Learning for Justice is a project and educational arm of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), ¹ a left-of-center watchdog criticized for falsely accusing mainstream right-leaning and center-right organizations of being far-right, racist, and violent extremists. ² Learning for Justice produces educational articles, guides, films, webinars and workshops to advance the SPLC’s mission and objectives for K-12 educators. ³

Background

Learning for Justice was founded in 1991 by the SPLC, originally under the name Teaching for Tolerance, ⁴ to produce free educational materials to advance its parent organization’s mission. ⁵ The organization’s flagship magazine is sent to 450,000 educators twice annually. ⁶

Perspectives for a Diverse America

One of the notable educational modules produced by Learning for Justice is Perspectives for a Diverse America. ⁷ The module falls under the organization’s “anti-bias” curriculum, a catch-all term used by Learning for Justice to refer to an outlook that seeks to explain and analyze all societal problems through a racial lens and emphasizes the need for solutions that privilege some groups over others along racial lines. ⁸

LGBT Modules

In addition to educational content focused on race and gender, Learning for Justice produces LGBT educational content. ⁹ In an article publicizing the LGBT modules for K-12 educators, Learning for Justice claims that “[a]cross the United States, and especially in the South, politicians [are] intent on disenfranchising racially and culturally diverse communities and maintaining inequitable power structures.” ¹⁰ In an interview with a student whose school participated in a Learning for Justice program, the student repeated revisionist history taught in the module, praising the program and stating, “That [LGBT] history isn’t taught anywhere. Like, the guy who basically won World War II for us was a gay man. We never discussed that; nobody ever said his name.” ¹¹

Learning for Justice opposes laws that seek to give parents a voice in what teachers can use as source material for lesson plans on issues related to race and gender and have opposed laws that seek to ensure that parents, and not teachers, decide what their children should learn in relation to issues of race and gender. ¹²

Learning for Justice Magazine

Learning for Justice produces a bi-annual magazine. ¹³ The magazine touches on various issues relating to teaching race and gender in social science courses and vehemently opposes laws that seek to limit critical race theory and allow parental scrutiny of gender-issues curriculums.

Leadership

Jalaya Liles Dunn is the director of Learning for Justice. ¹⁴ Prior to joining the organization, Liles Dunn was the national director of the CDF Freedom Schools program for the left-of-center Children’s Defense Fund. ¹⁵

1. “About” Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/about
2. Lyman, Brian. “Republican National Committee resolution condemns Southern Poverty Law Center, claiming ‘obvious bias’” USA Today. August 24, 2020. Accessed December 24, 2022. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/24/republican-national-committee-condemns-southern-poverty-law-center/3431429001/
3. “About” Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/about
4. “Learning for Justice” Zinn. Education Project. https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/learning-for-justice/#:~:text=Founded%20in%201991%20by%20the,free%20videos%20for%20the%20classroom
5. “Learning for Justice” Zinn. Education Project. https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/learning-for-justice/#:~:text=Founded%20in%201991%20by%20the,free%20videos%20for%20the%20classroom
6. “Learning for Justice” Zinn. Education Project. https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/learning-for-justice/#:~:text=Founded%20in%201991%20by%20the,free%20videos%20for%20the%20classroom
7. Shuster, Kate. “Teaching about Slavery? It’s Debatable” EducationWeek. June 22, 2015. Accessed December 28, 2022. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-teaching-about-slavery-its-debatable/2015/06
8. “Perspectives for a Diverse America” Learning for Justice/Teaching Tolerance.
9. “LGBT Understanding” Learning for Justice.
   https://www.learningforjustice.org/learning-plan/lgbt-understanding?gclid=CjwKCAiAqt-dBhBcEiwATw-ggHv6O6u3r4XNm91gAAzuhC2vVwqR3DH6VYwSFmPC75FRKQyoSXnBKhoCjwAQAvD_BwE
10. ^[1] Willingham-Jaggers, Melanie. “Inclusive Education Benefits All Children” Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/fall-2022/inclusive-education-benefits-all-children
11. Willingham-Jaggers, Melanie. “Inclusive Education Benefits All Children” Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/fall-2022/inclusive-education-benefits-all-children
12. Willingham-Jaggers, Melanie. “Inclusive Education Benefits All Children” Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/fall-2022/inclusive-education-benefits-all-children
13. “To Counter Racist Violence, Teach Honest History” Learning for Justice. Learning for Justice Magazine. Fall 2022, Issue 3. https://www.learningforjustice.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/Learning-for-Justice-Magazine-Issue-3-Fall-2022-Web-10202022.pdf
14. “Jalaya Liles Dunn” Learning for Justice.  https://www.learningforjustice.org/author/jalaya-liles-dunn?gclid=CjwKCAiA76dBhByEiwAA0_s9cxw_vOOqhVAdwQUCqzQv19PapPZwmLbrNZOUOblI9RQFE3XSp_J3hoC_dQQAvD_BwE
15. “Jalaya Liles Dunn” Learning for Justice.  https://www.learningforjustice.org/author/jalaya-liles-dunn?gclid=CjwKCAiA76dBhByEiwAA0_s9cxw_vOOqhVAdwQUCqzQv19PapPZwmLbrNZOUOblI9RQFE3XSp_J3hoC_dQQAvD_BwE