Movies

"In 1971 high school football was everything to the people of Alexandria. But when the local school board was forced to integrate an all black school with an all white school, the very foundation of football's great tradition was put to the test... This is the true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit," (IMDb, 2000, Sept.).

This movie follows the true story of a football coach who was among the first to lead a racially integrated team in Virginia, USA. The biggest social justice issues observed within are racism, oppression, systemic discrimination, prejudice, segregation, misconceptions, and fighting for human rights and privileges. There are also examples of sexism and gender stereotyping, such as when one coach says to another "why don't you get this little girl some dolls or something?" when referring to a young female footballer. 

Presenting the fight for social justice and acceptance alongside the fight for victory against the opposing sports team, the creation of harmony on the new desegregated team has viewers cheering. There are moments in the movie when characters reflect back on their treatment of others - people who are different from themselves in one way or another - and realize and acknowledge that they were wrong, apologizing and working toward changing their negative behaviours.

"A dedicated teacher (Hilary Swank) in a racially divided Los Angeles school has a class of at-risk teenagers deemed incapable of learning. Instead of giving up, she inspires her students to take an interest in their education and planning their future. She assigns reading material that relates to their lives and encourages them all to keep journals," (IMDB, 2007).

Inspired by true events, Freedom Writers is a story of the struggles faced by at-risk and inner-city teenagers who have been all but abandoned by the education system. They face racism, oppression, violence, poverty and socioeconomic discrimination, oppression based on social class, and the denial of privileges and opportunities their peers (other classes and schools) receive. 

Their teacher supports their empowerment through education, making this a prime example of the social justice issues in education and how educators can make a real and lasting difference for their students when they truly care. Differentiated and some problem-based learning methods are used to make the learning process more relevant and engaging to the students. It's vital to make learning relevant and valid for students, especially in a class or course the students didn't choose to take as "relevance can help students realize how important learning is," (Roberson, 2013, para. 6). These methods engage and motivate students on a deeper level so they can apply their learning to their lives - they learn skills and abilities and know how learning connects to them on a personal level. On the part of the educator, it shows respect for the students, their individuality, and their lived experiences.

“Nobody ever listens to a teenager. Everybody thinks you should be happy just because you're young. They don't see the wars that we fight every single day. And one day, my war will end. And I won't die. And I will not tolerate abuse from anyone. I am strong.”