ABSTRACT
Incorporating cultural diversity into the classes is essential in the often marginalizing and isolating educational environments. Social justice focuses on encouraging and engaging in actions that do serve a greater good. Broido found that having a dominant social group identity led to gaps in participants’ “knowledge about diversity and oppression issues” and had the potential to negatively impact working with students from traditionally marginalized groups. The methods of teaching can show students that teachers are social justice allies. Addressing explicit and veiled discriminatory remarks in class, challenging the assumptions of the students, creating a nondiscrimination policy in the syllabus that sets an inclusive atmosphere from the first day, and using different groups in examples are all things they can do to demonstrate their commitment to teaching inclusively. Being a social justice ally is about more than just acknowledging diverse people and being multiculturally competent.
