Voices for Diversity and Social Justice

A Literary Education Anthology

Edited by Julie Landsman, Rosanna M. Salcedo, Paul C. Gorski

Publication date:

20 August 2015

Length of book:

222 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781475807127

Voices for Diversity and Social Justice: A Literary Education Anthology is an unflinching exploration through poetry, prose, and art of the heart of our educational system—of the segregation, bias, and oppression that are part of the daily lives of so many students and educators. It is also a series of poetical insights into the fights for liberation and resistance at the heart of many of the same students’ and teachers’ lives. The contributors—youth, educators, activists, others—share what it is like to face discrimination, challenge unjust policy, or subvert monotony by cultivating a vibrant, equitable, revolutionary school environment. This is not a prescriptive text, but instead a call to action. It is a call from many literary voices to create schools where social justice is at the core of education. Stunning in its revelations, Voices for Diversity and Social Justice is an anthology by educators and students unafraid to be passionate about what is missing, what is needed, and what is working in order to make that vision a reality.

Contents

Part One: Speaking Through the Silence
Chapter 1: Diz On The Way To School, Fred Arcoleo
Chapter 2: I Get It, Anon
Chapter 3: Between Worlds, Heidi Andrea Restrepo Rhodes
Chapter 4: How I Came to Poetry, Jeanne Bryner
Chapter 5: This School, Jan Buley
Chapter 6: English as a Second Language at Our Lady Of Guadeloupe Church, Jeff Lacey

Part Two: Experiencing Poverty

Chapter 7: Telling It Like It Is, Adaline Carlette Love
Chapter 8: Family Matters, Amy D. Clark
Chapter 9: The Worst Thing About Being Poor, Amy E. Harter
Chapter 10: The Poster Board, Carol L. Revelle
Chapter 11: Dress to Impress, Salvatore “Chato” Hernandez
Chapter 12: Untitled, Tricia Gallagher-Guertsen

Part Three: Unleashing Student Voices

Chapter 13: What if Cornel West Was Wrong?, Becky Martinez
Chapter 14: Ramon’s Truth, Fred Arcoleo
Chapter 15: Girl on Fire, Cathleen Cohen
Chapter 16: Appalachian By Proxy, Althea Webb
Chapter 17: Language The Truest Tongue, Barbara Tramonte
Chapter 18: Talking blocks, Cindy L Prater
Chapter 19: Skin, Tessa Stark

Part Four: Being the Target

Chapter 20: Survival, Lorena German
Chapter 21: Star Student, Emily Brooks
Chapter 22: Equations, Cathleen Cohen
Chapter 23: Looking in the Mirror in Elementary School, Sidrah Maysoon
Chapter 24: The Tower, The Book and the Girl They Let In, Shannon Gibney
Chapter 25: To Lumpia or Not to Lumpia, Cheryl E. Matias
Chapter 26: New Girl, Sheila O’Connor

Part Five: Claiming Our Space and Identities

Chapter 27: White Hallways, Cora Lee Conway
Chapter 28: First Generation College Blues, Rosanna Salcedo
Chapter 29: Learning Up Front, Curtis Robbins
Chapter 30: The Way I Am, Min Feldman
Chapter 31: Independence Day, Elizabeth L. Sammons
Chapter 32: America, Loren Gatti
Chapter 33: A Cultural Frankenstein,Pao “Agean” Yang
Chapter 34: Spirit First, Consequences, Second, Xamuel Bañales
Chapter 35: Forced Out of School, Tenth Grade, Erica Lenti
Chapter 36: Jia Curry Bild, Torn

Part Six: Celebrating the Power of Teachers

Chapter 37: Testimony, Tasha Graff
Chapter 38: Seat Them With Princes, Jeanne Bryner
Chapter 39: Finding the Strength in the Fragile, Kristy Pierce
Chapter 40: Piling On, Lisa Cech

Part Seven: Reaching Across Difference & Celebrating Diversity’s Richness

Chapter 41: People Colored Crayons, Julie Feng
Chapter 42: Red Light, Green Light, D. J. Savarese
Chapter 43: Walking the Corridor is Being in Another Country, Julie Landsman
Chapter 44: A visit to the County Special Ed. Program, Mary Langer Thompson
Chapter 45: Breaking the Ice, Lisa Richter
Chapter 46: Chasing Butterflies and Catching Grasshoppers, Elizabeth E. Vaughn
Chapter 47: Breaking Bread, Merna Ann Hecht

Part Eight: Subversive Teaching and Learning

Chapter 48: How I Learned to Read the Word, Francisco Rios
Chapter 49: Even Kings, Richard Hollinger

Diversity is not merely difference but differences that arise out of commonality, such as the humanity we all share. Justice implies equality in treatment, privilege, opportunity, or other arenas. Social justice has a connotation of what society ought to do or what society is doing to ensure just treatment of its members. Of course, these concepts require greater precision when used and are prone to misunderstanding and manipulation in contemporary usage. This work aims to clarify terminology used in popular vernacular and expose some of the nuances that we typically don't consider but profoundly impact our thinking, speech, and actions. Entries are alphabetically arranged, and each has a reference for those interested in additional research. Most entries provide an ind-depth treatment of their subject matters and are written so as to be accessible to the general reader. Examples include Able-ism, Bisexuality, Empathy, Freedom of speech, and Tokenism. Some main-level headings have two entries exploring either specialized aspects of that topic or presenting a different viewpoint on the issue. The clarity and depth of the entries make the set suitable for general readers as well as specialists looking to broaden their knowledge. . . .Recommended for the most academic libraries.