Ur Dad Is My Gardener: Antiracist Conversations for Educational Leaders

Abstract

Racism, social media, and free speech collide on a high school campus when a student creates an offensive poster that a classmate posts on social media. This case describes a school administrator’s conversations and actions with students, teachers, and the community addressing bigotry, race, and free speech on campus. The scenario is presented from the perspective of a school leader leading a campus through an incident of offensive speech aimed at a rival high school and posted on social media. This case focuses on educators’ responses to the issues presented through critical conversations and an intergroup dialogue protocol. The case elicits questions about hate speech, antiracist conversations, and accountability.