Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Multicultural Education

ISSN

1068-3844

Volume

21

Issue

1

First Page

33

Last Page

37

Publication Date

Fall 2013

Abstract

In "The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America," Kozol (2005) asked a question that many educators and other education stakeholders still wonder about in regards to the educational progress for many urban school students in the United States, "What do we need to do to alter these realities?" (p. 215). Altering realities requires new questions and creatively connecting educational issues such as multiculturalism, education for a sustainable living, and teacher education in different ways. In this article author Charlane Starks ascribes an urban location to multiculturalism, sustainability, and teacher education to draw attention toward transforming the realities of urban bioregions with culturally diverse student populations to contribute to further eliminating the achievement and social gaps inherent in today's urban school communities. Starks contends that teachers and teacher educators can be a "force for responsibility and activism" (Mueller, 2009, p. 1050) in schools located in urban bioregions with a street named after Nobel Peace Prize recipient Martin Luther King Jr (MLK). MLK Street (Michelson, Alderman, & Popke, 2007) names are symbolic representations honoring Dr. King's life and legacy of challenging the status quo during the civil rights era and they continue to exemplify African-American culture and community (Michelson et al., 2007). Street naming as a strategy is "a part of a larger movement to address the exclusion of African- American achievements" (Michelson et al., 2007, p.122) and remains a significant conduit for African-American expression, identity, and sense of community (Alderman, 2006; Tilove, 2003). Ironically, MLK Streets have the dubious reputation of being economically disadvantaged and unhealthy environments (Alderman, 2006). While researchers agree that social movements that result in the renaming of streets to honor Dr. King extend beyond the field of multiculturalism and social justice (Rhea, 2001), teacher education programs can and must prepare teachers for work in urban schools through interdisciplinary connections between multiculturalism, learning about place, and sustainability education. This article examines the importance of interrelationships using an interdisciplinary framework for teaching sustainability within communities on MLK Streets.

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