As many areas of public health are working to address racial justice and equity, it is important to acknowledge that the field of sex education needs to be included in this conversation. Not only do practices and delivery of sex education need to be challenged and changed to meet the needs of youth of color, but there is also a need for more research dedicated to this topic.
This practice paper—Centering Racial Justice in Sex Education: Strategies for Engaging Professionals and Young People—serves as a guide to providing racially just practices for those working in the field of sex education. We understand that much like any other work discussing diversity and inclusion practices, this isn’t about presenting a list of things that will allow organizations to simply check a box or provide a one-size-fits-all approach. Described throughout these pages is the pursuit of racial justice and equity that requires multi-layered efforts that address the needs of both youth of color and the communities in which they live.
This practice paper describes—
- The need for racial justice and equity in the K–12 sex education space;
- Methodology of the research conducted with key informants;
- Content of racially just sex education;
- Qualities of a racially just sex educator;
- Administrative and management practices that support sex educators of color; and,
- Measurement and evaluation practices to enhance sex education for youth of color.
Please click the tabs above to view the full practice paper and a one-pager that includes the executive summary and key recommendations.
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