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Further Research

As always to further one's understanding and education of something, the best way is to immerse in or with people/animals of the issue or topic. Direct immersion allows one to "live" a piece of the experience and have a better fundamental and emotional understanding of what is going on.

In addition to direct immersion, books, articles, documentaries, videos, interviews with others, etc. are all valuable ways to educate oneself.

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A book I would suggest is Always Running  by Luis J. Rodriguez. The book addresses issues of how racism and poverty limit minorities and young people from achieving success in school and in general. It's descriptive nature pulls the audience into the book and evokes a sense of presence in the discussion and experience. It captivates one through the use of figurative and poetic language and enable the audience to see, feel, and live the author's experience.

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A documentary I would suggest is 13TH  by Ava DuVernay. The documentary tracks the history of racial inequality in the United States, to a specific focus on how the prison system unequally affects African Americans. DuVernay uses historical evidence, interviews with multiple sources, and visuals to bring the audience into the world that she is exposing. This documentary can aid in further research for this project because it discusses many of the themes of social injustice, spirits of the air, and can be apples to Catholic Social Teaching.

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Some videos that I would suggest are the Ted Talks on education. Although there are many Ted Talks that can help your understanding, the three listed below, I believe are key to this project and are thought provoking.

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I would encourage future inquirers to interview their peers and families in addition to all the other forms of learning. Many times family and peers have many experiences with any and all of the systems of injustice and can provide great insight to from a collective, educated response.

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This first Talk is titled How we're priming some kids for college and others for prison by Alice Goffman. Goffman, who is a Sociologist, gives this Talk from her direct immersion  experience within the community where injustice was ever present.

 

The Talk is key for further research because it ties together the affects of limited economic access, minority bias, and the prison system, which are 3 key themes and factors of social injustice that all children potentially must deal with.

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An additional video I suggest is teacher Rita Pierson's Talk on the importance of good teachers and motivation for all students, titled Every kid needs a champion.

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Pierson's talk addresses the importance of motivation, compassion, and respect between students and teachers in the classroom and comes to report that every kid deserves a "champion". With that, they will be prepared and can achieve success.

 

This Talk addresses the issues surrounding able-ism, gender, poverty, and prison to form the central message that equal access and support in the education system forms great people and great students prepared for success.

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This Talk, titled How America's public schools keep kids in poverty, is given by teacher Kandice Sumner.

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Summer's Talk provides historical and modern evidence, first hand personal and professional experience, and proposes valid and tangible solutions to the issue of injustice in the education system for minority children. 

The Talk ties in issues of poverty and racism to stress the issue of the so-called "education gap" and what must be done.

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