Global, Social, and Historical Influences

Abstract

This chapter explores global, social, and historic impact and influence in the evolution of social justice educators. Global, social, and historic events include major events occurring within and outside of the United States such as the Vietnam War, political protests in China, assassination of political activists in the US, and other events that had a global impact. The chapter examines how these events compelled the participants to critically reflect on their roles as educators in society and led them to engage in social justice activism through their work. Significantly, the chapter points to the global context as critical in educating a politically conscious and social justice oriented citizenry. It shows that one cannot be social justice oriented in isolation and without actions that mitigate social injustices. Reflection questions at the end of the chapter invite readers to identify global, social, and historic events that might have occurred during their lifetime and the kind of impact in their life that these events might have engendered. The reflection questions urge the readers to think of the events from a social justice stance by posing an overarching question of: who benefitted and who was shortchanged by the events?