Speaking Out About Race

1. Set Focus 
Pose this essential question: What inspires people to become agents of change?

2. Read and Discuss 
Have students read the article, Then ask them to answer the following questions, citing text evidence: 

• Brandon Griggs says challenging the status quo isn’t easy. What does he mean? What are some ways the teens have challenged the status quo? (Griggs means that it’s difficult to get people to change how they see and do things. Some examples include pushing for a school name change, calling for an antiracist curriculum, and having uncomfortable conversations.)

• Why have some of the teens started organizations? (Griggs, Jordan Scott-Young, and Jeffrey Jin started groups to unite youth voices for promoting concrete actions, such as calling for a town ban on the use of rubber bullets, as Scott-Young’s organization is doing. Emma Rose Smith started an organization with other teens to plan a protest.)
  

• What point do two of the teens make about the diversity of a town’s population and whether racism is present? How do they each support their point? (Scott-Young and Jin both point out that diversity in a town’s population does not mean that the community is free of racism. Scott-Young supports her point with details about inequalities in her town’s schools, such as old playground equipment in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Jin supports his point with personal anecdotes about being treated in a discriminatory way as an Asian American by his white schoolmates.)

3. Core Skill Practice
Assign, print, or project the activity Youth Voices. Have students use the prompts on the graphic organizer to compare and contrast the experiences, points of view, and goals of two of the teens whose essays are included in the article.

4. Writing Prompt
Reflect on how race and racism in the U.S. have shaped your life.  Then write an essay describing your experiences.

5. Classroom Debate
Will the actions of young advocates for racial justice lead to lasting change in the U.S.?

6. Video
Watch the video about about growing up Black. What does it add to your understanding of the topic?