Athletes have historically used their public platform and collective voice to advocate for social change.
Young Athletes Using Platforms to Promote Social Justice
Grades 9-12
In collaboration with the University of Maryland (UMD) and the 2nd Lieutenant Richard Collins III Foundation, Bowie State University (BSU) developed the Social Justice Alliance, an organization dedicated to stamping out intolerance while confronting individuals and combatting systems that normalize indifference, justify injustice, perpetuate hate, and inflict violence. Since 2021, the Alliance has hosted a spring symposium to stimulate conversations and direct action for change.
In this lesson students will explore how young athletes are using their voices and participating in collective action to promote social justice.
Teacher's Guide and Related Standards
Students will be able to evaluate ideas and generate methods that citizens use to promote social justice and affect change.
- How do individuals and groups influence public opinions and public policy?
- How does working together collectively impact change?
State Circle Clip
- What were some of the topics discussed at the 2023 Social Justice Alliance Symposium?
- How can athletes play a role in racial and social justice?
Vocabulary
Supplemental Enrichment Activities
We The Voters: Why We March
Direct students to watch the video and then comment on one thing that confirmed something they already knew, one new thing that they learned, one thing that should be done to follow up on a protest, one thing that surprised them, one thing that they found inspirational, and one action that they would like to take based on their reflections.
The Impact of Youth Civic Engagement
Direct students to watch the video and take note of the importance of voting and the different ways that people can participate civically to affect change. Discuss student observations as a class and have each student make a civic engagement pledge that they can act upon in the near future.
Social Justice Alliance 2023 Symposium Panelists
Direct students to use the resources on the event web page to learn more about one of the panelists. Instruct students to summarize what they learned about the background and perspectives of the selected panelist.
Career Connections