People around the country are experimenting with the development of activities to facilitate the building of bridges and strengthening of relationships between African American and new immigrant communities. While there is no map for how to best do this work, we are fortunate that those who have walked similar paths before us have left some guideposts to help us find our way.
This section lifts up some of the most promising pedagogical innovations that have worked for others. Many have already been widely borrowed and adapted, thanks to the informal sharing that happens between social justice organizations. Some are also included in the formal curricula and dialogue guides highlighted elsewhere on Intergroup Resources.
One aspect all of these innovations have in common is their reliance on the tenets of popular education: They are participatory activities. They value the life experiences that participants bring into the room, and they draw from these as a source of energy and knowledge. They recognize that everyone is both a teacher and a learner. And they meet people “where they are at.” For more on the values and approaches of popular education, see our primer section on this topic.
We have grouped these innovations by theme (see sidebar), and we share them in the hopes that they may inspire adaptation and further pedagogical innovation in new contexts.
Historical Timelines
International Solidarity Experiences
Connecting African American & Immigrant Experiences
Popular Theater
Storytelling & Listening
Film & Video
Other Innovations
Cultural Exchange