#LetUsLearn Special Call
We are super excited about amplifying these student voices in our Special Call! Recently, the nation has seen a lot of arguing over what should be taught in U.S. schools. PEN America has now documented 31 recent laws in 18 states across the country that now limit school learning and talk about history, race, gender and sexuality, and diversity. PEN America has also tracked nearly 6,000 book ban cases between July 2021 and June 2023 in at least 41 states, affecting millions of students. These networked “ban” efforts often target lists of books that tackle hard life experiences and acknowledge racism/have protagonists of color or LGBTQ characters.
We haven’t heard nearly enough from youth themselves!
So, we asked youth three questions in our Special Call about the learning THEY want to see in schools. The following finalists each addressed one of these questions in some way in their message or backstory:
- Youth will soon be in charge of making our country work for everyone. To prepare, what facts should youth learn in school about race, racism, gender, and injustice in our society, historically and today?
- What sort of teaching and activities like this have you benefited from, in the past?
- What can we learn and do in our schools or communities for all of us to feel welcome, included, seen, respected, and valued?
The messages below were chosen by youth, educators, and the community as Spring 2024 winners.
Winners
Alexzandria, Grade 12, California
Alexzandria writes: “More students should know that hate is something that we are all affected by and that we should work together instead of tearing each other down.”
Anonymous, Grade 11, California
Anonymous writes: “I’ve delved into banned literature in my English classes, including “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, exploring themes of ambition, dreams, dignity, loneliness, and sacrifice amidst the Great Depression. In my junior year, we analyzed “Fahrenheit 451,” a dystopian narrative challenging censorship and championing literature’s value against electronic media’s dominance. Additionally, we studied “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, a play vividly depicting the Salem witch trials, revealing how hate fueled by societal tensions, religious fervor, and personal vendettas echoes in both historical and contemporary contexts, fostering panic and unjust repercussions. As a student, I became aware of the importance of exploration of challenging topics through literature due to encountering numerous instances where books were either challenged or banned. This experience fueled my passion for combating censorship and championing the idea that books are indispensable tools for fostering empathy, critical thinking, and cross-cultural understanding. I feel compelled to advocate on this issue because I believe that restricting people’s access to specific books not only limits their opportunities for self-education but also hampers the intellectual exchange crucial for societal progress and enlightenment in our history.”
Maddie, Grade 7, California
Maddie writes: “The message of this book (Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron) is to fight for what’s right, and in the case of the book, it is that being gay is allowed. My lived experience connects to the message I’ve created because my aunt is gay and she is married to a woman, but they still have two genetic sons. More students should learn about and understand people’s perspectives on people who are different, which would make them feel more welcome, included, seen, respected, and valued.”
Landon, Grade 5, California
Landon writes: “My purpose is to send a message about the choice students have in how they lead and the way it makes others feel. We’ve been learning a lot about empathy at school, so I want students to acknowledge that they have control over how they treat others, reflect on their own actions, and seek to hear the perspectives and ideas of those around them.”
Finalists
Anonymous, Grade 11, Florida
Anonymous writes: “Celebrating neurodiversity is important to me because I suffer from mental disorders and have experienced hate because of them. Students in school should learn about how to properly care for their mental health and treat each other with respect despite them not knowing each other’s backstory and issues.”
Sophie, Grade 7, California
Sophie writes: “My intention behind my painting was deaf people need to be more valued because many people think less of someone who can’t hear. I have a few deaf family members, and they are brilliant people with excellent jobs. More students need to learn not to judge people who might have non-expected physical and mental features. Everyone has something different than someone else and that’s what makes us all special.”
Ben, Grade 11, California
Ben writes: “My intentions behind the poem “My Cheezit Companion” are to raise awareness for racism and the effects that social media and adults can have on young people’s perspectives. This poem speaks to my best friend growing up and how, as young elementary kids, we did not recognize the color between us. As we got older, the media and outside influences changed the way people treated and looked at my best friend, even police. If we can get back to the eyes we use as elementary school children, the world would be a better place.”
Classic Contest
The following are the fabulous winners and finalists for the Spring 2024 classic #USvsHate contest! We asked voters: Which do you most want amplified in schools and publicly?
In #USvsHate, we define “hate” as any time people denigrate, disrespect, or harm an individual or group as if their identity makes them an inferior or less valuable type of person. By amplifying “anti-hate” youth voices in schools and publicly, we seek to empower students to build schools and a society where all belong, feel included, and get supported.
The messages below were chosen by youth, educators, and the community as Spring 2024 winners.
Winners
Ella, Grade 7, California
Ella writes: “The intention of this message is to advocate for respect and empowerment for everyone regardless of their appearance or body type. My project is trying to help people realize that pointing out someone’s body isn’t right. I think that it’s important for students to be taught in school that body positive, inclusive, and judgment free environments ensure that we can focus on having a positive middle school experience without having to worry about people pointing out our physical appearance.”
Maria, Grade 11, Florida
Maria writes: “To love yourself no matter who you are or what you look like. Life is short so why spend it hating yourself and seeking your flaws if you can just accept yourself and live a happier life. My intention was to inspire people that have self-image issues to move onto the path of learning to love themselves for who they are. Nowadays, societal standards of beauty are incredibly unrealistic, so it is important to shield yourself from the hurtful and unattainable expectations and just be your authentic self.”
Anonymous, Grade 11, California
Anonymous writes: “My mom and her aunt are both immigrants and I wanted to show it through the symbols I painted. Her aunt didn’t come here through the legal process but my mom did. I thought this would be an opportunity to show in painting what immigration is like. From what my mom has told me, I wanted to incorporate: how the borders keep them caged in their own countries, how they are restricted from having a better future, and how the immigration laws keep them away from the people they left behind.”
Anonymous, Grade 12, California
Anonymous writes: “My intentions behind this message were to show the bravery it takes to be trans within a society where so many people have been murdered for simply who they are. While I myself have never lost anyone close to me due to their identity, I do experience fear in my own life being trans and not out to anyone in my family. I feel like my identity is constantly under attack. When I hear in the news that someone has been killed simply for their identity, it makes me feel incredibly scared or anxious. It’s like a ticking clock that I feel I cannot stop, even considering I am in an accepting state and community. But like my painting shows, I still choose to identify as I am and stand up to transphobia when faced with it. I am not ashamed of who I am.”
First Grade Class, California
Hannah, Undergrad, California
Hannah writes: “My message is heavily inspired by Amber-Rose Howard who was a keynote speaker at the UC Student Association 2024 Student Lobby Conference in Sacramento. She advocated for disproportionate incarcerated folks and explains how prisons can perpetuate white supremacy. I want to echo her message and argue that to solve the school-to-prison pipeline, we must directly ask those who are incarcerated and students who are disciplined. We must ask ourselves why our society has created this cycle of a pipeline: what would happen if we divested in punishment (prisons) and invested in resources that can prevent this pipeline in the first place?”
Finalists
Anonymous, Grade 11, California
Anonymous writes: “My intentions behind this message is to spread awareness on systemic racism. The experience that I’ve seen is when I saw one of my friends trying to apply for a job but not getting that position because of the way he looked. I knew that he had every skill needed for the job too which was more disappointing.”
Brittney, Graduate Student, California
Brittney writes: “This poster is designed to be visible to teachers on the wall in a school and to be available to school communities on Instagram. It serves to remind teachers of the importance of supporting and sustaining students’ linguistic diversity by identifying all languages as important and deserving of power. Furthermore, this poster identifies all language modalities as deserving of equal power and importance, which speaks to languages that are spoken, signed, written, and tactile, a diversity that may often not be considered by educators. All languages do not hold the same power in mainstream society. In the United States, English is often afforded a place of superiority. Therefore, “power” is paired with an understanding of the “crucial importance” of all languages. Additionally, teachers must “insist on recognizing” because recognizing power dynamics without such an “insistence” would serve to ignore the power differential held in society and the need for critical reflection and deliberate action. As a result, the teacher must “insist on recognizing the power and crucial importance” through a critical lens. Modalities refers to how languages can be spoken, signed, or written and are all equally as valid.”
Anonymous, Grade 11, California
Anonymous writes: “My #USvsHate message addresses and calls out how people in society still don’t treat girls as equal in the realm of sports. A lot of people still don’t treat girls as equal and try to claim that because they are girls, they don’t understand “real sports”. We should be encouraging that no matter who you are, the things you love and are interested in (ex. sports) should bring people together, not create feelings of embarrassment for liking something.”
First Grade Class, California
The teacher writes: “Earlier in the week we read The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter, learning about her lifelong work to protect wildlife and our planet. We talked about how both Jane Goodall and Amanda Gorman are living activists working to care for our planet. Today we also studied the poem, Things to do if you are RAIN by Elaine Magliaro, noticing all the ways she described what rain does…”Polka dot sidewalks. Freckle Windowpanes… Tap dance on the roof…” Little did my students know that this would soon become a mentor text for a collaborative poem inspired by the books we’ve read and this poem! As we got ready to write I asked students for a topic for a Things to do poem. (I had an idea in my back pocket, but hands shot up right away.). O suggested, Things to do if the World is Filled with Problems. Okay–a much heavier topic than I had in mind, but not surprising given our recent project and the books we’ve been reading. So we did some brainstorming, focusing on the list like qualities of Magliaro’s poem. It took some work getting to some ideas to start and end the poem. And who doesn’t love the student who says, “I have some metaphorical thinking to add,” and says, “Treat the world like a rainbow.””
Henry, Grade 11, California
Henry writes: “We live in a community with families that have large income disparities. It’s generally pretty easy to see the difference that makes in kids’ ability to find their footing in the World when they’re at the lower end of the income gap. It’s also easy to see why, despite peoples’ best intentions, it’s sometimes hard for one person to make a difference.”
Toluwaleyi, Grade 11, Michigan
Toluwaleyi writes: “Through my message, I hope to convey a sense of reflection, and urgency. In a lot of my works, I tackle large issues like injustice, and inequality, and use the voice I have as a writer to analyze what that means to me, and could mean going forward. I use my art and writing as a way to communicate with others about issues I hold dear to my heart, and use it as a call for reform. A call for justice and equity.”
Conversation Starters
Conversation starters are #USvsHate messages that we think can spark dialogue in school communities, in addition to messages that largely inspire us. Remember, in #USvsHate, we define “hate” as any time people denigrate, disrespect or harm an individual or group as if their identity makes them an inferior or less valuable type of person. By amplifying “anti-hate” youth voices in schools and publicly, we seek to empower students to build schools and a society where all belong, feel included, and get supported.
Savannah, Grade 6, California
The teacher writes: “Students were learning about argumentative writing. We were thinking about how we can use our voice to create change in the world around us. Students were encouraged to think about a change they would like to see. We started by thinking at the school level and expanded outward towards forms of hate in the world around us. Students found their way to the messages and art on their own.”
We asked: We often think about puzzle pieces like they “have to fit in,” and schools as places where you have to, too. But the child’s tshirt makes it clear that it can be way more fun – and important– to stand out! What’s your take on “fitting in”?
Mia and Leora, Grade 11, Florida
Mia and Leora writes: “The message of our project is to show sexism in sports and women aren’t taken seriously in sports. Our intentions are to spread awareness and show how women are just as talented and deserve to be as respected and appreciated as men in sports. Mia is a swimmer and she swims with guys so she has experienced this sexism first hand. I (Leora) used to play basketball and I would always play against my guy friends because they were always convinced they could win just because I am a girl.”
The teacher writes: “Students in my sociology classes are starting their semester research project in which they examine current social issues and develop their own solutions. The piece that they created for our classroom #USvsHate is intended to raise awareness about the topic that they are researching.”
We asked: Think on this quote. Women’s basketball has gotten a LOT of attention lately. Why is it that “female athletes” are so often seen (and paid) as somehow less valuable than “male athletes”? What should be done about this?
Anonymous, Grade 11, California
Anonymous writes: “My intentions behind this message are to show how words can impact a person. I want to show and have people understand the powerful impacts words can have on a person’s life. The correct words have the power to positively or negatively impact your life. Words impact our worldview, actions, and beliefs. My lived experience connects to my art I have created because on a day if I’m feeling down or not having a good day the right words from someone always fixes my day.”
The teacher writes: “Due to the fact that this is a Humanities program, the students are taken through a series of units that speak to the human experience and the human condition. We encourage students to take a look at multiple perspectives in everything we teach. For this assignment, students took a look at bias and hate, using multiple examples on the internet though video, podcasts, and articles.”
We asked: Zoom in to the words on the hands, and you’ll see positive words we could use to describe each other in schools. How often does this happen in the schools and classrooms you know? What could schools do so peers and teachers shared these positive messages more often?
Anonymous, Grade 6, California
The teacher writes: “Students were learning about argumentative writing. We were thinking about how we can use our voice to create change in the world around us. Students were encouraged to think about a change they would like to see. We started by thinking at the school level and expanded outward towards forms of hate in the world around us. Students found their way to the messages and art on their own.”
We asked: This message seems to suggest that women and men should be weighed more “equally” in our society. What’s your take on this demand?
Anonymous, Grade 1, California
The teacher writes: “Earlier in the week we read The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter, learning about her lifelong work to protect wildlife and our planet. We talked about how both Jane Goodall and Amanda Gorman are living activists working to care for our planet.”
We asked: This message reminds us that “kind words make a difference.” Do you hear such words a lot at school? What activities would help us offer kind words to one another more often?
