How to talk when we talk about hate

By Marja Brandon | July 11, 2025

[Editor’s note: Our archives contain several years of excellent articles, most of which remain relevant and important to today’s young people and the adults who work with them. This one is a “Director’s Choice” that we are reposting this week.]   As parents, we all struggle sometimes with how to explain things we hear to…

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The Reality of Being Black in Iowa

By Wylliam Smith | July 28, 2018

When I was about to graduate from high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, many people ridiculed me for only applying to three colleges. My classmates had applied to eight or nine colleges and insisted I needed to broaden my options. But I didn’t need to apply to 15 schools because I knew that no matter what happened,…

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