Victoria Vezaldenos remembers a troubling reality: many teachers across America have learned to stay silent on race, immigration, and current events in their classrooms. But a new study from the University of Michigan's SPARX Project—Stepping Up Against Racism and Xenophobia—challenges the idea that this silence is necessary or wise. Instead, it offers a clear path forward: when schools provide proper training, materials, and professional support, teachers at every grade level and in every subject can confidently address structural racism and xenophobia with their students.
The research, published in Applied Developmental Science, arrives at a critical moment. Book bans are spreading across school districts, educators face discipline for discussing what administrators label "taboo" topics, and a political climate actively works to erase diverse voices. Yet students themselves are asking teachers directly about current events—about immigration enforcement, racial violence, and fairness—looking to educators for guidance in making sense of their lived experiences. Teachers want to help. They're simply being told not to.
What the University of Michigan researchers found is that this silence is not inevitable. Their work demonstrates not only the urgent need for antiracist and antixenophobic dialogue in classrooms but also maps the exact content and conditions that make such dialogue possible. Deborah Rivas-Drake, a U-M professor of education and psychology, framed it clearly: "Teachers of children of all ages want to be a resource to help young people make sense of the racial experiences they have. They need opportunities to make sense of historical and current events that are rooted in structural racism and xenophobia, such as ICE activity we are witnessing across the U.S."
The study dispels a common myth—that structural racism is too abstract for young children or belongs only in social studies classes. Early childhood teachers can begin conversations about race and fairness through picture books, classroom relationships, and the genuine questions children raise from their own lives. High school teachers can dive deeper into policy, history, and current events. The work looks different by age and discipline, but the principle remains constant: with training, it happens everywhere.
Even STEM teachers have a role. Laura-Ann Jacobs, an instructional support specialist at U-M's Marsal Family School of Education, explained that "social justice content is not in conflict with subject matter content and skills." Math word problems can reflect diverse lived experiences. Science lessons on climate change can include environmental racism. Lessons on evolution can address eugenics. The curriculum becomes richer, not compromised.
The breakthrough often comes from moving teachers from what researchers call "color-evasive habits"—those well-intentioned but misleading comments about not seeing race—toward direct conversations grounded in how racism and xenophobia actually affect their school communities. Vezaldenos emphasized that "anti-racist practice is a skill that grows with continuous practice. When teachers intentionally apply their values and commitments to social justice to their educational practice, they will continue to build their skills and knowledge in ways that allow them to anticipate and respond to spontaneous and complex questions with increasing capacity."
Support systems matter too. Teachers in the study reported that trusted colleagues reduced their isolation, helping them discuss sensitive topics, plan responses, and share resources. The real leverage point, though, lies beyond individual classrooms. State and district policies, standards, and expectations shape teachers' sense of autonomy and confidence. For genuine change, administrators, district leaders, and policymakers must dedicate time and resources to professional development on these issues. Silence, the research shows, is a choice—not an obligation.