Literacy Matters - Vol 21 - Winter 2021

Utilizing Literature Circles to Develop Racial Literacy Among Educators

by Tiffany Hollis Assistant Professor, Spadoni College of Education, Coastal Carolina University

ABSTRACT— In order to take action for social justice, students need to engage in critical inquiry through literature and texts to begin to formulate their questions, thoughts, and opinions needed to build a sense of agency. With the current climate in education, there is a need to reevaluate the role that critical literacy and racial literacy play in helping students engage in conversations about power, privilege, inequality, and other areas social justice and anti-racist themes. Through texts, students can become aware of inequalities that exist and become empowered by developing a critical response, to make sense of them and become change agents. To actively create an anti‐racist climate in classrooms that promotes social justice, educators will need to be intentional about creating a classroom community where potentially difficult conversations about race and racism are supported in a safe, nonjudgmental space. Teachers should also consider focusing on developing their racial literacy in the classroom setting. [Keywords: critical literacy, racial literacy, literature circles, social justice] The racial literacy development of educators and efforts in the classroom can use books in the classroom with anti-racist and social justice themes to facilitate conversations about race, racism, and even privilege. The author discusses racial illiteracy, racial literacy, critical literacy, and the role that literacy strategies such as literature circles can play in promoting targeted discussions and intentional reflection about race and social justice, particularly as those concepts are situated in school and in society. Consequently, the purpose of this article is to support teachers in the strategic and intentional use of various literacy strategies to facilitate dialogue about racism, social justice, and other issues that are relevant to the culturally and linguistically diverse population of students that are taught in the current classroom setting. [ Keywords: critical literacy, racial literacy, literature circles, social justice] Utilizing Literature Circles to Develop Racial Literacy Among Educators In May 2020, when the nation was grappling with the Coronavirus pandemic, the nation was forced to have a reckoning in terms of race in America. Most of the country was under quarantine and could not participate in the regular activities outside, so many were indoors and participating in activities inside, including watching television. The nation was forced to see the murder of George Floyd (an unarmed Black man) by a White cop who restrained Mr. Floyd and kept his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for at least eight minutes and 46 seconds as the news replayed the scene over and over (Altman, 2020; Graves, 2020). This aggressive use of force resulted in Mr. Floyd becoming unconscious and being unable to breathe. He died as a result of the force used. The murder

of George Floyd, the community response to it, and the subsequent police violence all shed some light on racism and its effects on our country, our communities, and our institutions—including schools. The tragic murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a White police officer in Minneapolis caused a rippling wave of protests and outrage. The numerous protests nationwide became a powerful testament to how individuals in minority communities have been oppressed, abused, targeted, marginalized, criminalized, and dehumanized for many years (Altman, 2020). Many took to the streets and to the airwaves to call for justice. Although this was one aspect of why so many Americans have taken to the streets and expressed their outrage and frustration to a society that has seen these injuries to black and brown bodies far too often (Graves, 2020). The issues involved are many; however, what should educators take away from this particular episode in an ongoing saga of the killing of Black men by the people sworn to protect them? What hard truths do teachers, administrators, and policymakers have to confront to remedy issues that George Floyd’s murder highlights? How should the discussion of the racial injustices, racialized experiences, and racism, in general, be discussed, especially with many of our children watching these incidents unfold on television and social media? Should teachers engage students in discussions about race and racism, or should they stick to the curriculum? Although many teachers integrate multicultural education and/or elements of culturally relevant pedagogy, they are hesitant to engage students in discussions about race and racism (Ladson-Billings, 2003; Nieto, 2003). These hesitations are understandable because conversations about racism are personal, vulnerable, and potentially disrupt an already delicate classroom community. However, talking about these issues is imperative to foster racial literacy, transforming social positions, and developing the foundations of a community that leverages all students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds (Bolgatz, 2005; Mosley & Rogers, 2011). In other words, racial literacy engages students in social justice. Developing racial literacy helps students think about the social, cultural, and political aspects of their experiences, with a focus on race. Consequently, the purpose of this article is to support teachers in the strategic and intentional use of various literacy strategies to facilitate dialogue about racism, social justice, and other issues that are relevant to the culturally and linguistically diverse population of students taught in the current classroom setting. If White educators are committed to working toward racial justice and educational equity, this will require taking a hard look in the

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