Black Lives Still Matter: How Freedom Schools Reiterate Social Justice Activism Through Critical Literacy

• In Event: Still in the Struggle: Education for Liberation in Freedom Schools

Abstract

The continuation of racial inequities in the US has ignited the recent Black Lives Matter Movement, a protest to police brutality, and now, an international anthem that challenges political officials to recognize the atrocities that have been unjustly placed on Black Americans. In public schools, Black lives matter, too - where students of color face insurmountable odds in hopes for an equitable educational experience. In recognition of racial disparities that exist in education, this paper situates the CDF Freedom School program as a major component in developing critical literacy skills among students. Critical literacy fosters consciousness through critique, inquiry, and transformation through social justice and action (Moje et al, 2009). This conceptual paper argues that critical literacy is enacted through identity - mainly as difference, self, consciousness, narrative, and positionality. Further discussion connects the historical and contemporary relevance of Freedom Schools to the urgency of the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Author

• Elena M. Venegas, University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley
  Presenting Author