Using The Photographs From The Black Lives Matter Movement As A Voice For Teaching Purposes
The BLM movement has long surpassed the local agenda and has since become an international platform against racism of any kind, with a clear focus on black people living in predominantly white countries across the world.
As much as we support and talk about the benefits of BLM activism, the online environment is loaded with content that utilizes this, and many other civil movements, in order to create a negative atmosphere. Therefore, the images made during the BLM marches should be used to show not only the numbers but also the best practices for a successful rally and the dangers of taking your fight to the streets for whichever cause it might be.
Teaching tolerance
In many cases, BLM is portrayed as an anti-police movement that doesn’t focus on the real problems of the oppressed community and as a danger for white citizens. There are numerous photos of the crowd packed with people of different races, all centered on the same goal-equal rights for everyone and justice for all.
Trinity Thompson, a second-grade teacher in Harlem was facing some difficult questions asked by her students regarding the police shooting of Eric Garner so she decided to introduce her class to the BLM movement. The images of protesters and activists show diverse people fighting for more than just equal treatment by the police, they show the struggle for basic human rights and the involvement of all people, disregarding their race.
Showing kids that BLM is about mutual understanding and tolerance will not only make everyone more sympathetic towards the movement but also teach the children that we need to support each other and stand united in defense of human rights. There’s a constant campaign against the movement, marking it as an endeavor to dehumanize white people, so it’s of utmost importance to show the truth in schools in particular because that’s where social issues take their root, especially if a school is predominantly white or vice versa.
Providing a real-life perspective within the classroom
In an article published by Washington Post, Valerie Strauss, the author of Teaching for Black Lives mentions the introduction of her book that speaks of masked racism and the deliberate concealing of the truth regarding the history of black people in the USA. Brainwashing the new generations and having them believe in an alternate history and present makes their future grayer and less secure. For this reason, the BLM movement should be used to destroy the lies and show students what\s really going on in the country.
By providing the students with the materials that display the actions of the Black Lives Matter protests and social activities, teachers are not only opening up their eyes but also providing fresh academic ideas to every student. It’s also possible to use images and videos as an inspiration or topic for an essay so kids would have the opportunity to get in touch personally with this important social issue. Through conversation and written assignments, teachers could get a better view of the social and emotional stance of their students based on the points described in academic works on the Black Lives Matter movement. This knowledge is incredibly important to get rid of the racism manifestations. Significant changes start with everyone’s awareness.
With this knowledge, teachers can adapt their classes in order to open up those students that show a lack of sympathy or display a position based on racist information sources. Using BLM as a topic for history or sociology assignment would not be a paramount shift; numerous essays and other academic assignments are revolving around social activism and famous activists such as Malcolm X or Martin Luther King.
In essence, the use of BLM photographs could only open up more and more kids to the subject and create a platform for discussion so students would not build their position based on what they hear or read but rather create an informed perspective based on a real-life situation. This is really important because teachers could moderate the discussion and keep the argumentation purely academic, thus reduce the risk of the discussion taking a wrong turn.
The photos of Black Lives Matter protests show more than just a cry of one group of people, they show the fight of the entire human race to end the oppression of those who hold the power. Throughout history, civil movements have been discredited, attacked, and their leaders arrested and killed in an attempt to stop the change. The same is happening with the Black Lives Movement, which is why it’s important to educate and inform students and avoid misinformation and racism to spread their influence and create a new generation that shares the same problems as the one before them.
Vendy Adams is a freelance content writer and editor engaged with several online publishers. Her goal is to create informative and engaging content that holds practical value and keeps the reader interested. As a writer, Vendy is focused on providing well-researched content developed with the use of authentic resources.