Cultivating Social Justice Citizens: Practicing Reformed Democratic Deliberation, Dissent, and Counternarrative in the Classroom

The recent surge in debates and legislation banning Critical Race Theory and other curricular reform that require reflection on historical racial injustices have challenged students and educators to live double lives. The exclusion of public discourse on social and political matters from the classroom further encourages the notion of educational institutions as silos of society encased in a thick glass wall. To that end, students and educators must grapple with the separation of their personal and educational lives as citizens. This article argues that to cultivate K-12 students as social justice citizens, democratic deliberation is not enough; rather, dissent and counternarrative should also be practiced within the classroom to underscore the nuances of achieving consensus and the need to amplify the voice of those historically marginalized. A reformed approach to educating for democracy that explores deliberation, dissent, and counternarrative would bridge the gap between students’ and educators’ now separate lives, encourage systemic change, and better transition students into full citizenry as engaged and active participants. Implications for K-12 educators with regards to honing skills and facilitation are discussed as they journey into the uncharted, but necessary terrain of deliberation, dissent, and counternarrative practice within the classroom setting.