Understanding Student Anti-racism Activism to Foster Social Justice in Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of students and teachers who form voluntary coalitions or school projects to address issues of racism and discrimination. The authors draw on several years of experience of facilitating student activism and findings from a recent collaborative research project. This research documents and analyzes experiences from a number of school settings across western Canada but has implications for student social justice activism everywhere. The study examines how students get involved with voluntary coalitions to undertake anti-racism initiatives to enhance the social acceptance of marginalized students and how they can overcome sources of resistance to promote inclusion.