"I Got This": Engaging Youth of Color in Historical and Civics Content in a Multiracial Educational Space

• In Event: 28.091 - Sheraton Roundtable Session Two - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 28.091-8 - History and Civics: Student Responses and Attitudes

Abstract

Youth of color have been at the forefront of social justice and civic engagement efforts in the Western Hemisphere since Africans arrived in the 15th century, including more recently the Movement for Black Lives, the LGBTQ, #MeToo and Dreamers movements. This paper examines youth of color engagement with their white peers in seminars designed to support understanding of historical and civics content. One urban extracurricular program convenes students from public, charter and independent schools to learn the city’s history of the Great Migration, and to explore the range of opinions regarding complex and provocative contemporary issues. Our research shows how youth of color make meaning from the program and how it impacts on students’ historical knowledge and civic engagement.

Authors

• Jenice Leilani View, George Mason University

• Andrea Guiden, George Mason University