Students Say Race Belongs In The Classroom — And Not Just History Class

When news of George Floyd’s death broke in May, New Bedford High School English teacher Takeru Nagayoshi wasn’t sure how he could help his students process their anger and grief. School closures were making it hard for them to connect. So he created a virtual space.

In a series of optional Zoom meetings, Nagayoshi invited the students to openly discuss their thoughts about race and inequality. The only requirement: come with an open mind and be respectful.

“When adults walk away from an opportunity to discuss a controversial topic like race, we implicitly send the notion that this is something that we don’t talk about because it’s taboo,” Nagayoshi said.

He prepared meticulously with a set of talking points and a powerpoint presentation. But his students never saw or heard them.

“My students led the entire discussion,” he said. “Making points about what it means to be an ally, what it means to hold our leaders accountable. All I did there was stand back in silence … and I had goose bumps the whole time.”

WBUR spoke with Nagayoshi and three of those students to hear directly from them what they think about how schools should approach lessons on race and racism. Below are highlights from that conversation.

Read the rest of this story at WBUR’s website.