School Gardens After Charlottesville Maya Angelou Sowing the Seeds of Equity Finding Strength, Moving Forward The Life of a Legend TTEEAACCHIHINNGG T OLERANCE ISSUE 58 | SPRING 2018 TOLERANCETOLERANCE.ORG Teaching Hard History It’s more important than ever to teach about American slavery. Our new framework can show you how. FREE WHAT CAN THE NEW TOLERA NCE.ORG DO FOR YOU? LEARNING PLANS GRADES K-12 EDUCATING FOR A DIVERSE DEMOCRACY Discover and develop world-class materials with a community of educators committed to diversity, equity and justice. You can now build and customize a FREE learning plan based on any Teaching Tolerance article! TEACH THIS 1 Choose an article. 2 Choose an essential question, tasks and strategies. 3 Name, save and print your plan. 4 Teach original TT content! BRING SOCIAL JUSTICE WHAT CAN THE NEW TOLERA NCE.ORG DO FOR YOU? TO YOUR CLASSROOM. TRY OUR FILM KITS SELMA: THE BRIDGE TO THE BALLOT The true story of the students and teachers who fought to secure voting rights for African Americans in the South. Grades 6-12 Gerda Weissmann was 15 when the Nazis came for her. ONE SURVIVOR They took all but her life. REMEMBERS Gerda Weissmann Klein’s account of surviving the ACADEMY AWARD® Holocaust encourages WINNER BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT Teaching Tolerance and The gerda and kurT klein foundaTion presenT thoughtful classroom discussion about a A film by Kary Antholis l CO-PRODUCED BY THE UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM AND HOME BOX OFFICE difficult-to-teach topic. Grades 6-12 streaming online THE STORY of CÉSAR CHÁVEZ and a GREAT MOVEMENT for SOCIAL JUSTICE VIVA LA CAUSA MEETS CONTENT STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL STUDIES AND LANGUAGE VIVA LA CAUSA ARTS, GRADES 7-12. An introduction to lessons about struggles for workers’ rights—both past and present. 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BULLIED A Student, a School and a Case that Made History A STUDENT, A SCHOOL AND A CASE THAT MADE HISTORY One student’s ordeal at WHAT ELSE IS NEW AT TOLERANCE.ORG? the hands of anti-gay SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER presents bullies culminates in a message of hope. A TEACHING TOLERANCE DOCUMENTARY Grades 6-12 YOU CAN NOW … BY ALEX WILLIAMSON ILLUSTRATION • Search hundreds of FREE short texts. VIEWER’S GUIDE GRADES 9-12 AN OUTRAGE • Apply for a grant. A documentary film about lynching in the • Share materials with other educators. American South. Grades 9-12 • Get alerts whenever we add new content. AN OUTRAGE A DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT LYNCHING IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH by Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren FREE TO EDUCATORS VISIT TOLERANCE.ORG TODAY! All kits include film and viewer’s guide. ORDER ONLINE! tolerance.org/teaching-kits ISSUE 58 | SPRING 2018 DEPARTMENTS 5 Perspectives 7 Letters to the Editor 9 Ask Teaching Tolerance 11 Why I Teach 19 23 Fear is a reality for Anne Garcia’s students, many of whom come from families with mixed immigration status. But she’s not going to let it dampen her commitment to RESIST on their behalf. 13 Down the Hall Ron Stahley looks back on a career that took him— and his district—where the students needed to go. 15 PD Café 59 Staff Picks Our book and film reviews can help you keep your practice fresh and informed. 62 Story Corner 64 One World As we approach the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, we share his words to honor his legacy, celebrate his work and 38 47 recognize the work still ahead. on the cover Teaching Hard History, a new project from Teaching Tolerance, offers robust resources for teaching about American slavery. Learn more about the texts and the framework, and hear from educators who are using inquiry and primary sources to teach students that the past is present. ILLUSTRATION BY SAM WARD 2 TEACHING TOLERANCE ALL ARTICLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR EDUCATIONAL USE AT TOLERANCE.ORG/MAGAZINE/ARCHIVE. Online Exclusive Get to know Charlottesville Principal Lisa Molinaro, and learn how she used culturally responsive practices to change the “single story” of her school. tolerance.org/molinaro FEATURES 19 Liberated Roots School gardens can be powerful— and problematic. 23 Debunking the Mobility Myth 38 We Were Ready The American Dream discriminates on Years of equity work sheltered 35 the basis of color. How do we explain Charlottesville’s students when hate came 23 that to African-American children? to their town. 27 States’ Rights and “Historical 43 Why Mendez Still Matters Malpractice” How much do you know about the other One teacher tackles stubborn school desegregation case? misconceptions about the cause of the Celebrate Maya Angelou! Civil War. 47 Maya Angelou would have been 90 years 30 Statistically Speaking old this April—which also happens to How many teachers are also bullies? be National Poetry Month. How will you More than you might think. celebrate her legacy with your students? 35 A Remote Control for Learning 50 Teaching Hard History Artist and educator Gene Luen Yang Four innovative educators discuss how explains how graphic novels give they teach our country’s painful past. Plus, students greater agency over their get a sneak preview of our new resources learning and their lives. for teaching about American slavery. 55 “I’ve never experienced white guilt.” A black teacher reflects on helping her white 47 55 students explore their racial identities. VISIT TOLERANCE.ORG! Do you have a great idea for a project? Don’t just think it—do it! Apply for a Teaching Tolerance Educator Grant today. tolerance.org/grants SPRING 2018 3 TEACHING TOLERANCE DIRECTOR Maureen B. Costello DESIGN DIRECTOR Russell Estes DEPUTY DIRECTOR Adrienne van der Valk DEPUTY DESIGN DIRECTOR Valerie Downes TEACHING AND LEARNING MANAGER Hoyt J. Phillips III SENIOR DESIGNERS Michelle Leland, Scott Phillips DESIGNERS Shannon Anderson, Cierra Brinson, Sunny Paulk, Kristina Turner SENIOR EDITOR Monita K. Bell DESIGN ASSOCIATE Angela Greer SENIOR WRITER Cory Collins ASSOCIATE EDITOR Julia Delacroix NEW MEDIA ASSOCIATE Colin Campbell PRODUCTION TEACHING AND LEARNING SPECIALISTS Jarah Botello, Lauryn Mascareñaz ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS MANAGER Regina Jackson PROGRAM ASSOCIATE Gabriel A. Smith PURCHASING PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Kimberly Weaver PROGRAM COORDINATOR Steffany Moyer CONTRIBUTORS TECHNICAL LEAD D. Scott McDaniel Carlos Basabe, Mitch Blunt, Jill De Haan, Anne Garcia, Peter and Maria Hoey, Darcy SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMMING AND GRANTS MANAGER Jey Ehrenhalt Kiefel, Albert Law, Alexandra Melnick, Michael Marsicano, Alan McEvoy, Josh MARKETING COORDINATOR Lindsey Shelton Moon, Tyler Murphy, Alice Pettway, Jamilah Pitts, Robert Reece, Nip Rogers, Jeffrey ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Michelle Brunke Smith, Molly Smith, Laura Swoyer, Chris Thompkins, Jing Jing Tsong, Eva Vasquez, Michael Waraksa, Sam Ward, Sarah Webb, Loveis Wise, Gene Luen Yang ADVISORY BOARD Dale Allender, Lhisa Almashy, Julie Bradley, Hayley Breden, Kimberly Burkhalter, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER Kevin Cordi, Kim Estelle, Carrie Gaffney, Soñia Galaviz, Barbie Garayúa-Tudryn, CO-FOUNDERS Morris Dees, Joseph J. Levin Jr. Angela Hartman, Gail Heath, Michelle Higgins, Amber Makaiau, Amy Melik, PRESIDENT & CEO J. Richard Cohen Veronica Menefee, Amber Neal, Sarah Neely, Lois Parker-Hennion, David Paschall, OUTREACH DIRECTOR Lecia Brooks Celeste Payne, Kinette Richards, Joe Schmidt, Kim Siar, Scott Thomas CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS & DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Wendy Via SPLC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Karen Baynes-Dunning, Jocelyn Benson, Bryan Fair (Chair), Bennett Grau (Vice Chair), Pam Horowitz, Alan B. Howard, Marsha Levick, Will Little, Howard Mandell, James McElroy, Lida Orzeck, Elden Rosenthal, James Rucker, Henry L. Solano, Ellen Sudow, Joseph J. Levin Jr. (Emeritus) EDITORIAL OFFICE 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104 EMAIL [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS tolerance.org/magazine/subscribe Teaching Tolerance is mailed twice and released online three times a year at no charge to educators. It is published by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit legal and education organization. For permission to reprint articles, email us at [email protected]. For media inquiries, email Ashley Levett at [email protected]. ISSN 1066-2847 © 2018 SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER THE MISSION OF TEACHING TOLERANCE IS TO HELP TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS EDUCATE CHILDREN AND YOUTH TO BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN A DIVERSE DEMOCRACY. SE RECY A C E L L E P T E H Printed with inks containing 27.3% renewable resources L I S B M A L A C G Y A C ZI RE NE IS 100% Perspectives “Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.” — Abraham Lincoln Annual Message to Congress, December 1862 THIS ISSUE OF Teaching Tolerance addresses believed that their race afforded them lit- some of the ways we teach—and sometimes tle or no advantage? Or that an NPR poll mis-teach—United States history. We’re wrap- reported that, in the United States today, ping up our Spring issue at the end of a year 55 percent of white people believe they during which current events, from demands to are victims of racial discrimination? remove Confederate statues to white suprema- The only way to explain it is that too cist marches replete with Nazi flags, have taken many of us are comfortable with a his- history out of the textbooks and put it into the tory that tells us that past injustices have news.