We want to empower you to use the Rethink Together Forum as a tool to rethink high school in your community. Tell us who you are so we can create content that’s relevant to you.

Fill out your profile to let us know if you’re a student, educator, family member, or community member. Just sign in and click the ⚙️ button. Choose “Edit Profile” from the dropdown menu. And remember to save your changes.

FOR STUDENTS

• Words of Inspiration Students Everywhere Need to Hear #ByStudentsForStudents

  (Video Series)
  How are other high school students coping with this pandemic? Find out in this video series; we just added a new episode. Students talk about how they’re spending their time, share reflections, and voice new realizations. See what else.

• Student Voice: “Speak Up and Let Your Voice Be Heard”

  (Conversation)
  Meet Vera Brown, a high school student who wrote an open letter on Instagram sharing her raw feelings and thought-provoking insights about why #BlackLivesMatter. Feel similarly? Respond to her post and let her know she’s not alone.

FOR EDUCATORS

• Supporting Students with Incarcerated Parents or Family Members

  (Resources)
  Did you know that over 5 million children in the U.S. have incarcerated parents or family members? Among Black children, the number is one in nine. And students affected by this often deal with the trauma that comes with it alone. Find out you can help students like this feel supported.

• When They See Us: Media Bias and Data Analysis

  (Resources for Netflix Series)
  Use the Netflix series “When They See Us” as a tool to teach lessons about civics, journalism, media bias, and more. Through activities, reflections, and prompts, we’ve included lesson plans in this resource that are designed to deepen the conversation about systemic racism and inspire conversation.

• Exploring the 1619 Project

  (Podcast & Resources)
  1619 is the year the first enslaved Africans arrived in the U.S. It’s also the name of a powerful podcast that examines America’s long history of slavery. Listen to the New York Times podcast and be sure to check out the accompanying curriculum from the Pulitzer Center.

FOR FAMILIES

• Understanding America’s History of Racial Injustice through Film

  (Film Recs)
  We curated a list of 5 must-watch movies, films, and documentaries that shed light on the U.S. criminal justice system, mass incarceration, and policing.

• Confronting America’s History of Racial Injustice

  (Resources With Videos)
  Explore historical events that are missing from our history books through resources from the Equal Justice Initiative. It’s time for those stories to be told, heard, seen, and shared.

• Take a Stand for Students

  (2-Minute Video)
  Students need our support now more than ever. Watch these inspiring messages from educators across the nation about what you can do to help students in this video series from award-winning documentarian Lee Hirsch. Stay tuned because the next video in this series is in the works.

FOR EVERYONE

• The Civil Right of Education, By the Numbers

  (Resources)
  Black children make up less than 15% of the total youth population, yet they comprise 32% of youth arrests. And only 59% of Black students enroll in college immediately after graduating high school. And that’s not all. See the data that illuminate the inequities in our education system.

• Browse upcoming content.

  Stay tuned for content about the History of Juneteenth and Adulting 101: Budgeting.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• Anti-Racism Resources for White Families

  (Resources)
  Have you ever talked about race or racism in your home? Systemic racism will never stop if we don’t start talking about it with the young people who will be our future leaders. Explore family resources for examining your own biases and learn how to take action.

• Anti-Racist Reading List and Resources

  (Resources)
  We all play a part in perpetuating racism if we don’t educate ourselves to be part of the solution. Use these resources as a guide for the conversations going on in your community and our country.

• Black Lives Matter: Educational Resources

  (Resources)
  Learn more about the Civil Rights movement, the history and sociology of racism, and what you can do to effect change in your own community.

• Equity and the Educator’s Mindset

  (Video Series)
  Explore mindsets and practices that help all students, especially underserved students, to thrive and feel valued in this video series from MIT’s Justin Reich.

How are you fighting for equity in education? Share a reflection about what you think needs to change about education in America. Send an email to blog@xqinstitute.org.

Equity in Education:

• The Civil Right of Education, By the Numbers
• Rethinking Education Equity in Education with an XQ School Leader
• Equity & Education on MLK Day
• Computer Science through the Lens of Equity & Social Justice

Student Voices on Equity:

• Student Voice: We Have an Opportunity to Reimagine Our Future
• Student Shares All: How to Support Students with Disabilities

Hana Beach

Editorial Associate, XQ Institute. Hana is a recent graduate of Barnard College in New York and has spent the last two years working around issues of economic inequality, welfare reform, and gender justice.