‘When They See Us’ in Schools (teachingtolerance.org)

As a white educator who teaches about mass incarceration, I will not be using ‘When They See Us’ in my classroom. Here’s why—and what I’ll teach instead.

For the past several years, I have taught a mass incarceration project in my high school classroom. We examine injustices in our criminal justice system and how they contribute to our nation’s rising incarceration rates. I firmly believe that teaching about mass incarceration is critical because it is part of the ongoing narrative of racial oppression in the United States. 

This year I will be teaching a semester-long course dedicated to exploring these issues. And, while it covers many of the themes that we will discuss, I will not be showing When They See Us in my classroom. 

If you are an educator—and particularly a white educator—who is thinking about showing When They See Us to your students, I encourage you to ask yourself the following. 

What is my goal for showing this in my classroom? Are there other resources for achieving this same goal?

When They See Us can be a powerful tool for examining institutional racism and decentering whiteness. But for many black and brown students, it may trigger trauma. We don’t know how many of our students have experienced racial injustice at the hands of our criminal justice system. Some of our students may see their own experiences mirrored in the experiences of the boys in the limited series. Too often, the curricula we choose retraumatize students, even if they’re chosen with the intention of dismantling systems of oppression. 

Am I prepared to lead discussions about institutional racism in my classroom? Do I have established norms and procedures in place? Is my classroom community ready for such a conversation? 

If you answered no to answer of these questions, you should consider the work you’ll need to do before you jump into these critical topics with students—whether you’re considering screening When They See Us or not.

To read more of Rebecca Coven's article, please click here.

Coven is a high school English and Social Studies teacher at Sullivan High School in Chicago, IL.