ABSTRACT
Educator Paulo Freire connects literacy to students' lived experiences, emphasizing how schools can counter oppression by engaging students in reading the written word and the world around them. Including the realities, stories, and communities of students in their schooling is critical work. Students analyze concealed and resistance stories as they learn about Edo society and culture and the fascinating features of Benin City. Through a critical media literacy project, students looked at gender stereotypes in clothing and toy catalogues and advertisements, writing persuasive letters to companies to express our experiences and views related to the bias uncovered. Students and teachers alike have expressed that hearing such powerful, personal stories and witnessing school-wide support for the assembly have made our community a braver, safer space to be “out” and their whole, true selves in. The storytelling framework can be applicable to anti-bias and social justice-centered curriculum design around a broad range of social identifiers and social issues.
