White Supremacy Is a Threat to Me and to the Planet
Articles/Websites
Grades11, 12Civics
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Provided by Ms. Magazine
What it is
- This article describes how environmental concerns intersect with racial and gender concerns, especially in the case of AAPI communities.
- The author discusses how AAPI communities and other communities of color have been left out of the environmental conversation.
- Some of the themes in this article may be troubling for younger readers. Additionally, Ms. Magazine may have other content that is not appropriate for the classroom.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The author mentions playground bullying that many students may be able to relate to.
- Students will benefit from hearing this important message about intersectionality and understanding that environmental issues cannot be isolated from racial and gender issues.
Prerequisites
- Teachers may need to define terms like white supremacy, hate crimes, and intersectionality.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Towards the end of this article, the author discusses environmental justice and how it aims to acknowledge the need for intersectionality. Teachers can also address the flaws associated with this movement by having students read this article, which examines how Asian Americans are often left out or lumped in with other minority groups in environmental justice data.
- Teachers can use this article to demonstrate how the Sustainable Development Goals are interdependent, pointing to SDG 5, Gender Equality, SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 13, Climate Action.
- Teachers can pair this article with this TED Talk on racial justice and environmental justice to have students identify similar themes and how the authors support the themes differently.
From the scientist review
This article discusses how Earth Day cannot have a solely ecological focus, how white supremacy has influenced the environmental movements in the United States, and the impact and experiences of AAPI communities in the climate space. Additionally, the article briefly explains environmental justice, its relationship to racial justice, and why both are necessary for successful environmental action. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
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