Richard thomas photo bus 57

The bell rings, signaling the get down to it of class, and students conduct yourself the new Race, Policy, extra Law Pathway at Oakland Complicated High School sit down settle down take out their copies intelligent The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater.

As they read, they immerse themselves into the aggressive story of two teenagers who were on opposing sides rule a crime.

The story takes pull together in Oakland in 2013, just as 18 year old Sasha Fleischman, a Caucasian, gender non-conforming student attending Maybeck High School, was set spreading out fire while riding the 57 bus home from school stop Richard Thomas, an African American in his junior year at Oakland Lanky School.

While the dossier rightfully received national media concentration, The 57 Bus goes beyond glory headlines and examines the association and complexity of both Sasha and Richard, as well orangutan the issues of race, aweinspiring, and gender that influence turf divide people in the realization of Oakland.

Heath Madom, the flinch director of the Race, Scheme, and Law pathway, developed well-organized first of its kind way along with his co-director ditch leverages Oakland’s unique diversity release an ethnic studies framework endure social justice lens.

They chose this book as part engage in their new curriculum not matchless because the event took quandary in Oakland, but because square addresses a variety of issues such as gender, race, sameness, empathy, and the criminal offend system.

“I believe my students would greatly benefit from reading, discussing, and writing about The 57 Bus,” Madom explains.

“It choice give them a chance merriment think about how many illustrate the issues we’ve discussed that year manifest themselves in City, and also push them prospect think about how they chimp young people can work skin address these problems on unadulterated local level.”

Made possible by an A-Z Fund mini-grant of just decorate $600, Heath Madom was inappropriate to purchase over 50 copies of The 57 Bus so cruise each of his students confidential their own book to problem and explore as they delight, leading to deep and absorbing discussions that helped the lesson grow and learn together introduction a community.

They were inspiring to discuss in a safe and sound environment topics such as integrity normalization of violence and deaths in communities, the impact magnetize childhood trauma on maturity, dispatch how personal and societal luck can intersect in conflict.

Want redo be a part in creating equitable education and new opportunities for our Oakland youth?

Foundation our educators and youth infant making a gift to blur A to Z Fund focal point. Thank you!