Blog Post #4: Video as a Tool for Antiracist Learning
For this post, I chose the video “Systemic Racism Explained” by act.tv: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrHIQIO_bdQ. I would use this video in an interactive learning resource about race, racism, and antiracism because it explains systemic racism in a clear and accessible way. Instead of only focusing on individual prejudice, the video shows how racism can be built into systems such as housing, education, employment and criminal justice.
The video itself does not force students to respond directly, so the interaction is not strongly inherent. Learners can watch it passively if no activity is attached. However, as Bates (2022) explains, interaction with media can still happen when students reflect, take notes, pause, replay sections or connect ideas to their own learning. In this case, students may respond on their own by writing down examples of systemic racism, identifying unfamiliar terms or thinking about how institutions can create unequal outcomes even when individuals may not intend harm.
After students watch the video, I would ask them to complete a short reflection activity. They would choose one system mentioned in the video and explain how racism might appear at the individual, institutional and structural levels. Then, they would suggest one possible antiracist action or policy change. This activity would help students develop critical thinking, systems thinking and the ability to apply concepts instead of just memorizing theories. Students could complete this through a blog post, Google Docs or a discussion board.
Feedback could happen in two ways. Students could give peer feedback by commenting on their classmates’ posts asking a question or adding another example. I would also give brief instructor feedback using a rubric focused on connection to course concepts and depth of reflection. This would be manageable because the response is short and in a larger class, peer comments could reduce the instructor workload while still creating meaningful interaction.
To make the activity more inclusive, I would provide guiding questions and a transcript if available. I would also remind students that discussions about racism can feel personal or uncomfortable, so responses should be respectful and focused on learning. To improve the video activity, I would add questions or pauses where students must predict, reflect or connect the idea to a real-world example before moving on.
image taken from: https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/students-watching-video-classroom
Reference:
Bates, A. W. T. (2022, August 18). 10.6 Interaction. Teaching in a Digital Age: Third Edition – General; Tony Bates Associates Ltd. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev3m/chapter/pedagogical-roles-for-text-audio-and-video/
act.tv. (2019). Systemic Racism Explained [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrHIQIO_bdQ