Thursday, October 22, 2020
How can educators at every level counter the inequities baked into our school systems to help young people grow into better humans? In this discussion, panelists share how they use their classrooms and their academic platforms to guide students through the complexities of moral decision-making and engage in difficult conversations about race, economic class, gender, and sexual orientation. They also bear witness to the transformative power of culturally relevant pedagogy, which in practice means honoring and making space for the diverse spiritual and cultural traditions of their students.
Sonia Nieto, University of Massachusetts Amherst Professor emerita, has devoted her professional life to questions of diversity, equity, and social justice in education. She has authored or edited 11 books including Affirming Diversity, now in its 7th edition, and Why We Teach Now.
Jesse Hagopian teaches ethnic studies at Garfield High School, Seattle. He is editor for the social justice periodical Rethinking Schools, co-editor of the book, Teaching for Black Lives, a founding member of Social Equity Educators (SEE), and recipient of the 2019 “Racial Justice Teacher of the Year” from the NAACP Youth Coalition.
Moderated by Danielle Poché, Assistant Visiting Professor of Education at Holy Cross, and students Tom Cremins ‘21, Jamil Davis ‘23, and Ashley Rodriguez Lantigua ‘23. Note: Liz Kleinrock, who was scheduled to be one of the panelists, was unable to participate.
This panel discussion is organized by the Holy Cross Department of Education with support from the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture.