Schools And Racism: Education Secretary Urges To Teach Empathy After Black Lives Matter Movement

There are tons of social and cultural issues happening outside and even inside schools. Which is why United States Secretary of Education John King urges schools to tackle racism.

King stands before a panel in Hartford to talk about school diversity. Students of different race and oftentimes, gender or identity, becomes a focus. He urges schools to teach empathy. With the Black Lives Matter movement on the rise, it has shone a spotlight on racism in the education system and the school institution itself.

The racial bias is clearly seen and has also led to a resistance and rising tensions between people of different colors and the state police. According to WNPR, John King points out that racism can be minimized or zeroed out if schools teach empathy.

"As an educator, part of our role is to help students to see the world through others' eyes," says Education Secretary King. King believes that creating a curriculum that focuses on creating a diverse school community. It enables the students to get the chance to understand history when it comes to race and class in the country.

The clashes between the police and people of different race and color is gaining attention. Schools can be a place of conversation. King wants to get ahead of this and acknowledges that there are obstacles they will face. When it comes to the longstanding issues of racial discrimination and social class separation. He knows that there is a "tremendous goodwill in the country and a readiness to take on these issues in thoughtful ways."

King understands that part of the solution is supporting students of color. Moving in this initiative, schools like Bridgeport, Hartport, New Haven and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation are joining United States President Barack Obama's call for My Brothers Keeper Community Challenge.

The challenge urges schools to create plans to address these problems that the students face. This is not limited to but includes low achievement, increase in absenteeism rate and suspension rates.

Students are already reacting to this conversation, check out the video of a student below reacting to racism: