family members, friends, neigh-
bors, acquaintances, or new people you have met. Consider interviewing members of your neighbor-
hood, friends of friends, senior citizens, or your teachers and coaches about their backgrounds.
Family trees focus largely on names, and show those related to a single individual, but the trees in your
forest will include many unrelated people and their geographic origins as well. For instance, if your
neighbor was born in Albany, New York, you might write “Patricia: Albany, New York” on one tree. If her
grandfather moved here from India, you might add his name and place of origin to her tree: “Kartik,
Delhi, India.” Sometimes people do not know the names of all their relatives but they know where their
ancestors originated, and sometimes they know the names of relatives but not places of origin—your
forest can include whatever information you have.
When you have collected information for ten or more trees, find or make a world map and mark all of
the places that your community is tied to via the ancestors found in your forest. You might be sur-
prised to see how far your forest spreads!
You can make your community forest as beautiful and elaborate as you like. If there is a public space to
display your project, other community members might enjoy seeing it and even adding to it.
Reflection #7: Community Forest

Did you meet new people when working on this project? How did you meet them? What kind of recep-
tion did you get when you approached people about this project?
Were you surprised to see how far the forest spread around the world? Why or why not?
Do you feel differently about your neighbors and community members because of it? Why or why not?
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 5: Influencing Change
Write down any feelings, questions, concerns, or ideas that came up through this experience.
Consider This
There may be times when we are powerless

to prevent injustice, but there must never
be a time when we fail to protest.
Elie Wiesel

• We all fall in different places on the oppression/privilege continuum. Recognize and process the
feelings that arise so that healing and transformation can begin.
• Recognize where your starting point is regarding knowledge and action, and set goals for growth.
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UNIT 3: Racial
Justice
“When we identify where our privilege intersects with somebody
else’s oppression, we’ll find our opportunities to make real change.”
Ijeoma Oluo, So You Want to Talk About Race
(Image credit: Jon Tyson)
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Lesson
6 What Story Are We

Telling?
Opening the Dialogue About Race
History is a story of humanity’s past, but, like any story, the way the story is told changes depending on
the perspective. Did the early Pilgrims create a New World in North America where previously only
poor, uncivilized people lived in primitive conditions, or did the early pioneers thoughtlessly comman-
deer land from people whose complex social structures were steeped in rich culture? Were these early
immigrants motivated by charity to share their cultural and religious traditions, or were they moti-
vated by greed and a sense of superiority to destroy the Native Americans’ way of life? What story are
we telling our children?
The struggle for racial justice is a huge mountain to climb. Science has revealed that, biologically, all
human beings are very similar. Yet the social construction of racism—treating people differently based
on race—continues to have disastrous consequences for everyone, particularly for people of color. The
story of racism was created centuries ago to amass and maintain power and wealth. Over time it has
infiltrated every sector of society: education, criminal justice, banking, food systems, housing, and
more.
If you are a person of color, and/or parenting kids of color, talking with your kids about race isn’t
optional—you know they are likely to find out about race before you open the conversation. All over
the country, and all around the world, people of color are talking with their kids about race and what it
means to grow up in a racialized society.
In “Raising Kids of Color,” author Alvin Poussaint, an African American father of two, writes,
“I will be raising my young daughter in a fashion similar to the way I raised my 21-year-old son: giving
her a solid base of self-worth and helping her to feel good about who she is. A strong sense of self will help
her cope constructively with any rejections or discrimination she may encounter along life’s way.”
Read and Watch

Watch “Race: The Power of An Illusion.” There are three episodes; you can read the summary, read the
transcripts, or explore other resources on this site.
Read “How I Taught My Son to Love His Skin.”
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As parents and educators, what do we teach our children about racism? How can we work toward racial
justice? If you are white and parenting white kids, it is much easier to avoid talking about race. It is
much easier to say, “We are all the same!” than to explain the complex reach of racism. In our society, it
is harder for blacks and Latinos to get good housing, good food, well-paying jobs, education opportu-
nities, and to receive justice in a court of law, just because of the color of their skin. How do we explain
this? How can we talk about that which is shocking, upsetting, or confusing?
One place to start is with the conviction, expressed in both action and speech, that all humans are
valuable, and skin color has nothing to do with self-worth. Giving our kids a historical and present-day
context for racial injustices is important for understanding racial issues. The unequal valuing in our
society doesn’t make sense to kids. We can use their innate sense of justice and fairness as we intro-
duce conversations about racism.
Opening the dialogue on racism very early is important. Although we might want to protect them
from the disturbing truth, children have the ability to recognize, understand, and integrate the con-
cepts of fairness and justice. If we brush aside or ignore incidents of racism, this burgeoning sense of
justice isn’t being honored. While it’s essential that we bring knowledge of distressing events into our
families and classrooms in a developmentally-appropriate way, it is also essential that we address
these wrongs openly and help our children process them. Not talking about racism won’t protect our
children from hearing about or experiencing injustice; it just leaves them without any tools to process
it on their own. Kids are picking up on the concept of race much earlier than they are able to verbalize.
It’s up to us to support their learning in a healthy, socially-conscious way.
Read
Read these three articles on racism:
“Talking About Ferguson With Our Little Boys.”
“On Mothering White Sons to Know #BlackLivesMatter.”
“So You Call Yourself an Ally: 10 Things All ‘Allies’ Need to Know.”
You might choose to share one or more of these resources with your older children, or assimilate the
material yourself and share it with conversations and in other ways.
Activity #8: Making Goals

Read this heartfelt article with your children and talk about what this simple action might mean to dif-
ferent people, both those who post the message and those who see it: “A Message of Tolerance and
Welcome, Spreading from Yard to Yard.”
In this course, you are encouraged to set specific goals around working for social justice. It’s important
that goals are specific, attainable, and relevant. Here are a few examples of specific goals:
• To learn tools for having conversations about social justice issues and initiate at least one social
justice conversation with my family each week.
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 6: What Story Are We Telling?
• To make a plan for supporting and advocating for my child who has a fluid or non-binary gender
identity (does not identify as a boy or a girl), and to develop a better understanding of gender and
my own personal gender identity.
• To develop a plan with my teens to bring more social justice education and action into our homes-
chool group, schools, or community group.
• To participate in a social justice rally with my kids.
Discuss your goals together as a family or a class. Make sure everyone in the group has a voice and is
heard. Write down your goals in specific details, setting a timeline if possible, for making it happen.
Reflection #8: Making Goals

What are your learning goals for this course? Develop specific, attainable, relevant goals. For each goal,
write down action steps to take in attaining the goal.
Goal 1:
Action steps:
Goal 2:
Action steps:
Goal 3:
Action steps:
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What do you want to keep in mind when bringing social justice conversations into your family or class-
room? (Make a reminder note and put on your refrigerator or door!)
Are there others you’d like to invite to join you in one or more of your goals? If so, write down their
names and make this your first goal.
Consider This
Racism oppresses its victims, but also binds the oppressors, who sear
their consciences with more and more lies until they become prisoners
of those lies. They cannot face the truth of human equality because it
reveals the horror of the injustices they commit.
Alveda King
Prejudice, not being founded on reason, cannot be removed by argument.

Samuel Johnson
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the
content of their character.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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Lesson
7 What Can I Say?

Conversation Openers
Most of us have not been taught how to talk constructively about race, so we just avoid it. This avoid-
ance has serious ramifications. We can’t solve a problem if we refuse to acknowledge it. We don’t have
to have everything all figured out before we talk with our kids. We don’t have to have answers or antic-
ipate all our children’s questions or reactions. We just need to have courage, sincerity, and the willing-
ness to learn with our kids.
The way conversations with your kids will unfold is determined in part by the unique complexities of
your shared (or differing) identities and experiences. Over time, as you all become more comfortable
and knowledgeable about social justice issues, your conversations will evolve. It’s like riding a bike: It
might be awkward at first. For some people, it takes a long time to get the hang of it, while others just
get on and start riding. Some people need to modify their bikes to fit their bodies before they can ride.
But eventually, nearly every human being is able to ride a bike. So, if this all feels uncomfortable at
first, don’t worry. That’s normal. Don’t give up. The striving, the earnest effort on your part, your deter-
mination, perseverance, and sincerity all make a difference.
In the beginning, it might help to have a script in your mind, or a few phrases that you can use to help
open the conversation on race and injustice (you’ll find a resource on this on the next page). It can also
help to talk with other parents and educators, and share the different ways you are bringing awareness
of racial justice to your kids. Talk about what you said, what the children said, how you responded to
different situations, ways you might respond more effectively in the future. Keep the dialogue going.
Know you are going to make mistakes, but find a way to be okay with that, and keep moving forward
and learning together.
Read
Read “100 Race-Conscious Things You Can Say To Your Child To Advance Racial Justice” and think about how
you might use similar language in your conversations.
Read “Teaching Young Children About Race.”
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Activity #9: Snap Judgments

Complete the activity, Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged (Institute for Humane Education). You’ll notice there
are several different adaptations. Choose the one that best suits the children in your group.
Reflection #9: Snap Judgments

Were you surprised to find yourself making snap judgments based on someone’s appearance? Did this
happen only with certain appearances?
Have you ever felt that others have judged you based on your appearance? In what way?
Have you ever judged others based on appearances? Describe the experience.
If you could go back to that experience, how might your reaction to the person be different now?
Have you begun talking with your kids about race and racism? How? If not, what is holding you back?
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When talking about racial injustices, are there topics that you avoid? What are they, and why are you
reluctant to talk about them?
When do you think will be the “right” time to introduce these difficult topics?
Think of a time your child asked a question or made a comment about race. What was your response?
How would you like to respond if you had that opportunity again?
Have you talked with your kids about a current event that is connected to racism? If not, why not? If so,
did you feel the conversation was effective?
Mirrors, Windows, and Doors

Reading is an excellent way to get the conversation about racial justice started and to keep it going. It
is important to read books about and by people of all skin colors. Read books about people who live in
different parts of the world, and whose circumstances, traditions, and cultures are different than your
own. Read books about hard historical truths, books about the challenges people of color face today,
and books about social change that adults and kids are involved in making. Read books that illustrate
people of color experiencing the many facets of life, and books about your ancestors. There are so
many amazing books out there!
Use the lens of mirrors, windows, and doors to frame your discussions about what you read:
• Read books that are mirrors of a child’s personal experience.
• Read books that are windows into the experiences of others.
• Read books that are doors into whole new worlds of what could be possible.
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Read aloud to your children for as many years as they’ll let you, and then read books simultaneously
with your older children and teens. Discuss the books you are both reading. Literature offers a rich
landscape of complex issues regarding relationships, personal identities, power, conflict, and transfor-
mation. Don’t expect that you and your children will have the same opinions or feelings about the
books. Listen to one another, share your thoughts and ideas, and learn from one another.
There are big lessons to be learned from books, and asking the right questions can help you and your
kids go deeper in your conversation about important social justice issues. Ask your kids open-ended
questions, such as these:
• How is your life similar to the characters in the book? How is it different?
• What, if anything, might you have done differently if you had been in a situation similar to the
ones the character faced?
• Why do you think the characters acted like they did?
• Why do you think the author wrote the story that way?
• Would the story have been different if there was a person of a different race, gender, or ability in
the story? How?
Questions like these don’t have right or wrong answers; they are simply an invitation to introspection
and conversation. Don’t grill your children or expect them to be able to answer every question.
Sometimes it’s enough to just think about the questions. Reading together is not a test, it is a journey.
Let the conversation flow from your own thoughts and experiences, and your reaction to the story.
Activity #10: Mirrors, Windows, and Doors

Choose a book to read with your kids from “60+ Resources for Talking to Kids About Racism” or from the
resource list at the end of this course, or ask your local librarian for a recommendation.
Afterwards, complete the activity Where Are the People Like Me? with your children. You’ll need some
supplies, so make sure to get them organized ahead of time. (Alternately, you might want to try
“Understanding Prejudice Through Paper Plate Portraits.”)
Here’s an effective activity for teens: “Using Editorial Cartoons to Teach Social Justice.”
Reflection #10: Mirrors, Windows, and Doors

Think of a book you have recently read with your children. Did a particular scene, circumstance, or
character spark a conversation about race or another social justice issue? Do you feel the conversation
brought more clarity or awareness to the issue?
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 7: What Can I Say?
If you completed one of the activities suggested above, did this activity lead to a conversation? Did you
feel it was a successful activity? Why or why not?
Were there any emotions or statements that arose from the activity which you had a hard time
responding to? If you could replay the experience, how would you handle it differently?
Think of a book you have read recently (this can be a book you’ve read for pleasure or a book you’ve
read with your children). Use the lens of mirrors, windows, and doors to frame your experience. Did the
book provide a mirror to your personal experience in some way? If so, how?
How did it provide a window into the experiences of others?
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How did it open a door into a new way of being or of understanding the world?
Consider This
True equality means holding everyone accountable in the same way,

regardless of race, gender, faith, ethnicity, or political ideology.
Monica Crowley
I look at an ant and I see myself: a native South African, endowed by

nature with a strength much greater than my size so I might cope
with the weight of a racism that crushes my spirit.
Miriam Makeba
It is never too late to give up your prejudices.

Henry David Thoreau
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Lesson
8 Acting for Racial

Justice
Action Is Empowering
There is power in reading and talking with your kids about race. What we think has a direct impact on
what we do. And learning is a very essential and powerful form of doing.
Another form of action is building community. Be intentional about spending time with and forming
strong relationships with people in your community who are working for racial justice. Seek out places,
organizations, and events that are working toward racial justice and diversity. Good relationships take
time and so be patient, and don’t get discouraged if you feel like you aren’t making strong connections.
The goal is for our families to be better equipped to be in solidarity with each other and to challenge
injustice in our communities. It’s hard to do this when we don’t even know each other so a good start-
ing place is to connect with your neighbors and those you see on a regular basis.
Moving forward with the spheres of influence we looked at in unit 2, think about moving from your
family and neighborhood outward into the world. Get involved locally. Wherever you live, there are
bound to be social justice groups. If not, get something started! For example, in Vermont, The Root
Social Justice Center organizes forums about social justice issues with a racial justice focus, and Migrant
Justice organizes with local undocumented migrant farmworkers for basic human rights and dignity.
The next step might be to connect with others around national and global action. National and global
issues can feel so distant and disconnected from our day-to-day lives, yet we are all interconnected
when it comes to social justice. There are people and organizations all over the world working toward a
more equitable society. Here are few good places to start:
Showing Up for Racial Justice uses community organizing, mobilizing, and education to help peo-
ple act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice.
Black Lives Matter takes action to end the systematic oppression of black people and affirm that
all black lives matter.
#Not1More builds collaboration between individuals, organizations, artists, and allies to
expose, confront, and overcome unjust immigration laws.
Idle No More calls on all people to join in a peaceful revolution to honor Indigenous sovereignty,
and to protect the land and water.
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Lesson 8: Acting for Racial Justice Foundations in Social Justice
As you begin to educate yourself about ways that people are currently working for racial justice, you
can begin to take action in a way that works for you and your family. Here are some steps you can take:
1. Learn more about racial justice. Read more. Educate yourself and others.
2. Be intentional about forming relationships with people from many races and ethnicities.
3. Have conversations about race-related topics and events with your kids, with others who are like
you, and with others who are different from you.
4. Find out what is happening locally to promote racial justice. Get involved.
5. Support national and global campaigns for racial justice.
Which of these steps are you already taking? Which ones would you like to take? Set some specific,
attainable, relevant goals for yourself. Action can manifest in many ways. Check out this SURJ Mother’s
Day Action Toolkit for ideas. Find an action that would be meaningful to you and your family.
Consider This
Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but

by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural
legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.
bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins)
I plan to stand by nonviolence, because I have found it to be a

philosophy of life that regulates not only my dealings in the struggle for
racial justice, but also my dealings with people, and with my own self.
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Lesson
9 Religious Diversity
Are Race and Religion Connected?
If someone asked you the question above, how would you answer? Yes or no? Or maybe yes and no? Of
course, a black person might be a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, just as an Arab American might be
Christian, Muslim, or Jew. A Native American might be a Christian or might follow an indigenous reli-
gion, and a Latino might be an atheist. Race doesn’t determine religion and religion doesn’t determine
race. However, religion is sometimes associated with a person’s race or ethnicity, so it can be helpful to
address issues related to religious tolerance while talking about race.
Religious intolerance and instances of hate speech and hate crimes aimed at religious groups have
been seen throughout history and continue to cause conflict in the U.S. and around the world. Often,
instances of religious intolerance are combined with racism. Muslims and Arab Americans have been
targeted in recent years, and individuals have been subjected to discrimination, bullying, and violence
based on their group identity. Many have been unfairly judged and held accountable for the violent
actions of others.
Just as we must teach children to appreciate racial diversity, we must also teach them to appreciate
religious diversity. This is a natural extension of learning to respect and honor each person as an indi-
vidual. One way to open the conversation about religious diversity is to learn a little bit about the
sacred practices, objects, and symbols of several major world religions as well as the traditional beliefs
and religious practices of the local indigenous population.
In “The Why and How of Religious Diversity Training,” author Deborah J. Levine identifies five main aspects
that can help us understand and honor the religious practices of others:
1. Sacred Space: Know the geography, terminology, and choreography of religious practices.
Where are the headquarters, or central authority? What is the house of worship called and what
are the practices for entering? Who is the leader and what is the term for this person? Don’t
underestimate the importance of this information.
2. Sacred Time: What are the weekly times for worship? When are the annual holy days? Do the
dates change yearly? Are there seasonal celebrations?
3. Sacred Language: Know how to refer to the sacred writings of each religion. What are they
called, who wrote it and in what language? Who are the major prophets and how do they refer to
God? What are the followers of each religion called?
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Lesson 9: Religious Diversity Foundations in Social Justice
4. Dying and Death: Know how the religion views the meaning of death and the rituals
surrounding it. What happens to the soul after death? To the body? What are the funeral and
mourning practices that should be honored?
5. Sacred Food: Know the basics of dietary laws attached to religious traditions. What is allowed to
be eaten and when is it eaten? What is forbidden and should not be served? What food is used to
celebrate and when is fasting practiced?
By making the effort to educate ourselves, we can gain a better understanding of those in our commu-
nities and become better friends and neighbors.
Read
Read “Teaching Kids to Respect Other Religions” (Parents.com).
Read “Take Action: How Non-Muslims Can Help to End Islamophobia” (Campus Pride).
You may also want to explore the website Tanenbaum.org, which is dedicated to combating religious
prejudice.
Watch
Watch these two short videos:
“Not in Our Town: Billings, Montana”
“Love Has No Labels”
Activity #11: Multicultural Celebration

Imagine it is winter and your community wants to hold a big event to celebrate the winter holidays.
Members of your community celebrate many different traditions: the winter solstice (sometimes
called Yule), Kwanzaa, Hannukah, Christmas, Ramadan (this is not always a winter holiday, but moves
around the year, so let’s assume that this year it falls in December), Omisoka, Bodhi Day, and New
Year’s Eve and Day. Feel free to add other holidays, as well. There are also members of your community
who do not celebrate holidays.
Do a little research on each holiday, and create an event at which all of the members of your diverse
community will feel comfortable and welcome. Pay special attention to the “dos and don’ts” of each
holiday so that everyone will be able to celebrate without doing anything that is avoided as part of
their tradition. For instance, if you choose to celebrate with food, be aware that some traditions have
rules about certain types of food and about what time of day it is appropriate to eat during the holiday.
Approach this project like a big puzzle, and see what sort of beautiful thing you can make when you fit
everyone’s different celebrations together.
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 9: Religious Diversity
Reflection #11: Multicultural Celebration

Has there been a time in your life when you felt judged based on your religion? Have you ever judged
someone else based on their religious beliefs or practices?
Have you ever witnessed an act of religious intolerance? What happened? How did you react?
If a similar situation comes up in the future, how might you act differently?
When learning about other religions, what questions came up? Did anything surprise you?
What are some ways you plan to help your children gain an appreciation of religious diversity?
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Lesson 9: Religious Diversity Foundations in Social Justice
Consider This
The earth is the mother of all people, and all people

should have equal rights upon it.
Chief Joseph
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in

the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the
helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
Fred Rogers

• Kids are picking up on the concept of race much earlier than they are able to verbalize. Talking
about it helps them understand their experience.
• Our history is a story that is told through books and media of all kinds. Make available to children
media that reflects many narratives and experiences.
• Learning is a form of action—start there and move outward into other spheres of influence.
• Appreciating religious diversity is another way to honor and respect each individual.
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UNIT 4:
Economic Justice
“Equality of opportunity is not enough. Unless we create an environment where everyone
is guaranteed some minimum capabilities through some guarantee of minimum income,
education, and healthcare, we cannot say that we have fair competition. When some people
have to run a 100-metre race with sandbags on their legs, the fact that no one is allowed
to have a head start does not make the race fair. Equality of opportunity is absolutely
necessary but not sufficient in building a genuinely fair and efficient society.”
Ha-Joon Chang, 23 Things They Don’t Tell You about Capitalism
(Image credit: Marco Verch)
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Lesson
10 Money Matters
Capitalism and the 99%
The equitable distribution of resources is one of the basic principles of social justice. What would that
look like? It can be really hard to imagine an equitable distribution of resources when in our lifetime all
we have known is inequality. Whether we’ve been aware of it or not, since the 1970s we’ve been
experiencing:
• the increasing monopolization of ownership.
• the increasing privatization of business which funnels profit to a small number of people.
• increased production even as wages/salaries have stayed steady or decreased.
In short, it is getting harder and harder for the bottom 99% of the population to survive and thrive,
while the wealth of the top 1% increases like never before.
Consider this saying: “When you have more than you need, build a longer table, not a higher fence.”
This quote offers a different vision of the distribution of resources. Think about how the world might
change if those with an abundance consumed less and shared more.
Many people think of the economy and economic justice in terms of money, but money is really a
byproduct of the management of resources (including human resources or labor). Capitalist countries,
like the United States, have a “growth economy,” which is aimed at increasing profit over sustainability,
focused on competition over cooperation, and based on monopolies and privatization rather than col-
lective ownership.
In capitalism, there has always been a wealthy class and an impoverished class. In 2014, almost 15% of
Americans—over 46 million people—lived below the federal poverty line, which was set at an annual
income of $23,492 for a family of four. Unless you are part of that 15% of Americans, it may be nearly
impossible for you to image the lifestyle changes you’d have to make in order to support a family of
four with that amount of money. At the same time, the net worth of the richest member of the Forbes
400 has soared from $2 billion in 1982 to $76 billion in 2015. Most people find it equally impossible to
imagine how one person can control that much money. And yet most people in the U.S. are wealthy
when compared to others around the world. And many of us have unrealistic and inaccurate assump-
tions about the distribution of wealth in our country.
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Lesson 10: Money Matters Foundations in Social Justice
(Image credit: Mother Jones)
Issues around racial justice and economic justice are often closely connected. The photo on the next
page shows people, displaced by a flood in Kentucky in 1937, during the Great Depression, waiting in
line for food in front of a billboard showing a very different “American Way.”
(Image credit: Margaret Bourke-White)
Read
Read the following articles to better understand how racial justice and economic justice are entwined:
“We Need Racial Justice and Economic Justice”
“New Obamacare Data Shows How the Struggles for Economic Justice and Racial Justice Are
Connected”(take note of the graphs in this article)
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 10: Money Matters
New Economic Models

Are there other ways of organizing an economy? Yes! There are many people right now working to plan
for and experiment with what it would take to have a just economy. The New Economy Coalition is just
one organization of many working toward a new, equitable economic model in which people will be
compensated fairly for the work they do, have decision-making power, and be able to meet their needs
while taking into account our interconnectedness with the environment. In other words, this new
model will operate from a foundation of social justice principles. Other organizations focus attention
and efforts on creating an equitable community, and you can find a wide array of resources online.
The dream of economic justice is motivating people to take action and make change happen. Around
the world there are massive grassroots campaigns that are having big successes in bringing about
change.
Watch
Watch “Wealth Inequality in America” for a clear explanation of the unequal distribution of wealth in this
country.
Watch the video about alternatives for the future of our world at The Next System Project.
Activity #12: Making Cents of Privilege

In this activity, Making Cents of Privilege (Teaching Tolerance), children can start to understand how
wages affect purchasing power. You can adapt it to reflect the current minimum wage in your area.
Instead of using menus and the example of eating out at a restaurant, you might want to use grocery
store ads and the example of buying food for a meal.
With older children and teens, you can make it even more practical and relevant by using the weekly
grocery receipts for your household. How long would it take, working at minimum wage, to earn
enough to buy that much food? You can also expand the activity to include the cost of housing, utili-
ties, transportation, clothing, and health care in your area. A natural extension of this activity is to
have teens take responsibility for planning meals and purchasing food for one week while staying
within the family’s budget.
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Lesson 10: Money Matters Foundations in Social Justice
Reflection #12: Making Cents of Privilege

What is your emotional reaction to learning about inequitable distribution of wealth?
What are some of the changes that you think would have the most impact on poverty in your area? Of
all the new economic models you’ve learned about, which do you think would be the most effective?
Why?
Are you aware of any local organizations that are working toward economic justice? If so, what are they
doing?
How might you help? How might your family get involved?
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 10: Money Matters
Consider This
Do you agree or disagree with the quotes below? Why or why not? Which ones will you choose to post
around your house or classroom to promote further discussion? Which individuals quoted below will
you learn more about?
We can have democracy in this country, or

we can have great wealth concentrated in the
hands of a few, but we can’t have both.
Louis D. Brandeis
Power tends to corrupt; absolute power

corrupts absolutely.
Lord Acton
Just as the commandment “Thou shalt not kill”

sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value
of human life, today we also have to say “thou
shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and
inequality. Such an economy kills. How can it
be that it is not a news item when an elderly,
homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news
when the stock market loses two points?
Pope Francis
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Lesson
11 New Ways to Think

About Money
What Messages Are We Giving Our Kids About
Money?
Talking about personal money matters can be challenging. Talking about larger societal problems like
poverty and wage inequity can be even harder. So how can we help our children understand the prob-
lems? More importantly, how can we equip them for an ever-changing economy so they can be part of
envisioning and creating a new economic model?
There may be ways in which economic inequality is showing up in your house. Many hardworking fam-
ilies find it nearly impossible to pay all of the household bills and still have enough money left over for
food, transportation, and clothing. Sometimes we have to make uncomfortable decisions, sacrifices,
and lifestyle changes if our job or income changes. Has your economic level caused stress in your
household? Have you said things like “We don’t have the money for that” or “We can’t do that anymore
because it costs too much”? Have you had to choose which bills to pay because you don’t have money
to pay all of them at once? Have you experienced embarrassment at receiving government benefits
such as food assistance or subsidized health care? Are you giving your kids the message, “Money is
scarce” or “We’ll never have enough money”?
On the other hand, we might be fortunate enough to have adequate income for our family’s needs.
While we can feel grateful for this, we might also have conflicting feelings about why we have enough
when others don’t. Does your awareness of poverty in others’ lives cause you to feel uncomfortable
about having enough money or possessions, or too much? Do you wish money could be shared more
equitably in our society, but you are afraid of having money taken away from you? Do you sometimes
wonder if those in poverty just aren’t working hard enough, and if they tried harder, they could earn
enough money to be comfortable? Are you giving your kids the message, “Money is there for anyone
willing to work hard” or “We have enough money for ourselves but we can’t afford to share”?
These are very personal and complex issues that many adults struggle to process. How can we teach
our children about economic justice, taking into account our own financial situation as well as that of
others?
We give our kids powerful messages every day in the way that we talk about money, how we spend
money, what we encourage them to do with money, how we respond to the basic needs in our
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Lesson 11: New Ways to Think About Money Foundations in Social Justice
community, and how we interact with people who have a different class background than we do. If we
can bring more awareness to how money affects our lives, and how money affects society, we can
begin to understand the issues of economic justice. Understanding is the first step in working toward
positive change for all.
Activity #13: Money Makes a Difference

With older children and teens, watch “The Story of Solutions.” Discuss the ideas it presents and learn
about “game-changers” in your region.
With your older children and teens, play the game Spent to get a feel for what it is like to be living in
poverty.
If possible, check out Co-opoly, the board game based on Monopoly that focuses on building a coopera-
tive business. In Co-opoly, either everyone wins or everyone loses—it’s a “we’re all in this together”
game.
In addition to these activities, over a period of one week, notice the conversations about money and
economic class that happen in your house and in your daily life. Use these conversations to discuss and
process what you are learning.
Reflection #13: Money Makes a Difference

What are some conversations you’ve had about money in your house recently? In what ways were
those conversations successful? What would you change next time?
What are some conversations you think are important to have with your kids? What else do you need
to know to have that conversation? Where will you find that information?
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 11: New Ways to Think About Money
Has what you’ve learned about economic justice caused you to change the way you think, talk, or act in
relation to money? Has it changed your purchasing decisions?
What feelings have come up for you in the lesson?
Taking Action to Make a Difference

How can we stand up and show up for economic justice? For starters, we can believe in the power of
learning and talking about class and the economy with our kids. We can find books to share with our
kids that illustrate cooperation and collective ownership, and show people valuing all kinds of work,
sharing, and creating a world where everyone can meet their needs. We can notice how stereotypes
get in the way of forming authentic relationships with people of different economic backgrounds
(poor, working class, lower middle-class, middle-class, upper class, and the many who go in-between
different classes). And notice how our own perception about the economy and our place in it impacts
our conversations. This is the first sphere of change—transformation on the personal and family level.
The next step might be to build relationships with people working for economic justice. There are
many ways we might intentionally support efforts for economic justice in our communities, such as
working in a community garden that helps provide food for people who are homeless or volunteering
your time and services to help low-income elderly people. When we work in solidarity with each other,
we can be more effective in challenging injustice in our communities. Of course, it’s hard to do this
when we don’t even know each other. Building relationships through shared efforts can strengthen our
families in surprising and gratifying ways.
Activity #14: Making Change Happen

Get involved locally. Wherever you live, there are probably groups working for economic justice. If not,
get something started! Here are two worthy organizations—find out what they are doing to promote
a healthy, shared economy:
Time Banks
Grounded Solutions Network
Take steps to get involved in whatever way works for your family.
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Reflection #14: Making Change Happen

Here are some key questions to ask ourselves about the kinds of messages we are giving our kids about
money and economic justice. There is no judgment implied by these questions, so try to answer them
honestly and without self-recrimination. By reflecting on and answering these questions, we can clar-
ify what we want to be teaching our children, and make adjustments as needed to better achieve these
goals.
Do you teach your kids to respect and value work done by janitors, garbage truck drivers, house clean-
ers, childcare providers, and food service workers as much as the work done by doctors, lawyers, finan-
ciers, and managers? Do you believe in and talk about equitable compensation for work done?
Do you teach your kids to share what they have, not in an “I’m better than you” kind of way (charity),
but in a “We are all in this together” kind of way (solidarity)?
What messages do you express about scarcity and abundance? Do you teach your kids that there is not
enough and never will be enough? Or that there is enough for us all?
Do your words and actions suggest that economic inequality is inevitable—just something we must
accept about the world, no matter how awful? How might you talk about and support initiatives that
promote economic justice?
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 11: New Ways to Think About Money
Think of a person in your life with whom you can talk about money, someone who can challenge you to
think about economic justice. What questions might you discuss together?
Consider This
Rather than reading these quotes all at once, consider taking one at a time and use it to open a discus-
sion about economic justice.
True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to

see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.
Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the

philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice
which make philanthropy necessary.
True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and

independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of
which dictatorships are made.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Economic depression cannot be cured by legislative action or executive

pronouncement. Economic wounds must be healed by the action of the
cells of the economic body—the producers and consumers themselves.
Herbert Hoover
When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the
poor have no food, they call me a communist.
Dom Hélder Câmara
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Key Take-Aways for Unit 4

• The economy is more than just money, it is how resources (including human) are managed.
• Economic justice and racial justice are interconnected in complex ways.
• The way we talk about money reflects our beliefs about scarcity and abundance, and can either
support the current economic model or promote a new one.
• Being intentional about cross-class relationships and developing relationships with people work-
ing to promote a more just and equitable economy will strength our families and communities.
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UNIT 5: Disability
Justice
“There is no greater disability in society,
than the inability to see a person as more.”
Robert M. Hensel
Paralympic athlete Femita Ayanbeku
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Lesson
12 Independence Versus
Interdependence
Reframing the Focus of Disability Justice
When many people address disability justice, they focus on how to help improve accessibility, or use
inclusive language, or avoid making assumptions about how and when to offer help to someone who
has a disability. The focus is on how “we” can help “them.” But what if we reframe this? What if our goal
is to move beyond an us/them mentality and work toward a new reality, where each person is treated
with respect and dignity with no limits or conditions placed on any perceived differences? Does this
mean we turn a blind eye to disability? No, of course not—just as being “colorblind” doesn’t help pro-
mote racial justice, pretending disabilities don’t exist doesn’t help promote disability justice.
One of the main obstacles to achieving justice in this realm is that, in general, we have a hard time
including people with disabilities in any true and meaningful way in our society at large. One comment
frequently heard from adults living with a wide range of disability (physical and mental) is the frustra-
tion about not being able to find work. Many recognize the impracticality of the employers hiring them
because many small businesses have a very narrow profit margin, and may feel “someone else will
always be more qualified and more productive than me.” If we continue to expect people with disabili-
ties to be productive in the same way as their able-bodied counterparts, we continue to perpetuate
injustices based on disability.
While we use capitalism—and the mentality of more, bigger, richer—as our society standard, we will
not be able to fully include people with disabilities in the working world on an equitable scale because
the budget projections and financial goals simply don’t allow it. Within capitalism, productivity is our
greatest value. Many businesses feel unable to hire people with disabilities because these individuals
might need extra support or accommodations. This is not cost-effective. When companies are more
interested in profit than people, people suffer, every time.
Our entire system needs to change before we can expect true justice for people living with disability.
Separation by ability is at the heart of ableism, which is discrimination in favor of able-bodied people or
treating people differently based on ability. True justice would allow people with disability to be fully
integrated into schools, community life, and jobs, with the support that they need to fully participate.
In that way, all individuals would be able to share their gifts, skills, talents, and perspectives.
An important concept to remember when discussing disability is this: disability is nothing more than
the mismatch between the skills a person possesses and the expectations placed upon them. Dyslexia
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was not a disability until society became text-based, and “weakling” has ceased to be a relevant insult
in an era when a huge percentage of jobs don’t require physical strength. Kids need to understand this
concept because most will, at some point, be disabled at least temporarily in some way (due to illness
or injury), and all will be in contact at some point with others who are disabled, either temporarily or
on a long-term basis.
Watch
Watch “Isn’t It a Pity? The Real Problem with Special Needs.”
A Model of Interdependence
Any of us, at any point in our lives, could suddenly be in a position where we need help. Our culture val-
ues strength and independence. Needing others is sometimes seen as a sign of weakness. Disability
justice seeks to throw this framework on its head. In “What Disability Justice Has To Offer Social
Justice,” Theo Yang Copley writes:
“Ableism depends on maintaining the myth that we can be self-sufficient if we are strong
enough—the myth of independence. Disability justice proposes a framework for seeing one-
self that is more relational and transformative—interdependence, in which other people are
necessary for physical, emotional and community health and well-being. Interdependency val-
ues our connection to others and communities.”
Think about what this means. We need each other, all of us. If embracing a model of interdependence
means a certain level of productivity and efficiency is lost, the gains in community and well-being
result in a richer quality of life overall. Win!
In “Interdependency (excerpts from several talks),” Mia Mingus writes:
“It is from being disabled that I have learned about the dangerous and privileged ‘myth of inde-
pendence’ and embraced the power of interdependence. The myth of independence being, of
course, that somehow we can and should be able to do everything on our own without any help
from anyone. This requires such a high level of privilege and even then, it is still a myth.”
Disability is not a tragedy that has to be overcome. It is a difference that is part of a unique individual
whose contributions to the community and the world should not be limited or defined by the
disability.
Activity #15: Don’t Laugh at Me

This activity is aimed at children, but can be effective for all ages. It is based on Teaching About Tolerance
Through Music (Education World).
1. Read the song lyrics to Don’t Laugh at Me or watch the video from singers Peter, Paul, and Mary.
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2. After reading “Don’t Laugh at Me,” discuss the messages in the song. You might get things started
with a few open-ended questions:
• Who are some of the people mentioned in the song who are feeling pain? Why are they feel-
ing that way?
• The song includes the words “I’m fat, I’m thin, I’m short, I’m tall, I’m deaf, I’m blind,” and
says, basically, we are all like that. What does this mean? How might we all be “blind” to
some people? How might we all be all of these things? Or does it mean that no matter who
you are, you might be laughed at (or discriminated against) and that hurts?
• Do you think most people can relate to the words of this song? Have you ever felt the way
the people mentioned in the song feel?
With older children and teens, you might want to explore the ways different aspects of social justice
intersect (race, class, disability, etc.).
Reflection #15: Don’t Laugh at Me

What’s your first reaction when you see or think about someone with a disability?
Would you consider this reaction positive, negative, or neutral? Why?
Based on what you’ve learned so far in this unit, has your mental framework around disability begun
to shift? If so, how?
What are your thoughts around independence and interdependence?
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What kind of interdependence do you cultivate in your own life?
What do you think needs to happen so that people with disabilities can be fully supported and inte-
grated in our communities?
Have you ever experienced or witnessed an injustice around disability? How did you respond? What
might you do differently if a similar situation were to arise?
Consider This
Use these quotes to further your conversations and introspection on disability justice.
Being disabled should not mean being disqualified

from having access to every aspect of life.
Emma Thompson
Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes

doesn’t mean he lacks vision.
Stevie Wonder
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Part of the problem with the word “disabilities” is that it

immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk
or do other things that many of us take for granted.
But what of people who can’t feel? Or talk about their
feelings? Or manage their feelings in constructive ways?
What of people who aren’t able to form close and strong
relationships? And people who cannot find fulfillment
in their lives, or those who have lost hope, who live in
disappointment and bitterness and find in life no joy, no
love? These, it seems to me, are the real disabilities.
Fred Rogers
The arrogance of the able-bodied is staggering. Yes,

maybe we’d like to be able to get places quickly, and
carry things in both hands, but only because we have to
keep up with the rest of you. We would rather be just
like us, and have that be all right.
Barbara Kingsolver
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and

the blind can see.
Mark Twain
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Lesson Acknowledging
13 Disability with
Grace and Honesty
Developing Appropriate Responses
Children are sometimes confused or scared of physical differences, and react to that confusion or fear
with anxiety. Adults are sometimes scared, too, or confused about what do to. Coming face to face
with another’s disability sometimes causes us to experience feelings of relief (“Thank goodness that’s
not me or my child!”) or guilt about feeling relief, or conflicted feelings of pity, embarrassment, help-
lessness, or ignorance. We might worry about not saying or doing the “right” thing, such as offering to
shake hands before realizing the person’s upper body movement is limited. It’s important to spend
some time sorting out these feelings so that we can be present and supportive when helping our chil-
dren develop a strong sense of disability justice.
Most often when children become aware of another’s disability, they are simply curious. Sometimes
that curiosity leads them to point, stare, or make comments. As parents trying to raise compassionate,
polite children, we might be embarrassed that our child would respond like that. We might think, “My
child is being rude to this person with a disability, so I need to quickly get him out of here.” It is not our
job as parents to shush our children in this situation. People who look or act differently get stared at a
lot; your child is not alone in making an observation about someone’s wheelchair, or the way they flap
their arms, or their lilting gait. How do we stave off embarrassing moments in public places, in which a
child rudely or loudly acknowledges someone’s difference? We can’t. These things will happen and
though it is embarrassing, the person on the receiving end has encountered this before. It’s the way
you respond that changes the interaction.
Generally, we struggle as a culture with an acceptable way to talk about and notice differences, but
talking openly is key to creating a more just and accepting world. Noticing similarities and differences
is essential. We should notice! People are beautiful, interesting, and important, not in spite of their dif-
ferences but because of them.
Often people with disabilities feel unseen and unnoticed because everyone is so careful not to draw
attention to the obvious fact of someone being in a wheelchair or being deaf. We need to be able to
talk openly about disability so that it is not taboo. A Brattleboro, Vermont community member who is
blind expressed these thoughts: “I can hear people very clearly, and I often hear parents telling their
children not to point or stare, or I know they are moving so far out of my way to avoid being touched by
my cane. I would much rather be asked questions than be invisible. I’d rather people say hi to let me
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know they are there.” Don’t let the people in your town feel invisible! Say hello, acknowledge their
humanity, and teach your children to do the same.
Everyone wants to be seen and heard. Teaching our children to see everyone is important, but part of
that means letting our children notice differences. Physical differences do not define a person, but
they are part of a person. It’s okay that your children notice physical or behavioral differences. Honor
this.
Reading can be a powerful way for parents to start honest conversations with their kids about any
topic. It’s an especially effective way to start to normalize the experience of people who are different
from you. Start to include books in your regular reading that feature main characters who have disabil-
ities but are not defined by them.
Authors Sean Stockdale and Alex Strick created the Max the Champion series with this in mind:
“We need books which simply include disabled children naturally in the landscape, alongside
non-disabled peers. Children also need to see disabled protagonists, without disability neces-
sarily having to be an ‘issue’ or the central theme of the book. We need books which counter
the myths and stereotypes of the past, books which remind us that it’s not just pirates who
wear eye patches, that disability does not always mean wheelchairs, and that disabled people
aren’t either bitter and twisted or saintly objects of pity. We need to gently familiarize people
with the ‘social model’ of disability, which explains that people are only disabled by society and
its attitudes, not by the impairments. Finally, we also need books by authors who are disabled
themselves.”
Make a point of speaking to your local librarian to find out what books they have available that natu-
rally include characters with disabilities. You may want to be prepared, with a list in hand, to suggest
titles they may want to include on their shelves.
Read
In each of these essays, the author describes how a parent’s discomfort or nervousness can be relayed
to the child.
Read “7 Things to Do When Your Kids Points Out Someone’s Differences.”
Read “Talking To Kids About Disability (and Voldemort).”
Read “Disability Awareness: 10 Things Parents Should Teach Their Kids About Disabilities.”
Check out the work done by Krip-Hop Nation, whose mission is to educate the music and media indus-
tries and the general public about the talents, history, rights, and marketability of hip-hop artists and
other musicians with disabilities.
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 13: Acknowledging Disability with Grace and Honesty
Activity #16: The Spoon Theory

This activity is designed to help adults and children gain an understanding of living with a disability,
particularly an “invisible” one.
1. Read “The Spoon Theory” by Christine Miserandino.
2. Have each person start with a dozen spoons, and then take turns describing a typical day and
subtracting spoons for energy expenditure.
3. Afterward, discuss the experience. What feelings came up when you started running out of
spoons? How might “running out of spoons” affect a person’s mood or demeanor? How might it
affect their ability to engage in social encounters like cheerful chitchat when you pass someone
on the street or in the hallway?
Reflection #16: The Spoon Theory

Has your child ever pointed at someone in public and made a comment? What was your first reaction?
How do you think you would respond if this happened again?
Have there been times when you saw someone who “looked healthy” using a handicapped parking
spot? How did you feel about it?
Have you ever made an assumption or judged someone based on their energy level or response to you?
How might you look at situations like this in the future?
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Does your family have positive interactions with people who experience disability? Is there anything
you can do to promote or create these interactions?
What is your comfort level when thinking about disability or interacting with a person who lives with a
disability? If you are uncomfortable in these situations, what steps can you take to shift your thinking?
Consider This
Instead of telling disabled kids “you can do anything you want if you
put your mind to it,” I think we should tell them “the things you are
capable of doing matter.” A person can’t live on increasingly strained
hope that someday they’ll be good enough, especially if all you ever do is
tell them who they are and what they do now is worthless.
Annie Segarra
My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things

your disability doesn’t prevent you doing well, and don’t regret the
things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit as well as physically.
Stephen Hawking
Know me for my abilities, not my disability.

Robert M. Hensel
One has to separate the abilities from the disabilities. The fact that
I cannot walk, that I need crutches or a scooter or whatever it is, has
nothing to do with my playing the violin.
Itzhak Perlman
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Lesson
14 Disability
Awareness
Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities
Physical disabilities can be the easiest to recognize but, as we found out in the previous activity, dis-
abilities can be more internal, affecting our energy, moods, mental clarity, memory, and other brain
functions. Mental disabilities can be even more uncomfortable for people to recognize and talk about
than physical disabilities. People with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and those with men-
tal health issues, have the right to be recognized as unique, valuable human beings, just as do those
with physical disabilities, and everyone else, regardless of ability.
It’s important to educate ourselves and our children about different types of disabilities, and to learn
about what is being done on the local and national level. For instance, here are two organizations
doing good work in the area of disability justice as it relates to intellectual or developmental
disabilities:
The Buddy Walk is a national event sponsored by the National Down Syndrome Society. Find
out if you have a Buddy Walk in your town. This is a way to form relationships, start honest con-
versations with your kids, and create a culture of positivity in your own home around
differences.
Special Olympics have been happening since 1968 and gives people with intellectual disabili-
ties a forum for participating in sports and competition. Sports events happen in 170 countries.
Learn more about them, and find ways to support inclusiveness for people with developmental
disabilities.
Watch and Read

Watch Temple Grandin’s TED Talk, “The World Needs All Kinds of Minds” to gain an understanding of liv-
ing with autism.
Read “Words Can Hurt” (Global Down Syndrome Foundation).
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Lesson 14: Disability Awareness Foundations in Social Justice
Mental Health and Mental Illness

For many adults, talking about mental health issues can be even more challenging than addressing any
other type of disability. In “How Should People with Mental Illness Be Treated?” (from Say No to
Stigma, a blog of the Menninger Clinic), the author points out that many people make assumptions
about those with mental illness, and advises,
“Treat someone with mental illness as a person, not as an illness. After all, all humans have vul-
nerabilities as well as strengths and our humanity is found in the sum of our parts, not just in
one or two . . . Snap judgments can be faulty and may deprive us of true understanding of
others. You can’t know that your butcher, mechanic or co-worker is dealing with a mental ill-
ness, just as you can’t know they are dealing with diabetes, cancer or high blood pressure
unless they tell you . . . Open mindedness, curiosity and a willingness to get to know people
without preformed judgments goes a long way in showing basic human courtesy and a respect
for human dignity.”
The article offers these tips (adapted from the National Center on Workforce and Disability) to help raise
awareness about people dealing with mental illness:
1. The terms mental illness and psychiatric disorder are essentially interchangeable. Derogatory
labels demean those people suffering from mental illness.
2. People with psychiatric disorders are not more likely to be violent.
3. Do not assume that people with psychiatric disorders also have cognitive disabilities or are less
intelligent than the general population.
4. Do not assume that people with psychiatric disorders are not capable of working in a wide variety
of jobs that require a wide range of skills and abilities.
5. Do not assume that people with psychiatric disorders do not know what is best for themselves, or
have poor judgment.
6. If someone with a psychiatric disorder gets upset, ask calmly if there is anything you can do to
help and then respect their wishes.
7. Do not assume that a person with a psychiatric disability is unable to cope with stress.
Check in with your feelings about mental illness. Try this: Replace the phrase “psychiatric disorders”
with “physical disability” in items 2–7 on the list above. Would you feel differently about the state-
ments if they were about physical disabilities rather than mental ones? Why?
In order for us to help our children develop understanding and compassion for those with disabilities
(of all types), we need to recognize our own biases and work to neutralize or eliminate them. We keep
circling back to the theme of treating each person as a unique individual worthy of respect. It’s helpful
to remember that we all have our strengths and our challenges, and we are more alike than different.
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 14: Disability Awareness
Read
Read “Mental Health Issues Are Disabilities, Too. It’s Time to Treat Them That Way” (MSNBC).
Explore the resources of The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a grassroots organization dedi-
cated to mental health resources, education, family support, and advocacy. NAMI hosts walks and
conventions, supports people in advocacy work, and more.
Ageism and Disabilities Related to Aging

Everyone ages. While many people who are in their 60s, 70s, and 80s remain healthy and active, in the
general population, the term elderly is practically synonymous with disabled. As the body ages, people
often experience changes in mental and physical capabilities, which can present challenges that are
frustrating, limiting, and frightening. Often, elders are phased out of jobs and opportunities as their
productivity, energy, or capabilities change. Many have their opinions discounted and their voices
ignored, simply on the basis of their age or looks. Our awareness of disability justice can expand to
include all people who are judged or discriminated against because of their limits rather than appreci-
ated for their abilities.
Read
Read “Study: Elderly Go from Being Perceived as Capable Consumer to ‘Old Person’ ” (Oregon State University).
Read “Ageism in America” (NBC News).
Disability Justice for All

How can we promote disability justice in our homes and communities?
• Talk openly and honestly about disability and what that means for people in our community
and around the world. There is often shame or negativity associated with disability. We some-
times pity people who are living with disability. We don’t understand the repercussions of mental
illness and so we stigmatize those who are living with it. Let’s learn more so that we can develop
true relationships with people who are different than we are. Let’s respond to our children’s ques-
tions in a way that is positive and affirming. This invites them to step into a world where all people
are celebrated and noticed.
• Learn more about physical and mental disabilities so we can shift our mental and cultural
framework around disability from negative to positive. This requires a big shift. We need to
embrace what people have to offer. All people express their humanity in unique ways. All have
something to give.
• Get our families involved in the lives and struggles of people living with disability in our com-
munities. Just having relationships with people with disability can shift our perspectives dramati-
cally as we become aware of how their lives are limited, not by their disability but by limiting
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elements in the community. You might find out that there are issues in your community that need
addressing. Are people in your town working to address accessibility issues in some businesses or
public institutions? Is there a way that your family can support them? Social justice work is about
awareness and learning to be agents of change, starting with personal transformation, and mov-
ing out into the world (remember the spheres of influence?).
How can we be willing participants in shedding our own ableism in favor of a different perspective that
honors everyone? Here’s one simple idea you can use right away: Practice using respectful language.
There is a difference between hurtful and curious questions. Practice curious, polite questions with
your child so that they understand the difference and are ready to engage appropriately with a child or
an adult who experiences disability. Tone of voice is also important when learning how to make con-
versation. For instance, instead of asking “What’s wrong with your legs?”, practice phrases like “I see
you wear braces. Those are interesting. Why do you use them?”
Show your child some pictures of people with various disabilities (wheelchairs, Down syndrome, limb
deficiencies, blindness, etc.); these are easily found with an internet search. Do some role playing with
your child in which you each practice an introductory conversation with the person in the photograph.
It’s also important that your child understand that people who experience disability have all different
personalities and moods, just like everyone else. They may not feel like answering your question the
day you ask them, or may have just been asked the same question five times that day already.
Everyone is different and deserves to be treated with respect and compassion.
Watch
Watch “Talk To Me” and “Just Ask.” These are short videos that you might want to share with your children.
Activity #17: How Does It Feel?

This activity puts children into a situation of experiencing a disability while they try to accomplish a
given task. Of course, these activities don’t give a true approximation of living with a disability—we
can stop or start them at any time, unlike someone who works with a disability on a daily basis. But
giving our children a small glimpse into how it feels to be limited physically or mentally can help raise
their awareness and activate their compassion for others.
Try these ideas:
• Run an obstacle course while breathing through a straw (asthma).
• Cut a shape from paper with some fingers taped together (hand differences).
• Navigate the bathrooms of a building or uneven sidewalks in a borrowed wheelchair.
• Wear headphones that play a constant background noise while trying to follow some verbal
instructions (hearing impairment or auditory hallucination).
• Try reading a book by holding it upside down or in front of a mirror (dyslexia and other learning
differences).
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 14: Disability Awareness
This activity lends itself to conversation about consideration and awareness. Ask, “How did it feel to do
this activity? How might it feel if you had to experience this limitation all day, every day? Does it
change the way you think about someone with a disability?”
Point out to your children that most people with physical or mental challenges have learned many
ways to adapt, so their experience is going to be much different than ours. We should not assume that
a person with a physical challenge is struggling to do something just because we think it looks hard for
them or because it was hard for us. Remind children to always ask before jumping in to help someone.
You might want to explore other activities, such as those in the Disability Awareness Activity Packet.
Reflection #17: How Does It Feel?

What conversations did you have with your children about disability awareness and justice? Did the
conversations go well? What challenges did you face?
What might you say next time to promote more awareness?
What was your biggest “Aha!” moment in this unit?
What questions do you have about disability justice or living with disabilities that you’d like to explore
further?
What else would you like to be doing? Create a specific, attainable, relevant goal.
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Consider This
If I could snap my fingers and be nonautistic, I would not.

Autism is part of what I am.
Temple Grandin
I could never have embraced this many people with two arms.
Bethany Hamilton
The only disability in life is a bad attitude.

Scott Hamilton
If we are to achieve a richer culture, we must weave one in

which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.
Margaret Meade

• Disability is not a tragedy that has to be overcome or something that needs to be fixed.
• We need to be able to talk openly about physical and mental disability so that it is not taboo.
• Don’t let the people in your town feel invisible! Say hello, acknowledge their humanity, and teach
your children to do the same.
• In order for us to help our children develop understanding and compassion for those with disabili-
ties, we need to recognize and work to eliminate our own biases.
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UNIT 6: Gender and
Orientation Justice
“All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a
safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.”
Harvey Milk
(Image credit: Ubu Komarova)
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Lesson
15 Gender Roles and

Sexism
The issues surrounding gender and orientation justice are many. There is sexism, particularly as experi-
enced by women who are discriminated against on the basis of their gender. (There is also reverse sex-
ism, which is when men experience gender-based discrimination, such as when they are passed over
for a job that traditionally has been held by women.) There is discrimination based on gender orienta-
tion, most notably experienced by people who identify as transgender and gender-fluid. And there is
discrimination experienced by the LGBTQ community, based primarily on sexual orientation. Each of
these topics are complex and interrelated. In this unit, we’ll give you a starting point for understanding
the issues and gaining an awareness of how to work toward justice as it relates to gender, sexuality,
and orientation.
What Gender Messages Are You Sending?

The story of gender starts before a child is even born. The
question, “Are you having a boy or a girl?” flows out of peo-
ple’s mouths with excitement to expectant mothers.
Although seemingly benign, the question serves as an
example of what we understand as the gender binary–the
classification of gender into two distinct and disconnected
forms of male and female. From infancy, we are placed in
gender boxes by parents, relatives, friends, peers, sports
teams, school systems, etc. These boxes illustrate how soci-
ety thinks we should act based on the gender we were
assigned at birth. Those who step out of the expected gen-
der roles may experience name calling, shaming, bullying,
or even violence.
The graphic illustrates some of the issues that spring from
the limiting gender messages children experience.
Adapted from a poem by Nancy R. Smith
Rigid gender roles limit our children’s potential to fully
express themselves as individuals.
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Lesson 15: Gender Roles and Sexism Foundations in Social Justice
The struggle for gender equity plays out in the workplace, politics, economics, and education as our
culture shifts from being male-dominated to being more egalitarian. This graphic shows two different
perspectives on the topic:
(Image credit: Malcolm Evans)
Watch
Watch “Rewrite the Story.”
Watch “#Like a Girl.”
Watch the trailers for the documentaries “Miss Representation” and “The Mask You Live In” (warning:
strong language). If you are interested in seeing one or both of these films, learn more about screen-
ings near you.
Activity #18: Gender Expectations

This activity is appropriate for children of all ages. (It is based on Gender Equity Activities from the
Alaska Department of Education, where you can find more activities regarding gender roles, sexism,
and gender equity.)
1. Ask everyone to write down their feelings and opinions about the “opposite” gender by answering
the following questions:
• Other than physical differences, how are boys and girls different?
• How are boys and girls the same?
• What does it mean to “act like a boy”?
• What does it mean to “act like a man”?
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 15: Gender Roles and Sexism
• What does it mean to “act like a girl”?

• What does it mean to “act like a woman”?
• Are your friendships with girls different than your friendships with boys? How?
• Do you change your actions and activities when you’re in the presence of the other gender?
How? Why?
Make sure that you write down your answers as well.
2. When everyone has finished, share and discuss your answers. Keep the conversation non-
judgmental. The goal is to have everyone honestly explore their feelings and opinions about
gender. There are no right or wrong answers. By listening to one another and becoming aware
of our own perspective and bias, we can begin to understand how our actions and opinions are
influenced by gender roles and expectations. Awareness is the first step toward change.
3. Finally, create a list of positive statements about males and a list of positive statements about
females. Have everyone work on these lists together so everyone contributes to each list.
Afterward, point out the commonalities, and discuss which statements could be switched to the
other gender’s list.
Reflection #18: Gender Expectations

What was the biggest surprise for you about this activity?
What was the biggest challenge for you?
What gender messages did you experience as a child? What messages have you internalized (ones you
carry with you always)?
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Can you think of an example of something you said or did that was based solely on gender expectations?
Did you find the children in your group to be more or less entrenched in their gender role expectations
than the adults? Why do you think this is?
What gender messages are your kids experiencing? What and who is influencing these narratives?
What concerns do you have around these narratives?
Consider This
I do not wish women to have power over men,

but over themselves.
Mary Shelley
We’ve begun to raise daughters more like sons . . . but few

have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.
Gloria Steinem
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Lesson
16 Gender Identity
From Gender Binary to Gender Spectrum
While many of us were raised in an environment that recognized only two genders—male and
female—great strides have been made in recent years to raise awareness about the gender spectrum.
Language and attitudes that focus on the traditional boy/girl (binary) gender model marginalize indi-
viduals who are intersex (those born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that is not typically male or
female), transgender (those whose biological sex doesn’t match their gender identity), or gender non-
conforming (those who do not identify as male or female).
Here are some clear messages we can share with children:
• Only you know your gender. You can’t tell someone’s gender by their appearance.
• Your physical body doesn’t determine your gender.
• There are more than two genders.
• We need to be respectful of everyone, no matter what their gender or how they look.
Here are some other simple ways to begin working toward justice for gender identity. Start to observe
how you see the gender binary reinforced in your community. Begin thinking about how you might
counteract this influence. Put some thought into the messages you would like your kids to have around
the gender spectrum. Think of a time that your child has said something about gender identity. How
did you respond? How would you like to respond if you have the opportunity again? Children can be
helped to understand that some individuals don’t call themselves a man or a woman, but just see
themselves as a person. Simple, basic steps like these can be the first start on the continuum of action.
If you feel reluctant to broach the subject of gender identity and a fluid gender spectrum, remember:
you don’t have to have all the answers—you just have to be willing to start the conversation! It’s okay if
you don’t know how to respond to something or can’t answer a question that comes up. Continue
learning and finding resources that can support your work.
Watch
Watch “Transgender Basics—Gender Identity Project” to gain a clearer understanding about gender iden-
tity and new models for viewing gender on a spectrum.
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Lesson 16: Gender Identity Foundations in Social Justice
Read
Read “Fact Sheet: Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youth in School” to learn more about issues facing
transgender and gender nonconforming youth.
Take some time to look around the website Gender Spectrum. It has a lot of great resources for parents
working and talking with their children around gender.
Consider This
It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum

instead of two sets of opposing ideals.
Emma Watson
No one can make you feel inferior

without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
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Lesson
17 Sexual Orientation
Love Without Labels
Just as our culture steeps us in limiting messages concerning gender roles and gender identity, the
messages we receive about sexual identity and orientation impact who we are and how we view oth-
ers. In turn, we can pass these messages on to our kids without even realizing it. For example, we may
lovingly tease our girls about a playground “boyfriend” or our boys about “breaking all the girls’ hearts.”
Messages like these unfairly (and mostly unintentionally) box our kids into preconceived categories
based on our expectations about their sexuality.
While we are changing the narrative around gender identity, we also need to embrace a new model of
sexual orientation that is fluid. Instead of expecting people to identify as either gay or straight, under-
stand that there is a wide spectrum of sexual orientation. People might identify as gay or straight, and
this identity might change at different times in their lives. They might identify as bisexual, pansexual
(sexual attraction that is not limited by biological sex, gender identity, or orientation), or questioning
(unsure of who they are attracted to sexually). Developing language and attitudes that recognize and
respect a person’s sexual identity helps us promote justice and create a culture where everyone is
treated with dignity and respect.
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Lesson 17: Sexual Orientation Foundations in Social Justice
Source: Library.fvtc.edu
How can we help our children learn these new attitudes and language? We can stay open with them,
and let them know that all gender expression and sexual identity is normal, even when it is different
from the dominant social expectation. This is done in an age-appropriate way—young children don’t
understand sexuality, but they can understand that sometimes a person might fall in love with any
other person, regardless of gender. Children can understand that you fall in love with who a person is
on the inside, not just what kind of body they have.
Support your kids in their own journey around understanding and navigating sexual identity and ori-
entation. Teach and encourage that gender identity is separate from one’s biological sex, and this is
separate from who you might fall in love with or be attracted to. Let your kids know they can be who-
ever they want to be without any assumptions or expectations from you. Help them to create views
that go beyond traditional stereotyping that they will often see in the world around them. Help them
understand that the messages they see in the media, in advertising, and around the community don’t
always match what we know to be true: everyone is different, everyone is important, and everyone
belongs.
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 17: Sexual Orientation
Read and Watch

Read “Sex? Sexual Orientation? Gender Identity? Gender Expression?”
Watch “Stop the Hate” (Human Rights Campaign), a moving tribute to victims of a mass shooting at an
LGBTQ nightclub in Florida.
Activity #19: Heterosexual Questionnaire

This activity is for teens and adults. Share the “Heterosexual Questionnaire” below, which was
designed to help young adults understand how it feels for gays and lesbians to be asked about their
sexuality. After reading it together, discuss how it felt to be asked these questions. Reflect on if you’ve
ever asked questions like these, or held beliefs like these, about gays and lesbians.
Heterosexual Questionnaire
(Excerpted and adapted from the original created by Martin Rochlin, Ph.D., January 1977)
Please answer the following questions as honestly as possible.
1. What do you think caused your heterosexuality?
2. When and how did you first decide you were heterosexual?
3. Is it possible that your heterosexuality stems from a fear of others of the same sex?
4. Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just a phase you may grow out of?
5. If you have never slept with a person of the same sex, how do you know that you wouldn’t
prefer that?
6. If heterosexuality is normal, why are a disproportionate number of mental patients
heterosexual?
7. Your heterosexuality doesn’t offend me so long as you don’t try to force it on me. Why do you
people feel compelled to seduce others into your sexual orientation?
8. The great majority of child molesters are heterosexual. Do you consider it safe to expose your
children to heterosexual teachers?
9. Why do you insist on being so obvious, and making a public spectacle of your
heterosexuality? Can’t you just be who you are and keep it quiet?
10. With all the societal support that marriage receives, the divorce rate is spiraling. Why are
there so few stable relationships among heterosexual people?
11. Do heterosexuals hate or distrust others of the same sex? Is that what makes them
heterosexual?
12. Why are heterosexual people so promiscuous?
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Lesson 17: Sexual Orientation Foundations in Social Justice
Reflection #19: Heterosexual Questionnaire

How did you feel when taking the Heterosexual Questionnaire?
What came up in the discussion afterward? Were there any commonalities between the experiences of
those in the group?
Has this experience changed your feelings about the issues faced by those in the LGBTQ community?
How?
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 17: Sexual Orientation
Consider This
If you believe in equality, if you believe in standing up

for the rights of all, especially for people most affected
by bigotry and discrimination, then you have no choice
but to be present and accounted for when it comes to
standing up for gays and lesbians in our society.
Michael Moore
I have never thought about my sexuality

being right or wrong. To me it has always been
a case of finding the right person.
George Michael
Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable

seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?
Ernest Gaines
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Lesson
18 Changing the
Narrative
Learning Is Action
When we start changing our language and conversations around gender and orientation, we can sup-
port this change in our children by finding children’s books that reflect this new paradigm. This is tak-
ing action on a very elemental level. There are many great books that divert from the dominant gender
binary narrative and create a whole different message around gender. This new message portrays gen-
der and sexual identity as fluid, accepting, and expansive, and encourages young people to be exactly
who they want to be. For instance, check out Sometimes the Spoon Runs Away with the Other Spoon
Coloring Book for a great way to have fun with your kids while learning about gender justice. Books like
this both validate your own child’s experience and also illustrate all the ways that they can be in this
world, while conveying the attitude that all of it is “normal.”
It’s important to find books that reflect reality in inclusive ways to help counteract the many books
that don’t illustrate the spectrum of sexual orientation, thus reinforcing that heterosexuality is the
norm. Furthermore, many books reinforce subtle messages that keep kids in gender boxes and give
them a limiting script about what it means to be a boy or girl.
Remember, learning is action, so you’ve already started taking action for social justice! Examining what
we’ve been taught about gender and sexuality, and how this has impacted our lives, is another impor
tant step in promoting gender justice. You may find that your understanding of your own views and
how they were created is a process that involves much introspection, education, and conversation with
supportive adults.
Your kids will get ideas outside of the home about gender and sexuality—often messages that are in
opposition to what you want them to learn. Video games, television, and advertising often send mes-
sages that objectify women or equate violence with manhood. Don’t be afraid to speak out when you
see this. Help your kids understand this message and learn to recognize it. Help them learn to recog-
nize that when someone makes fun of another child because of what they are wearing or how they are
acting, that is bullying. Do all you can to begin and continue the conversation with your family, friends,
and community.
In addition, learn about organizations doing work around gender justice. Here are a few places to start:
The Representation Project works toward ending harmful gender stereotyping and to raise
issues of sexism, power, and privilege.
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Lesson 18: Changing the Narrative Foundations in Social Justice
A Call to Men works to shift social norms that negatively impact our culture and to promote a
more healthy and respectful definition of manhood.
Trans Student Educational Resources is a youth-led organization dedicated to transforming
the educational environment for trans and gender nonconforming students through advocacy
and empowerment.
Activity #20: Toolkit Activities

This activity is for children. Do one or both activities in the Toolkit for Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender
Identity, Gender Expression. These activities are intended for classroom use, so you might have to adapt
them for home use if you have a small group.
Reflection #20: Toolkit Activities

Have you been able to open conversations about gender and sexuality with your children? If so, what
went well? If not, why not?
What do you want children to know?
What do you find the most challenging about helping children gain a broader understanding of topics
around gender and sexual orientation?
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 18: Changing the Narrative
What kind of support do you need to make progress in this area?
Consider This
It still strikes me as strange that anyone could have

any moral objection to someone else’s sexuality. It’s
like telling someone else how to clean their house.
River Phoenix
Does it really matter what these affectionate

people do—so long as they don’t do it in the
streets and frighten the horses?
Beatrice Stella Tanner

• Gender stereotypes limit the expression of an individual’s potential.
• Only you know your gender. You can’t tell a person’s gender by looking at them.
• Your body doesn’t determine your gender.
• There are more than two genders.
• Sexuality and sexual orientation can be fluid and change over time.
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UNIT 7: Making
Connections
“There is no ‘them and us.’ There is only us.”
Greg Boyle
“Walk Together Children” mural by Nellie Ashford, 2019
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Lesson
19 Web of Connection
Collective Liberation
It is common to think about race, class, gender, and ability (as well as age, religion, sexuality, climate
change, homelessness, addiction, hunger, immigration, and other social justice issues) as separate
issues or problems. However, if we think about how all these issues are interconnected, we begin to
understand how working for change in one area supports efforts in other areas. Understanding this
intersectionality of social justice issues—the way social systems and structures weave together to limit
opportunities or influence the actions of many different groups of people—is a key element of our
social justice education. Intersectionality can be seen and felt in efforts made to improve life and
equity. For instance, if we are working on homelessness in our town, we may also be addressing hun-
ger, economic disparity, and disability injustices. It’s all connected. We become part of a collective
wave of action and change.
The natural world, plants, animals (including humans!), and the Earth itself are all interconnected and
interdependent. Recognizing our interconnectedness will have a positive impact on the planet and all
its inhabitants. Those involved in raising awareness about climate change have been very intentional
about linking all issues, and about recognizing that the people who are most affected by climate
change are those who have historically been oppressed—the poor, people of color, and indigenous
people.
Human suffering is connected to the suffering of Cultural Social
the planet. When one of us is suffering, all of us DIVERSITY JUSTICE
are suffering, so my liberation is bound up with
your liberation. This concept is called collective
liberation. Grassroots Global Justice Alliance and
Catalyst Project are two organizations working COMMUNITY
toward collective liberation. WELL-BEING
Social justice means treating all people with
respect and taking organized action for collec-
tive liberation. As parents and educators, this
means that while we are teaching our kids to be Economic Environmental
proud of who they are, we are also teaching them SECURITY SUSTAINABILITY
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Lesson 19: Web of Connection Foundations in Social Justice
to be champions of diversity. We are modeling for them how to take action for justice within different
spheres of influence: personal, family, community, regional, national, and global. We are helping our
children develop skills to find their own ways of acting for social justice as they grow into adulthood.
Watch
Watch “A New Kind of Climate Movement.”
With your children, watch one or more videos from Earth Guardians, an organization of youth activists
working toward a just and sustainable world.
Read
Read “10 Ways Youth Can Engage in Activism” (this is a good article to share with your teen).
Consider This
Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty,

advancing economic growth . . . these are one and the
same fight. We must connect the dots between climate
change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global
health, food security and women’s empowerment.
Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.
Ban Ki-moon
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Lesson
20 Lifelong Learning
Where Do We Go from Here?
As we come to the end of this course, hopefully you feel better equipped to promote a more just and
sustainable world, and to guide children toward feeling more aware, connected, and equipped to
make change.
As you move forward with your learning and community-building, here are some ideas you might find
helpful.
Understand the relevance of your actions. When you choose to act for social justice, ask your-
self why you are doing it, or why it is important to do. Staying grounded in the purpose behind
the action can help when you feel tired or overwhelmed (and you will) or when obstacles pres-
ent themselves (and they will).
Build a community of practice. We can join the work of others, or influence others to join us.
By building relationships with people who are working toward social justice goals, we find sup-
port, learn more, have a greater impact on our communities, and grow stronger together.
Focus on the connections. We are all invested in the health of the Earth and of humanity. Look
for ways in which your interests or goals are connected to the work that others are doing. By
learning to think of Earth’s systems—environmental, cultural, political, economic, and more—
as interconnected and interdependent, we can move toward a better understanding of how to
move in a direction that is healthy and beneficial for all.
Learning about social justice is a lifelong process. Think back to the The Action Continuum we looked at
in the first unit. As we continue to learn, we move along the continuum so that we are supporting and
initiating actions for justice. Our kids, however young, are also on that continuum. In actively teaching
them about social justice, we are showing them that we believe they are fully capable of loving them-
selves, of loving others, and of being able to take action for social justice whether it is for themselves, a
friend, or for the planet. This is the essence of hope—a belief that things can and will get better.
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Lesson 20: Lifelong Learning Foundations in Social Justice
Activity #21: Where Are We Now?

Let’s revisit the two activities we did in lesson 2: the Continuum of Action and the checklist of Social
Justice Skills and Knowledge.
Continuum of Action
Using the The Action Continuum, identify where you are in relation to social justice topics below. (Note:
the first block, “Activity Participating” refers to participation in oppression or prejudice.) Take a minute
to check in carefully with yourself and then figure out where you are on the continuum at this time.
Remember to do this activity without judging yourself or others who you are doing it with. The goal of
this activity is awareness, not shaming or judging. This activity can be done individually or in a group,
and you may choose to discuss your place on the continuum with the group, or you may just choose to
become aware of where you and others are.
Actively Denying, Recognizing, Recognizing, Educating Educating Supporting, Initiating,

Participating Ignoring No Action Action Self Others Encouraging Preventing
Supporting Oppression >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Confronting Oppression
Consider each issue, one at a time:

• racism • sexual orientation discrimination
Include any other social justice issues you are interested in and would like to learn more about. Notice
if you are in different places along the path for certain issues, and if this place has changed since the
beginning of the course.
Checklist of Social Justice Skills and Knowledge

Fill out the checklist below, or use use the checklist that has your previous answers so you can see
where you made progress and which areas still need attention. Put a check mark beside any skills and
knowledge that are already in evidence in you, your family, or your group. Feel free to add to the list of
skills or customize it to make it more effective for you.
You might also want to take another look at the Teaching Tolerance Anti-Bias Framework. You may want
to use the grade level Outcomes and Scenarios as you continue your work to broaden your children’s
awareness and skills.
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 20: Lifelong Learning
SOCIAL JUSTICE
✓ SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
DOMAIN
Identity 1. I am aware of and comfortable with my membership in multiple groups in society,
and I have a positive view of who I am.
2. I know my family history and cultural background, and can comfortably talk about
my family and myself and describe our various group identities.
3. I know about current and past contributions of people in my main identity groups,
and understand how I am connected to the collective history and culture of other
people in my identity groups.
4. I can describe how my own identity is informed and shaped by my membership in
multiple identity groups.
5. I know that, while none of my group identities fully defines me, overlapping
identities combine to make me who I am, and that this is true for others, too.
6. I express pride and confidence in my many identities without perceiving or
treating anyone different than me as inferior.
7. I know there are similarities and differences between my home culture and the
other environments and cultures I encounter, and I can be myself in a diversity of
settings.
8. I am conscious of how I express my identity as I move between cultural spaces.
Diversity 1. I interact comfortably with people who are similar to and different from me, and
treat each person with respect.
2. I can accurately and respectfully describe ways that people (including myself) are
similar to and different from each other and others in their identity groups.
3. I respectfully express curiosity about the history and lived experiences of others.
4. I exchange ideas and beliefs with others in an open-minded, non-judgmental way.
5. I know how to talk, work, and play with others even when we are different or when
we disagree.
6. I relate to and build connections with others by showing them empathy, respect,
and understanding, regardless of our similarities or differences.
7. I can explain how the way groups of people are treated today, and how they have
been treated in the past, shapes their group identity and culture.
8. I understand that diversity includes the impact of unequal power relations on the
development of group identities and cultures.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE
✓ SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
DOMAIN
Justice 1. I know it is unfair to think all people in a shared identity group are the same.
2. I relate to all people as individuals rather than representatives of groups.
3. I can identify stereotypes when I see or hear them.
4. I can recognize and describe unfairness and injustice in many forms including
attitudes, speech, behaviors, practices, and laws.
5. I am aware that biased words and behaviors, and unjust practices, laws, and
institutions limit the rights and freedoms of people based on their identity
groups, and cause real harm.
6. I can explain some past and present ways that bias and injustice has impacted
individuals and groups of people.
7. I know that all people (including myself) have certain advantages and
disadvantages in society based on membership in different identity groups.
8. I know about the actions of people and groups who have worked throughout
history to bring more justice and fairness to the world.
Action 1. I pay attention to how people (including myself) are treated, and I try to treat
others how I like to be treated.
2. I express empathy when people are excluded or mistreated because of their
identities and I know how to stand up for myself and for others when faced with
exclusion, prejudice, and injustice.
3. I know how to get help if I need it when standing up to exclusion, prejudice, and
injustice.
4. I can respectfully speak up to people when their words or actions are biased or
hurtful, and I can communicate with respect even to people whose words or
actions are biased or hurtful.
5. I speak up or take action when I see unfairness, even when it’s not popular or easy
or when no one else does.
6. I do not let others convince me to go along with injustice.
7. I join with diverse people to plan and carry out collective action against exclusion,
prejudice, and discrimination.
8. I know a variety of strategies and creative ways to help work toward social justice
goals.
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Foundations in Social Justice Lesson 20: Lifelong Learning
Reflection #21: Where Are We Now?

How do you feel about your place on the continuum of action? How have things changed for you as a
result of this course?
Think about your experience going through the checklist of skills and knowledge a second time. What
areas show the most progress? Which areas would you like to focus on more in the future?
Has any particular social justice topic emerged for you as the most personally relevant at this time? Is
this topic closely related to other topics? How?
How have you integrated into your daily life what you’ve learned in this course? Have you noticed your
children integrating the learning into their lives?
Have you learned something significant about yourself and your parenting or teaching? How will what
you’ve learned guide you forward?
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Consider This
As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality

persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.
Nelson Mandela
Dripping water hollows out stone, not through

force but through persistence.
Ovid

• The intersectionality of social justice issues means that working for change in one area supports
efforts in other areas.
• When one of us is suffering, all of us are suffering, so my liberation is bound up with your liberation.
• Social justice education teaches our kids to be proud of who they are and to be champions of
diversity.
• Learning about social justice is a lifelong process.
Professional Development Certificate of Completion
Click here to download a certificate of completion for 20 hours of professional development.
Congratulations on completing Oak Meadow’s Foundations in Social Justice!
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Appendix
Definitions for Social Justice Terms
Here are some key concepts that are important for understanding social justice, defined in the way
they are used in this course.
Ableism describes attitudes of able-bodied persons that (intentionally or unintentionally) exclude

or marginalize people with disabilities. An example of ableism is designing a building that prevents
access to people with disabilities.
Ally is someone who works together with oppressed groups in the struggle for justice. Allies strive to
recognize their privilege (based on gender, class, race, sexual identity, etc.) and to minimize their own
involvement in the systemic oppression of others.
Anti-bias education is designed to help children respect and embrace differences, and recognize and
resist prejudice.
Bias is a prejudicial attitude or belief that results in unfair treatment of another based on his or her
identity.
Capitalism is an economic system in which individuals own and control the resources of the society,
often by exploiting the environment and low-wage laborers.
Cisgender describes someone who identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth.
Cissexism is pervasive bias in the favor of cisgender people.
Class is relative social rank based on wealth or status. Economic class is often closely tied to race and
gender.
Classism describes discrimination against working class and poor people, based on the attitude that
those with more wealth or status are superior to those with less wealth or status.
Collective liberation is the concept that all forms of oppression dehumanize both the oppressed and
the oppressor, and so each person’s liberation is tied up in the liberation of all.
Colorblind refers to the tendency of white people to not notice or recognize a person’s race or skin
color as an integral part of their identity and experience. Colorblindness, while often well-intentioned,
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Appendix Foundations in Social Justice
denies or discounts as unimportant a person’s daily experience of how skin color can affect their inter-
actions and opportunities.
Culture is the system of values, beliefs, and behaviors that are specific to a particular social group.
Cultural competency is an awareness of one’s own culture and the ability to respectfully interact with
those from another culture.
Discrimination is the unfair treatment of others based on race, gender or gender orientation, eco-
nomic class, sexual orientation, religion, or any other group identity.
Equity is the principle of the fair distribution of wealth, resources, and opportunities based on need
rather than identical distribution. The goal of equity is to eliminate policies and practices that result in
outcomes that differ by race, gender, economic class, or other group identity.
Ethnicity refers to a group identity based on such a shared cultural heritage related to where their
ancestors lived (e.g., Puerto Rico, Ireland, India).
Gender binary system refers to the assumption that people naturally fall into two genders (male/
female) and gender roles (masculine/feminine); this traditional system marginalizes those who are
transgender or gender nonconforming.
Gender expression is how a person expresses their gender identity through behavior, clothing, hair-
styles, voice, and body characteristics.
Gender fluid refers to someone whose gender identity may be expressed or experienced along a fluid
continuum or someone who doesn’t identify with a fixed gender.
Gender identity is an individual’s internal sense of being male, female, or something else (a gender
other than male or female, a combination of genders, or no gender).
Gender nonconforming refers to those who do not follow generally accepted stereotypes about gen-
der and gender roles based on the gender they were assigned at birth.
Genderqueer is an identity used by people who do not identify with the gender binary system.
Gender questioning refers to people who are questioning their gender identity or experimenting with
different genders.
Heterosexism is based on the gender binary, and assumes strict gender roles and identities while dis-
criminating against or denying non-heterosexual behavior, identity, relationships, and reproductive
choices.
Homophobia is dislike, discomfort, or prejudice directed at gays and lesbians.
Internalized oppression happens when negative societal messages about someone’s group identity
become part of that person’s belief system, limiting the ability to succeed and thrive.
Internalized superiority happens when a sense of entitlement and superiority based on someone’s
group identity leads to the mistreatment of others outside the entitled group.
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Foundations in Social Justice Appendix
Intersectionality refers to the way that social justice topics are interconnected through overlapping
systems and social structures.
Intersex is a term used for people who are born with a physical anatomy and/or chromosome pat-
tern that does not fit typical definitions of male or female (also known as DSD, or differences of sex
development).
Marginalize means to treat an individual or group as unimportant or insignificant.
Narratives refer to the messages that are embedded in media and societal structures around gender,
sexuality, race, etc.
Oppression is the systematic and pervasive nature of social inequality, bias, and discrimination.
People of color refers collectively to groups who have been oppressed because of the color of their
skin.
Prejudice is a bias against an individual or group based on a group identity or a preconceived idea not
based on actual experience.
Privilege is unearned social power granted on the basis of membership in a dominant group.
Queer is a term that used to be a homophobic slur but has now been reclaimed by many who identify
as gay, bisexual, transgender, or gender nonconforming.
Race is a classification systems that divides people into groups based on physical traits, ancestry, and
ethnic identity.
Racism is discrimination based on the belief that one race is superior to another.
Sexism primarily refers to discrimination against women on the basis of their gender. Reverse sexism
primarily refers to discrimination against men on the basis of their gender.
Sexual orientation refers to a person’s physical or romantic attraction to others.
Social justice refers to equitable access to wealth, opportunities, and privileges for all individuals in a
society.
Solidarity is working together with disadvantaged or underrepresented groups to bring about a more
just society.
Stereotypes are overly simplistic or unfounded assumptions about individuals or groups based on
group identity.
Transgender refers to people whose gender identity or expression differs from the gender assigned at
birth.
Transphobia is dislike, discomfort, or prejudice directed at transgender people or those who are gen-
der nonconforming.
White privilege refers to policies and practices that prevent people of color from receiving equal
access to privileges and opportunities, including housing, education, and jobs.
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Unit 1: Getting Started with Social Justice................................................. 1

Lesson 1: We’re All Different and We All Belong...............................................03

Lesson 2: What You Know.........................................................................................09

Lesson 3: How to Talk About the Hard Stuff.......................................................017

Oak Meadow iii

Unit 2: Principles of Social Justice.................................................................. 23

Lesson 4: What Does a Socially Just World Look Like?....................................025

Lesson 5: Influencing Change..................................................................................031

Unit 3: Racial Justice.............................................................................................. 35

Lesson 6: What Story Are We Telling?...................................................................037

Lesson 7: What Can I Say?..........................................................................................041

Lesson 8: Acting for Racial Justice..........................................................................047

Lesson 9: Religious Diversity...................................................................................049

Unit 4: Economic Justice...................................................................................... 53

Lesson 10: Money Matters.........................................................................................055

Lesson 11: New Ways to Think About Money......................................................061

Unit 5: Disability Justice...................................................................................... 67

Lesson 12: Independence Versus Interdependence.........................................069

Lesson 13: Acknowledging Disability with Grace and Honesty...................075

Lesson 14: Disability Awareness.............................................................................079

Unit 6: Gender and Orientation Justice....................................................... 85

Lesson 15: Gender Roles and Sexism.....................................................................087

Lesson 16: Gender Identity........................................................................................091

Lesson 17: Sexual Orientation..................................................................................093

Lesson 18: Changing the Narrative........................................................................099

Unit 7: Making Connections............................................................................... 103

Lesson 19: Web of Connection..................................................................................0105

Lesson 20: Lifelong Learning...................................................................................0107

Definition of Social Justice Terms..........................................................................0113

What You Can Expect in This Course

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Important Note About Course Content

viii Oak Meadow

Definitions of Social Justice Terms

How to Get the Most Out of This Course

5. Will there be refreshments? How will that be organized?

Mural by La Morena, Phoenix, Arizona

1 We’re All Different

Activity #1: Group Identity

Reflection #1: Group Identity

Speaking on Behalf of a Group

Sometimes the statements seem positive or complimentary:

Activity #2: Group Statements and Assumptions

Like statement: % agreement likely among group members

Reflection #2: Group Statements and Assumptions

If you think you’re too small to have an impact,

2 What You Know

Initial Acts of Alliance

Actively Denying, Recognizing, Recognizing, Educating Educating Supporting, Initiating,

Supporting Oppression >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Confronting Oppression

Activity #3: Continuum of Action

Reflection #3: Continuum of Action

What do you want to know about this topic?

Activity #4: Social Justice Skills and Knowledge

SOCIAL JUSTICE ✓ SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

SOCIAL JUSTICE ✓ SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Reflection #4: Social Justice Skills and Knowledge

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single

3 How to Talk About

Creating Effective Learning Experiences