Many educators agree that middle and high school students need coaching and exposure to develop a broader perspective around issues of identity and diversity. The recognition of this need spawned jobs such as Diversity Deans and Multicultural Coordinators. But how are these themes brought into the classroom? Because educators have so much material to introduce to students, including relevant social justice themes in a curriculum can be difficult. As a teacher and later as a Dean of Students, I often mediated conflicts around issues of diversity. In non-profits serving low-income students and in private schools where the mean family income was six times that of national average, I saw young people struggle with identity. The list that follows highlights five films that provide a platform to discuss these issues.
1. THE BLACK LIST (2008). Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. Not Rated. Diversity is exemplified in the wide array of experiences discussed and perspectives uncovered in these interviews. In this HBO documentary, twenty-five prominent African-Americans of various backgrounds offer their own stories of black life in America.
2. KING GIMP (1999). Filmmakers Susan Hannah Hadary and William A. Whiteford. Not Rated. This documentary tells the story of Dan Keplinger, born with cerebral palsy, and his on-going battle from childhood through college graduation to enter the mainstream and be accepted by society both as a person and an artist.
3. JESUS CAMP (2006) Director: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady Rating: PG 13. This is great film to discuss (and complicate) ideas around religion. This film documents children at Pastor Becky Fischer's "Kids On Fire" summer camp. At Pastor Becky Fischer's camp, kids as young as 6 years-old are taught to become soldiers in "God's army" to "take back America for Christ."
4. SARIFINA! (1992). Director: Darrell Roodt Rating PG-13. Is there an age limit to political activism? Is there a singular face to oppression? Leleti Khumalo's "Sarafina" says no. This film adaptation of the South African musical by Mbongeni Ngema depicts students involved in the Soweto Riots in opposition to apartheid
5. TRANSGENERATION (2005). Sundance Channel. Not Rated. Are some identities unchangeable? Can we really decide who we want to be? This documentary asks such questions. This Sundance Channel eight-episode documentary focuses on the lives of four transgendered college students who take bold steps to claim their own identity.
The above films will provide a platform for lively discussions. They will also help broaden your students' horizons and give them information that can be made relevant to most Social Studies, English-Language Arts, or Humanities curricula. Be sure to survey these films before showing them to students.
