Through Students’ Eyes: Combating Racism in United States Schools

This book explores racism in American schools and provides possible solutions to this widespread problem. Dr. Donaldson documents recent incidents of racism and explores the manifestations of racism and its toll on our society. The major part of Donaldson’s work focuses on the role of the arts in antiracist/multicultural education. She brings together the views of leaders in multicultural education with her own insights to substantiate the importance of the arts in fighting racism. Dr. Donaldson focuses her research on high school students, discovering that even high achievers perceive racism as a deterrent to their learning. The students most often perceive racism as a problem caused by adults, and Donaldson shows that multicultural arts can empower students to stand against this racism. Finally, Donaldson explores the reeducation of teachers in an antiracist, interdisciplinary curriculum development and implementation pilot study.