Harm and Distrust: Honoring Historical Truths in the Classroom

Presented by Brittany Hogan, Educational Equity Consultant, BTheGrowth; K.C. Boyd, Library Media Specialist, Jefferson Middle School Academy, Washington D.C.; and Brittney Smith, Senior Manager of Education Partnerships (East), News Literacy Project

Sponsored by News Literacy Project

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Teaching historical truths can sometimes lead to difficult conversations in the classroom. It is essential for us to not only meet conversations about race, equity, and injustices head on, but also to do so in a way that honors all voices. We need to create a safe environment for students to learn about the past and feel empowered to change the future based on facts.

During this edWebinar, you learn about the historical failure of mainstream news organizations to serve all people equally, the legacies of distrust this has caused among specific groups in America—particularly Black Americans—and recent efforts by news outlets to improve their coverage. Hear from education professionals about how they tackle these conversations in the classroom and how they draw on their personal experiences to shed light on historical truths. In addition, the presenters highlight some of the resources (including the News Literacy Project’s new Harm & Distrust lesson on Checkology®️) that are available to support educators as we all work to make progress toward a more equitable and just society.

This recorded edWebinar is of interest to middle and high school teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders.

About the Presenters

A Chicago native, Brittany Hogan received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Hampton University and a Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. She was the first Director of Educational Equity & Diversity for Rockwood School District in St. Louis County, where she created the districtwide equity plan, led the racial desegregation program Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation (VICC), and supervised district social workers. While at Rockwood, Brittany found herself at the cusp of the controversial topic of critical race theory, resulting in local and national media coverage.

Drawing from her personal experience, she and bestselling author Nic Stone launched Empathy in Equity, speaking nationally on the importance of using empathy in literature to support equity in education. In 2022, Brittany was appointed a member of the St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education. She served as an inaugural manager for the Center of Human Service Leadership at the Delmar Divine in St. Louis. She is also the founder of BTheGrowth, where she works with schools and organizations to improve systems that create equitable educational practices.

K.C. Boyd is a library media specialist at Jefferson Middle School Academy in Washington D.C. and Scholastic and SLJ’s 2022 School Librarian of the Year. She has previously worked as the Lead Librarian for the East St. Louis School District #189 in East St. Louis, IL, an area library coordinator for Chicago Public Schools, and a district coordinator for the Mayor Daley Book Club for middle school students.

She is a second-generation educator and holds master’s degrees in library information science, media communications, and education leadership. The Boss_Librarian Blog documents her work with K-12 students, discusses the effective use of technology in K-12 education, and provides helpful book reviews. Additionally, she is a sought-after and popular keynote speaker and conference presenter at the local, state, and national levels. K.C. currently serves on the executive board for the District of Columbia Library Association and the advisory board for EveryLibrary. She is an active committee member for the American Library Association Chapter Council representing Washington D.C., American Association of School Librarians Digital Tools, and the Washington Teachers’ Union Equity Collaborative.

Brittney Smith is the senior manager of education partnerships (east) at the News Literacy Project. She joined NLP in July 2022 after eight years of teaching life science in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was a high school teacher to diverse populations of students, including English language learners. In her tenure as science department chair, she focused on building partnerships with community stakeholders to enrich and improve students’ educational experiences. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biological science from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in teaching science to adolescents and young adults from Mount St. Joseph University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational practice and innovation with a STEM focus at the University of South Carolina.

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The News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan, national education nonprofit, provides programs and resources for educators and the public to teach, learn and share the abilities needed to be smart, active consumers of news and information and equal and engaged participants in a democracy.