Thomas, C.M. (2019). Society and the Classroom: Teaching Truths and Bridging Diversity in a Discordant Era. Educational Studies 0(0), 1-12. DOI. 10.1080/00131946.2019.1617147

A generation of learners is growing up in one of the most polarized eras in modern US history, where demands for credible connections and pluralistic policies are countered with divisive rhetoric. The urgent need for honest dialog emanates from the public square, mass media, news, popular culture, schools, and universities. As controversial events touch our lives in deeply personal ways, educators must explore strategies for discussion in classrooms around matters of social justice. In this article, I highlight the competition between the narrative and the counter-narrative that form our social justice worldviews, and the implications of this conflict for students. I explore the subjectivity of beliefs about injustice and our resulting inability to dialog effectively about it. I examine the rationale for our long-standing teaching of false narratives and argue for supporting and supplementing school curriculum with corrected historical, social, and cultural truths. Four interrelated principles are covered: (a) the competing narratives of racial inequality, (b) the current divisive socio-political climate, (c) student advocacy and knowledge of social justice topics, and (d) the complexity of engagement on controversial issues.