Antiracist pedagogies in post-COVID middle level classrooms

Abstract Previous research indicates pandemics have a traumatic effect on individuals. The COVID-19 pandemic has been traumatic for all students of all races and socioeconomic households. The pandemic has, however, intensified racial trauma by exacerbating racial disparities already existing in American society. Racial trauma has been linked to poor socioemotional health and academic performance in racial minority adolescents. For this reason, an examination of classroom strategies to address racial trauma is imperative in the conversation about Youths of Color’s (YoC) return to the classroom post- COVID-19. This paper reviews racial trauma within the context of COVID-19 pandemic and posits antiracist pedagogies teachers may be an effective strategy to support YoC in processing racial trauma exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.