Element 3 - Issues of Social Injustice

Element 3 : Issues of Social Injustice

Something Happened In Our Town - A Child's Story About Racial Injustice

Written by: Marianne Celano and Marietta Collins

Illustrated by : Jennifer Zivoin

Link to purchase : Bookshop.org

Teacher Resource Link : Teaching Books

Summary of Book

The story begins with, "Something bad happened in our town,” after a Black man is shot in a police shooting. The adults believe the children don’t know, but they overhear the news. Emma, who is white, and Josh, who is Black, ask their parents to help them understand.  Emma’s mother tells her it was a mistake, while her sister argues the man was shot because he is Black. This leads to a conversation explaining that even though slavery ended, discrimination, unfair laws, and treatment still exist, and that white people still have certain advantages. Emma learns that being fair means treating everyone equally and standing up when something is wrong.  Josh asks if the police officer will go to jail. His mother says he might, but sometimes police don’t. His brother explains that officers often protect each other, especially if the person hurt is Black. His father talks about deeper systemic issues and racial injustices. Josh’s parents tell him to be proud of who he is and that he can help make change by being brave, kind, and fair.  The next day at school, Emma and Josh meet a new student who is different from them. Other classmates make fun of the student, but Emma and Josh remember what their families taught them and choose to include the student, showing that small acts of kindness can make the community more equal.

                                                          How it represents Element 3

This story represents element 3, issues of social injustice, because it teaches children about a major social injustice issue, Racial Injustice.  The story shows the differences in how a white family sees the issue of a black man being shot by police compared to how a black family sees it, but ends with both children understanding what racial inequality is and how they can help make a difference by being fair and kind. It gives insight into the fact that children do understand what is happening when they hear about things like this on the news or just hear others talking about it, and the best choice as a parent is to give the child insight and explain to them these social injustices and what they can do to be apart of change.  It also gives tips in the back of the book for parents or educators to have a conversation with their children or students about social injustice and racism and other tough topics.  

How I would use it in my future classroom

This is definitely a story I want to share with my future students in my future classroom to spread the books message.  I think this story would be best for grades 1-6 ages 6-12 years old.  I find that this range works well as the story's language and illustrations makes it very accessible and easier for children to understand.  While the topics are deep, it's written in a way for children to understand and be able to learn from and open up conversations.  I would want to do an activity after reading this book to my students, I would have the students identify examples of fairness and unfairness then come together to brainstorm ways they could make their classroom more inclusive.  Especially during this time in the world, it's very crucial for children to be aware of social injustices.