Making Black Lives Matter at School: Educators Working in Solidarity for Black Lives in the USA
Book Chapter
Jones, D, Mathews, SA. (2025). Making Black Lives Matter at School: Educators Working in Solidarity for Black Lives in the USA
. 415-432. 10.4324/9781003479659-27
Jones, D, Mathews, SA. (2025). Making Black Lives Matter at School: Educators Working in Solidarity for Black Lives in the USA
. 415-432. 10.4324/9781003479659-27
The Black Lives Matter at School (BLMAS) movement emerged as a grassroots effort by educators to integrate racial justice activism into K-12 curricula and pedagogy. Beginning with a 1-day solidarity event in Seattle in 2016, BLMAS has grown into a national organization advocating for anti-racist educational practices through its annual Week of Action and Year of Purpose initiatives. Grounded in the principles of the global #BlackLivesMatter movement, BLMAS seeks to challenge systemic inequities in education through four key demands: ending zero-tolerance policies, hiring and retaining Black teachers, mandating Black history and ethnic studies, and prioritizing student well-being over policing. This chapter examines the motivations of eight educators committed to BLMAS, analyzing their engagement through the lens of teacher sensemaking and a pedagogy of insurgency. By curricularizing a contemporary social movement, these educators demonstrate how solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter transforms both teachers’ work and broader commitments to racial justice in education.
