From the Beginning: Creating a Diversity and Multicultural Education Course at Jacksonville State University

Abstract

In the fall of 2015, a new secondary education class, Diversity and Multicultural Education, was introduced at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Although many multicultural theorists emphasize the importance of students taking diversity/multicultural education courses in college, there is no real model for creating such a class. This article creates a framework for how to conceptualize and teach a diversity and multicultural education course at the university level. It discusses the creation of the class through a critical pedagogy framework, the units which comprise the course, and the connection to current events. The article also includes student reflections about personal growth due to taking the new course, as well as personal reflections from the author.

Finding Place in Displacement: Latinx Youth and Schooling Along the Borderlands

“…To be blunt, U.S. society is not equal; in reality, it is a highly tiered and hierarchical society (Hill, 2006). White people, males in particular, control the top layers while Latinx, Blacks, and other people of color make up the lower (and predominantly) bottom strata in U.S. society (Rubin, 2018). Culturally relevant pedagogy is housed within a multicultural framework, which means it will focus on social justice issues in the classroom, where displaced Latinx students are taught to analyze the world in which they live as well as become prepared to fight against discriminatory elements in U.S. society.…”

The Muddy Waters of Multicultural Acceptance: A Qualitative Case Study on Antisemitism and the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict

“…A theoretical battle has been brewing of late; one which pits me, as a Jewish scholar, against those whom I support and champion on a daily basis. As a professor of Diversity and Multicultural Education (DME) in the United States, I am motivated to confront and educate those who attack others based upon race, class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, dis/ability, and national origin (Rubin, 2018). Yet, as I try to convince the multicultural education community that antisemitism, or the "unfavorable sentiment, attitudes or judgements made against" Jewish people (Moulin, 2016, p. 685) is still a major issue left unanalyzed in the United States, I am met with both resistance and refutation by my fellow educational multiculturalists.…”

“…), and Multicultural Education, Critical Pedagogy, and the Politics of Difference by Sleeter and McLaren (Eds.) (1995) (Rubin, 2018). In the text Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice by Adams, Bell, Goodman, and Joshi (Eds.)…”