SYSTEMIC RACISM 101
Learning Gap and Need
In recent years, many Americans have been taken by surprise with video footage of police brutality, statistics on health disparities, and stories of prejudice shared by Black Americans on social media. The nature of systemic racism is that it is insidious and can become invisible to the privileged in society. In some parts of the country, the truth about race has never been taught in schools, and in the rest of the country it has only been covered on the surface. After avoiding or glossing over the subject for generations, Americans are not yet equipped to successfully tackle this problem together. Schools need to train educators, students, and parents on the basic history that explains how racial inequity has been crafted and perpetuated by practices in every aspect of American society.
Goal of Instruction
Learners will gain knowledge about systemic racism to develop and/or strengthen their positions on solutions to problems of racial inequity.
Duration of Course
3 weeks (4-6 hrs per week)
Learner Profile
Because this information has been suppressed for so long, there is a wide audience for this foundational course:
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Middle and High School students in Social Studies classes or race relations clubs
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K-12 Social Studies teachers
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Educators in Professional Development programs (including Admin, Counselors, Media Spec.)
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Families or community groups who want to use it to facilitate conversations about race with adolescents
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Allies who need more background to inform their advocacy
Capstone Project: MicroLesson Prospectus
Enabling Objectives and Formative Assessments
By the end of Module 1, learners will be able to...
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Accurately define and apply terminology used in the study of racial inequity that is rooted in and perpetuated by systemic racism in the U.S.
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Identify major examples of systemic racism in the U.S.
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Explain a topic related to racial inequity and systemic racism using appropriate terminology.
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Discuss an example of systemic racism informally using accurate information.
By the end of Module 2, learners will be able to...
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Demonstrate historical knowledge about major problems of racial inequity rooted in and perpetuated by economic, political, legal, and/or social systems in the U.S.
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Identify primary and secondary sources that illustrate a specific example of systemic racism in the U.S. over time.
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Analyze sources to explain how a problem of racial inequity is rooted in and perpetuated by systemic racism.
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Justify the inclusion of a specific source in the study of systemic racism in the U.S. with an evaluation of the source supported by specific evidence from the text.
By the end of Module 3, learners will be able to...
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Pose research questions and identify proposed solutions to their selected problem. (Included in Outline or Rough Draft of essay/speech)
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Craft a persuasive argument about a proposed solution using appropriate terminology and supported by historical evidence. (Outline or Rough Draft shared on discussion board for peer feedback)
Authentic Summative Assessment
Click on links to be directed to the page in the portfolio dedicated to that theory for more information
An authentic assessment must be realistic or replicate a real-world scenario, require critical and novel thinking to navigate a complex task, and provide opportunities to seek resources and feedback from others. This summative assessment is an authentic, project-based learning experience heavily influenced by the theories of Constructivism and Connectivism.
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The topic will be chosen by the learner after Module 1, which is an overall introduction to concepts of systemic racism. They might choose to focus on economic practices like redlining, political issues like gerrymandering, or legal issues like the War on Drugs based on their own curiosity and interests.
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Learners will be provided with more in-depth information about systemic racism throughout American History in Module 2, along with links to primary and secondary sources they can pick from to explore for further study. The sources may include articles, interviews, documentary clips, speeches, letters, current event connections, etc.
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Module 3 will involve activities to help the learner craft their argument and outline their supporting evidence. Learners will be encouraged to give each other feedback, read real-world examples of writings and speeches, or interview someone who has special knowledge of their problem. In addition to being able to choose their own topic and sources, learners will also be able to choose the method of delivery of their argument, by writing a letter or giving a speech that could be shared with the public and government policymakers via email, news or social media, blog, podcast, public meeting, etc.
Directions for the Modules, research, and final product will include differentiation for Middle School students, High School students, and Adults. The differences will be based on the methods of pedagogy and andragogy, with a mix for the older teens who need more autonomy and less scaffolding than younger adolescents.
Learners will have continued access to these materials after the end of the program so they can choose to learn more and follow new lines of inquiry on other examples of systemic racism. They will also be provided the facilitators contact information if they have further questions or suggestions of additional examples or sources to include.
Terminal Objective
Learners will be able to argue their position on a proposed solution to a problem of racial inequity in the United States, supported with appropriate terminology and historical evidence of systemic racism.
Facilitator
Nancy Snipes Mosley is an ally of the Black Lives Matter movement and a high school Social Studies educator who has taught American History, Civics and Economics, and Sociology in Raleigh, NC for over 15 years. She has a B.A. in Sociology and Journalism-Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.A. in Education from Wake Forest University.
She took on this project in the aftermath of the racial violence and protests of 2020 to share what she has learned as an educator (since, like most Americans, she was not taught this information at school) and to commit herself to learning more. Though these instructional materials include her own writing, a primary goal was to amplify Black voices through a diverse array of sources in writing and video as much as possible.
In addition to creating these instructional materials for her students and the University of Maryland MicroMasters program in Instructional Design and Technology, she has also developed a section on the history of Systemic Racism on the website of her local chapter of the NC Association of Educators. It also links to other resources and information curated by the Wake NCAE Educators for Black Lives committee, which has been a major source of insight during this process.