From Brown V. Board to Ferguson
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FROM BROWN V. BOARD TO FERGUSON: Fostering Dialogue on Education Equity and Incarceration About The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) is a global network of museums, historic sites and grassroots initiatives dedicated to building a more just and peaceful future through engaging communities in remembering struggles for human rights and addressing their modern repercussions. Founded in 1999, the ICSC now includes more than 275 Sites of Conscience members in 65 countries. The ICSC supports these members through seven regional networks that encourage collaboration and international exchange of knowledge and best practices. Learn more at www.sitesofconscience.org. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MG-20-15-0072-15 ]. About The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s approximately 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. All photos in individual models are courtesy of the participant site and community partner(s). All other photos, unless otherwise noted, are courtesy of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. CONTENTS Introduction .............................................................................................................2 Children’s March and Youth Activism .................................................................4 Radical Inclusion in the Movement for Social Change .....................................6 Facing the Future .....................................................................................................8 Dialogue Program Models (with Primary and Contemporary Sources) Seeking Educational Equality: An Intergenerational Dialogue ........................................................... 11 Unfiltered ............................................................................................................................................................17 Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and the NRA ...........................................................................................23 North Star Leaders Social Activism Workshop ....................................................................................... 27 Claiming Education through Youth-Led Active Dialogues: Race, Gender, Voice, and Equity .........33 Colorism Affecting Our Future ....................................................................................................................39 60 Years after the Crisis .................................................................................................................................45 Closing the Gap: An Intergenerational Exploration of Educational Equity ....................................51 Popping Your Bubble with Reality: School-to-Prison Pipeline Mural Painting Project ............. 57 Brown v. Board to Ferguson: Memphis Cohort for Dialogues ..........................................................63 Recommendations for Activism ..........................................................................69 Evaluation Worksheets and Key Findings ......................................................... 72 Program Group Share Template ......................................................................... 74 Program Survey Template ...................................................................................76 Program Video Template .....................................................................................78 Contents | 1 INTRODUCTION By Tramia Jackson International Coalition of Sites of Conscience Museums and historic sites are engaging in activism and are speaking to the challenges of today’s society by engaging marginalized or overlooked voices, particularly the voices of young people. The goal of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (the Coalition) is to help historic sites and memory initiatives around the world share their stories with the public, especially with young people. Race, gun violence, immigration, and incarceration are being discussed among youth in communities across the country and in museums as well. All over the world Coalition members are working with young people to create opportunities for engagement in movements for human rights using their voices and their stories. From Brown v. Board to Ferguson: Fostering Dialogue on Education Equity and Incarceration is one of those initiatives. The goal of From Brown to Ferguson was for youth to engage with difficult topics of race, education equity and incarceration for themselves and make opportunities for others to do the same. In November 2017, space was created at the National Civil Rights Museum for twenty two youth leaders from eleven different cities to gather and discuss these issues. Many of the youth attending the Summit were already engaged in their communities in various ways however NCRM, the Coalition, and a host of museum and social justice practitioners helped the youth put these issues into historical context, connecting the past to the present. The attendees were immersed in the legacies of the civil rights movement and were introduced to practical community organizing and dialogue strategies that they could take back to their communities. This toolkit reflects the programs developed by the youth using the tools from the Summit to address current struggles within their own communities and especially among other young people. This toolkit is the second of two which were produced over the course of the three- year project. In this toolkit, you will find facilitated dialogue models of the participating member sites. Most of the models in this toolkit were developed by the youth leaders for both intergenerational and youth audiences. Models that primarily focus on youth audiences are from Borderland Public History Lab, Jane Addams Hull House Museum, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site and the Levine Museum of the New South. The models in this toolkit not only use the history of the respective site to address specific legacies that affect their communities around the core themes of race, education equity and incarceration, but they also address specific themes that speak directly to the youth experience in the US today, including topics like colorism and the media, engaging stereotypes, school closings and gun violence. Each site program describes the goals of their dialogue which were developed exclusively by the youth leaders at the Youth Summit in Memphis, and include lessons learned from the youth teams, materials, each site’s specific methodology, and step by step instructions for hosting a unique dialogue experience. Facilitators using this toolkit can mix and match materials, instructions and methodologies to best match their own dialogue goals. The toolkit also has a page on Recommendations for Social Action with quotes gathered from the youth leaders themselves. Evaluation forms at the end of the toolkit are also available for use. When combined with the first toolkit, together both are not only a resource for other Sites of Conscience and museum staff to design dynamic dialogic programming around these issues, but can be used to help assist social justice and youth organizations in developing their own programs, ensuring the project’s continued relevance to address struggles for justice and human rights. We are proud to be part of such important work and the From Brown v. Board to Ferguson program. 2 | From Brown v. Board to Ferguson: Fostering Dialogue on Education Equity and Incarceration Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Introduction | 3 CHILDREN’S MARCH AND YOUTH ACTIVISM By Charles Woods III, Education Programs Manager Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Museums and historic sites are engaging in activism and are speaking to the challenges of today’s society by engaging marginalized or overlooked voices, particularly the voices of young people. The goal of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (the Coalition) is to help historic sites and memory initiatives around the world share their stories with the public, especially with young people. Race, gun violence, immigration, and incarceration are being discussed among youth in communities across the country and in museums as well. All over the world Coalition members are working with young people to create opportunities for engagement in movements for human rights using their voices and their stories. From Brown v. Board to Ferguson: Fostering Dialogue on Education Equity and Incarceration is one of those initiatives. The goal of From Brown to Ferguson was for youth to engage with difficult topics of race, education equity and incarceration for themselves and make opportunities for others to do the same. In November 2017, space was created at the National Civil Rights Museum for twenty two youth leaders from eleven different cities to gather and discuss these issues. Many of the youth attending the Summit were already engaged in their