The Legacy of Dr. Josie Johnson Helps Students Understand Social Justice A Conversation with Dr. Catherine Squires, who guided TPT’s efforts to create educational materials for Hope in the Struggle . BY KEVIN YANG
Throughout her life, Dr. Josie Johnson has been a fierce advocate for creating a more just world for learners, and that lasting legacy laces through the TPT original film, Hope in the Struggle . Tracing her experiences as an activist for critical issues such as fair housing, education and civil rights, the film offers an intimate portrait of someone who dedicated her life to service and advocacy. Alongside the production of the documentary and in partnership with TPT’s education team, recently retired Associate Dean of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota Dr. Catherine Squires created education resources that dive deeper into the topics of the film. Alongside co-author and fellow educator, Theresa Collins, Dr. Squires contributed to a variety of resources that are free for educators to use in their classrooms in an effort to help students better understand social justice.
Dr. Squires is the author of multiple books and articles on media, race, gender and politics, including Dispatches from the Color Line D (2007) and The Post-Racial Mystique (2014) and the edited collection Dangerous Discourses: Feminism, Gun Violence & Civic Life (2016). She has engaged in multiple community partnerships in the Twin Cities to uplift and share local Black histories, support BIPOC writers, curate panels, host conferences and facilitate intergenerational story sharing. We had the opportunity to ask Dr. Squires about the curriculum she helped co-create and how she believes teachers can use it in their classrooms. Can you tell us about your relationship with Dr. Josie Johnson and your relationship with the work described in the documentary? I had the privilege of working with students at the University to design an exhibit for the Josie R. Johnson Community Room at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Like the classroom resources for the film, the exhibit features reflective questions and illustrates the many connections between Dr. Johnson and a host of local and national leaders she worked with on civil rights issues. I also had the privilege of meeting with Dr. Johnson and members of the community, including Dr. John Wright, who is featured in the film, to preview the content of the exhibit and to celebrate its opening last year. These interactions reinforced for me how important it is to publicly share the stories of people like Dr. Johnson while they are living so that the records we create are accurate reflections of their own understanding of their legacy and to have contributions from their colleagues, friends, and family to round out the whole picture.
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JUNE 2024
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