How can we recognize injustice?

Learning Objectives

I can explain the different categories of injustice

I can identify examples of each type of injustice

Open Ended

What comes to mind when you hear the word "injustice?" Give examples, be specific.

Multiple Select

 Injustice is a lack of fairness or justice, or a violation of the rights of another.

Which of these movements are examples of people fighting for justice?

(there are more than 1)

• Civil Rights

• Women's Suffrage

• Black Lives Matter

• Abolition

Unfair? Or unjust?

Injustice goes beyond being unfair. You might not get the newest smartphone on the market like your friends and claim that it is unfair and unjust. But the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee you the right to a smartphone, let alone the newest. Denying you a brand new smartphone does not violate your rights (though it can be unfair). Whereas denying women and people of color the right to vote is not only unfair, it is also unjust. Unjust actions also limit how much people can participate in a democratic society.

Types of Injustice

Political
Economic
Social

Political injustice involves denying people their individual liberties or freedoms, such as:

• Limiting or prohibiting freedom of speech or religion 

• Denial of due process (right to a trial and assumed innocent until proven guilty)

• Excessive fines and jail time

• Lack of protection for voting rights

Political injustice is often rooted in laws and policies that deny some people access to  equal participation in society. For example, Black people often had to complete complicated literacy tests to be able to register to vote or had to pay to register, known as a poll tax. These actions are now illegal under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Political Injustice

Multiple Choice

True or False:

Literacy tests are required to be able to register to vote

• True

• False

Economic injustice occurs when groups of people can not access the basic necessities of life, including access to adequate food and housing, and the existence of significant discrepancies in wealth. Economic injustice often stems from lack of access to quality education, unfair hiring procedures, not enough jobs, and lack of access to health care. It may lead people to believe that they have not received their fair share of the resources and benefits available in society.

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Economic Injustice

Multiple Choice

True or False:

The existence of billionaires is an active example of economic injustice in America

• True

• False

Social injustice occurs when a person or a group of people is treated unfairly or is discriminated against based on race, ethnicity, gender, or religious identity. This form of injustice is often the result of political and economic injustices. For example, the civil rights movement focused on social injustices, such as lack of equal pay and voting rights, that were the result of unjust laws and economic policies specifically aimed against African Americans.

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Social Injustice

Multiple Choice

True or False:

If a single mom doesn't have a car, a potential employer can deny her a job.

• True

• False

Match

Match the type of injustice to its example

• Social

• Economic

• Political

Discriminating against a person or group

A group unable to access basic needs

Denying individuals their freedoms

• Discriminating against a person or group

• A group unable to access basic needs

• Denying individuals their freedoms

Open Ended

Pick one of the three types of injustices. Tell me what it is and then give an example of it in today's world.