Heeding the Call for Social Justice: How a CPED Ed.D. Program Illuminates the Instructional Intersection Between COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter Movement

Abstract

The intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and the BLM movement led to a historic moment for American society. Illness, death, and civil unrest provided a shared historical experience for all Americans, and provided an opportunity for educators to capitalize on the multitude of teachable moments these historical events provided. For educators, like myself, who were the product of CPED Ed.D. programs that emphasized social justice in education, the historical events of COVID-19 and the BLM movement were immediately recognized as an opportunity to bring social justice to the forefront in the online classroom. The purpose of this manuscript is to reflect on the impact that my CPED Ed.D. experience had on my awareness of social justice in education and how this awareness translates to online learning opportunities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide students with experiences that emphasize the need to understand and overcome social injustices, through science.