Stonewall was a Riot: Honoring the Contributions of Transgender Individuals to the LGBTQIA Movement
Stonewall was a Riot: Honoring the Contributions of Transgender Individuals to the LGBTQIA Movement

As we celebrate Pride Month, it is important to acknowledge the diversity of those involved in the riots and the gay liberation movement. Historically, the contributions and sacrifices of certain groups, including transgender people (and particularly trans people of color), were either ignored or erased. We cannot allow this to continue. The world needs the strength, resiliency, and leadership of transgender communities.

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Nina GrotchLGBTQ rights, LGBTQIA, police violence, protest, United States
We Charge Genocide: Reckoning with Racial Violence in the United States
We Charge Genocide: Reckoning with Racial Violence in the United States

In response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, demonstrations against police violence have erupted in the United States. The NAACP has called on the UN to declare murders by police as human rights violations, but they are not the first to do so. In December 1951, a Detroit-based civil rights organization, the Civil Rights Congress, delivered an historic petition to the United Nations, charging the United States with genocide.

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Nikki BambauerUnited States, United Nations, racism, racial discrimination, police violence
Fighting the "Invisible Enemy": Discrimination Against Immigrants During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Fighting the "Invisible Enemy": Discrimination Against Immigrants During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Recently, the Trump administration recently attempted to use the coronavirus pandemic to halt all immigration into the U.S. for the next 60 days. From racist comments to pending legislation, immigrants and others perceived as foreigners have been continually blamed and othered during this health crisis. These words and actions have very real consequences and escalate fear and prejudice during already uncertain times.

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Nina GrotchUnited States, immigration, health, discrimination
Literary Blackface: The Case for Diverse Authors in the Classroom
Literary Blackface: The Case for Diverse Authors in the Classroom

To celebrate Black History Month, Barnes and Noble, in partnership with Penguin Random House (PRH), announced their plan to reissue copies of classic novels with covers featuring people of color. The “Diverse Editions“ campaign was met with criticism and skepticism, with some critics calling it “literary blackface”.

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News, EducationNina GrotchEnglish and Language Arts, curriculum, Black History, representation, intersectionality, literature
What Happened to the Rohingya?
What Happened to the Rohingya?

In August 2017, a genocide occurred on our watch. For years, the international community ignored the warning signs in Myanmar. This Southeast Asian nation has led a campaign against the Rohingya people that includes their imprisonment in internment camps and widespread violence against the group. Two years have passed and more than 700,000 Rohingya remain displaced. How did this happen?

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NewsNikki Bambauer
Art or Racist Relic? School Mural Controversy Offers Opportunity for Student Debate
Art or Racist Relic? School Mural Controversy Offers Opportunity for Student Debate

A mural at the entrance of a public high school in San Francisco is receiving national attention due to the controversial nature of its subject. This mural depicts the ugly side of American history, showing George Washington as a slaveowner and depicting Native Americans and African Americans in negative ways.

The debate about this mural raises many questions relevant to our students. The First Amendment, censorship, “trigger warnings,” and the role of art to provoke and evoke feelings are central to examinations of American history and culture.

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NewsNina Grotchart, free speech, censorship, San Francisco, education, history, United States, genocide, slavery, Native Americans, racism