Equity & Diversity Video

Black Student Voices: Classroom Discussions on Race

By Bridget Fetsko — July 30, 2020 4:45

Education Week spoke with 10 Black high school students from across the country about how they think issues of race and racism should be handled in school. In the second video of this series, students talk about their experiences discussing race in the classroom. The students shared concerns about the lack of representation in curriculum, open conversations about racial injustice, and diversity education for all students and educators. Some students also spoke about positive experiences talking about race and what their teachers did to make the conversations meaningful and productive. In the next two installments, the students will talk about the impact of policing in schools and what they want educators to know.

Bridget Fetsko
Visuals Intern Education Week
Bridget Fetsko is a former visuals intern for Education Week.
Related Tags:

Catherine Gewertz, Senior Contributing Writer; Sarah Schwartz, Staff Writer; and Madeline Will, Assistant Managing Editor contributed to this video.

Video

Artificial Intelligence Video Is the ‘AI Glow’ Starting to Wear Off? What to Expect in 2026
Artificial intelligence is now integrated into a wide variety of products and services that K-12 schools use, making it almost inescapable.
1 min read
English teacher Casey Cuny reads in his classroom as a screen displays guidelines for using artificial intelligence at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025.
English teacher Casey Cuny reads in his classroom as a screen displays guidelines for using artificial intelligence at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Education Funding Video School Funding: The 3 Big Questions to Watch in 2026
2025 was a disruptive year for school funding, here's what we're anticipating in the year ahead.
Illustration in blue of huge hands holding money as silhouette people run towards it.
iStock/Getty
Reading & Literacy Video How Reading Instruction Evolved in 2025, and What’s Ahead
Throughout 2025, Education Week has covered how states and districts are continuing to incorporate new instructional methods and materials.
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Video What Happens When Middle and High Schoolers Still Struggle to Read?
When it comes to reading, teachers and experts alike say that many older students still struggle with the basics.
1 min read
Students attend Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. Bow Memorial School is a middle school that has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students.
Students attend Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. Bow Memorial School is a middle school that has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students.
Sophie Park for Education Week