Race, Justice, and Activism in Literacy Instruction - Paperback

by Valerie Kinloch (Editor), Tanja Burkhard (Editor), Carlotta Penn (Editor)

This volume brings together respected scholars to examine the intersections of race, justice, and activism in direct relation to the teaching and learning of critical literacy. The authors focus on literacy praxis that reflect how students--with the loving, critical support of teachers and teacher educators--engage in resistance work and collaborate for social change. Each chapter theorizes how students and adults initiate and/or participate in important justice work, how their engagements are situated within a critical literacy lens, and what their engagements look like in schools and communities. The authors also explore the importance of this work in the context of current sociopolitical developments, including police shootings, deportations, and persistent educational inequities.

Book Features:

• The most recent work of both emerging and well-known literacy and social justice scholars.
• Examples of student activism across multiple geographic contexts in the United States.
• Accessible questions to help guide discussions related to the overall topics, theories, and methods.
• Artifacts, such as images and artwork, from students and educators to allow readers multiple ways of entering the text.

Author Biography

Valerie Kinloch is the Renée and Richard Goldman Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. Her books include Crossing Boundaries--Teaching and Learning with Urban Youth; Urban Literacies: Critical Perspectives on Language, Learning, and Community; and Harlem on Our Minds: Place, Race, and the Literacies of Urban Youth. She received the 2025 AERA Scholars of Color Distinguished Career Contribution Award. Tanja Burkhard is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. Carlotta Penn is director of community partnerships at The Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology.