Educating for Democracy

Speakers: Derrick Alridge, Professor and Director, Center for Race and Public Education in the South, School of Education and Human Development, and affiliate faculty member in the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies, University of Virginia Johari Harris, Research Assistant Professor, School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia Democracy is not a spectator sport; it requires participation, and this participation must be oriented toward justice. This thesis statement exemplifies the mission of Educating for Democracy https://educatingfordemocracy.education.virginia.edu/, a civic education program focused on race and justice issues in the United States. On this UVA Speaks podcast, Professors Derrick Alridge and Johari Harris from UVA’s School of Education and Human Development discuss the origins and goals of this online resource hub for K-12 educators and students. The program’s lesson plans and teacher toolkits examine issues of race, justice, and human welfare in the U.S. by connecting the past's full story with current events to create transformative dialogue in the classroom. Derrick Alridge is a professor of education and an affiliate faculty member in the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies. His work examines American education with a focus on African American education and the civil rights movement. Johari Harris is a research assistant professor whose research is grounded in intersectionality, developmental psychology, and social psychology theories.