Education Commons^™

Whitewashing In Hollywood Silently Affects Our Children, Sam Tracy

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The reaction to the 2016 Oscars, which birthed the trending topic #OscarsSoWhite on Twitter, highlights a serious problem in our country — a lack of representation for non-white communities. Watching a movie in the 1950s is still somehow reminiscent of today. We have put an end to blackface, the practice of coloring a white person’s face with paint to fill the role of a historically non-white character without hiring an accurate representative. Yet major blockbuster films did not commonly hire non-white characters for major roles until just recently. Our movies now typically feature a white cast, with the exception of …

Social Equities That Don't Exist Yet., Project Lets, Risd Archives

Racial Justice

Poster for Social Equities that Don't Exists Yet, an unbiased conversation sponsored by the RISD chapter of Project LETS (Let's Erase The Stigma). Project LETS is a mental health advocacy group as well as a peer support network, dedicated to erasing the stigma around mental health and talking about mental health issues, especially as it relates to the RISD experience.

Black Lives Matter Free Community Printing Event, As220, Risd Archives

Racial Justice

Poster promoting Black Lives Matter free printing event hosted by Providence artist collective AS220, displayed on campus.

Not Your Token, Black Artists And Designers (Baad), Risd Archives

Racial Justice

Poster for Not Your Token protest organized by RISD BAAD (Black Artists And Designers), held April 6, 2016 in Market Square, Providence, RI.

Text Reads:

Not Your Token

It is not our job to educate you.
But we will demand to be listened to.
Who does this "progressive" institution represent?
When 'western' education is the only thing of value.
Equality does not equal equity.
Our identities and experiences cannot be bought.
We are more than a statistic.
We are more than a data point.
We are more than loose change.
We are people with a desire to learn;
And we …

Rare Or Well Done? A Waitress Wonders How To Best Serve Environmental Education, Katherine Renz

Summit to Salish Sea: Inquiries and Essays

Environmental education (EE) promises to facilitate the transformation of attitudes and behavior on a broad scale. Yet the field has not fulfilled its potential. This article takes an auto-ethnographical approach in considering the reluctance of environmental educators to discuss environmental problems. How is the discipline weakened by equating critical thinking and ecologically motivated despair with a negative attitude rather than honestly acknowledging the grief and promoting resiliency and empowerment instead? Through the lens of a professional waitress, this article argues that the service industry offers a privileged though overlooked venue for EE. Rather than framing EE as an isolated event …

Black Lives Matter

Racial Justice

Black Lives Matter print poster displayed on campus.

Racism Is Not Normal, Misogyny Is Not Normal, Fraud Is Not Normal, Dwri Letterpress, Risd Archives

Racial Justice

Letterpress printed poster created by Providence-based artist DWRI Letterpress displayed on campus.

We Demand, Black Artists And Designers (Baad), Risd Archives

Racial Justice

We Demand poster. Demands focused on racial justice made by RISD students to the administration in 2016.

Community Is Stronger Than Hate

Racial Justice

Community is Stronger Than Hate poster displayed on campus.

Plugging Into Movement Work: White Racial Justice Action In The Era Of Colorblind Racism, Garrett Naiman

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the practices and consciousness of eight white identified participants, born 1970 or later, who are actively engaged in racial justice action. Although the field of critical whiteness studies has expanded markedly over the past couple of decades, little has been written specifically about white racial justice activists (and activism). This may be serving as a disconnect for white people who are trying to find their way in racial justice movement work.

Participants were involved in one or more of the following: community organizing, education, religious work and cultural arts. Research data was primarily generated/collected through qualitative …