After the Inauguration: Where Do We Go From Here?

A few weeks ago, I kept my kids home from school on inauguration day.

I wasn’t overly concerned about their safety, although there were reports of threats nationwide that did give me pause. Mostly, knowing they could learn remotely, I wanted to assure that they had time and access to witness history live.

If you’ve been around my page any length of time, you know that I personally am glad about this transition of power and the potential that it holds for many of our vulnerable students. But this isn’t a post about politics of policies, it’s about how we continue to provide excellent care to our students, in the midst of a global pandemic, with increasing emotional needs and many of us feeling stretched to the limit with our current duties, but also wanting to do a bit more.

As counselors and social workers, it’s completely understandable that many of us would feel compelled to educate and advocate for all of our students, but how we do that in a more charged climate requires a bit more finesse.

One of the organizations I’ve shared with you for years, Teaching Tolerance, has now relaunched their efforts under the heading of Learning for Justice. A fitting transition in my opinion as so many of us look to move beyond simply tolerating differences, but also advocating for reform and inspiring justice. If you’re looking for great resources, the new name hasn’t changed that they still provide amazing tools. From lesson plans and film kits to the ever popular Mix It Up Day initiative, if you’re looking to increase efforts for diversity awareness and social justice reform, you can find great tools across the site.

This February, when we typically ‘celebrate’ Black History Month, I’m hopeful that many of us will use this time for both reflection and action. As many people of color have expressed, I too have a complicated relationship with Black History month. From the tongue in cheek complaint about it being the shortest month in the year, to seeing the same handful of historical figures highlighted year after year, it’s easy to see the full potential of the month get muddled to the point of insignificance, but after seeing how many parents would willingly opt out of teaching their children anything about people of color, and even how a local district has responded to issues of social justice, I know it still has merit. If you’re looking for ways to continue to move the marker forward toward true equality, you can check out these ideas from We Are Teachers and PBS Kids for great books to add to your library.