What is Literacy for Justice?

At Literacy for Justice (LFJ), we believe that every child, regardless of race, language, or socioeconomic background, deserves access to affirming, high-quality literacy instruction. Black, Brown, multilingual, and economically marginalized students bring rich cultural knowledge, linguistic assets, and intellectual potential to the classroom. Yet, these students have often been underserved by an education system that has not fully honored or built upon their strengths.

The Problem

Persistent disparities in literacy outcomes are not a reflection of students’ abilities, but rather the result of systemic inequities within our education system. These disparities are deeply rooted in what Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings (2006) identifies as the education debt – the accumulated history of underinvestment in the education of students of color and students from low-income communities. This debt manifests in the form of opportunity gaps, resource inequities, and policy decisions that have failed to support educators in meeting the needs of all learners.

Despite the wealth of research on how children learn to read, many students continue to be denied access to rigorous, responsive, and evidence-based instruction. Too often, the implementation of the science of reading has been disconnected from culturally sustaining practices, creating classrooms that are technically sound but culturally unresponsive.

Our Purpose

Literacy for Justice was founded to disrupt that disconnect.

We are here to bridge the science of reading with culturally responsive, asset-based instruction. We believe literacy instruction should be both research-informed and rooted in the lives, cultures, and languages of our students. We believe teachers deserve support in learning how to do this work in ways that honor their students’ brilliance.

Our mission is to support educators, leaders, and teacher educators in building instructional practices that affirm identity, grow foundational reading skills, and foster critical thinking. We envision a future where literacy instruction is not only effective, but also just.

What You’ll Find Here

This site is a hub for powerful, practical, and justice-centered literacy resources. You’ll find:

• Blog posts that explore the intersection of literacy instruction, equity, and educational justice
• Classroom tools like lesson plans guides, graphic organizers, and culturally diverse decodable texts
• PD guides and toolkits for school leaders, literacy coaches, and teacher prep programs
• Webinars and mini-courses blending structured literacy with culturally responsive teaching
• Spotlights on educators who are transforming their literacy practice in bold, equity-minded ways
• Book reviews and reflections to expand your thinking around justice-centered literacy

Whether you’re a classroom teacher, instructional coach, school leader, or teacher educator, you belong here. Literacy for Justice is a community committed to transforming instruction and disrupting educational injustice – one student at a time.

Together, we can build literacy. Together, we can pursue justice.

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Reference:
Ladson-Billings, G. (2006). From the achievement gap to the education debt: Understanding achievement in U.S. schools. Educational Researcher, 35(7), 3–12.