Teaching the Election with Purpose: Toward a Framework of Racial Media Literacy and [Socio] Political Consciousness When Discussing Elections in the Social Studies Classroom

Infusing content about elections has not been an issue for social studies teachers, but rather contextualizing race discourse in discussions of elections has served as a curricular cessation for social studies teachers. This is especially concerning given that teachers' attempts to remain neutral with regards to race consequently results in a lack of racial awareness and sociopolitical consciousness pertaining to political issues among students. This article advocates for pedagogical frameworks of racial media literacy and (socio)political consciousness to address systemic issues of race as they are discussed in the election. The author argues that students, especially students of color, should be afforded the opportunity to critically interrogate media outlets, messages, and candidates' positioning of race as an effort to promote political consciousness that could potentially impact their immediate or future political decision making. Suggestions for enacting these frameworks are provided within the broader discourse on acquiring knowledge, political disclosure, and inquiry pedagogy.