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Create Brave Spaces

In an era where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) face both growing urgency and mounting resistance, the need for intentional, supportive spaces in classrooms has never been greater. For racialized students, "brave spaces" offer more than just inclusion—they provide a foundation for meaningful dialogue, empowerment, and belonging. As DEI efforts encounter new challenges, educators must reaffirm their commitment to fostering environments where all students feel seen, heard, and valued.

Unfortunately, often when racialized students express strong emotions and views or share harsh glimpses of their everyday experiences, members of the dominant student group may feel unsafe, become uncomfortable, or react defensively. This further pushes students and teachers into comfort zones that get in the way of real learning or confronting issues that go beyond classroom boundaries.

Even if your school doesn’t allow you to directly address the issues, the way you treat students will impact how they perceive each other outside of the classroom.

Safe vs. Brave: What’s the Difference?

The phrase “safe space” is loosely used and sometimes confused with “brave space.”

A safe space is historically created and guarded by racialized communities—and they protect it by dictating who can and cannot be in these spaces.

On the other hand, brave spaces can be any space that challenges anyone to participate honestly in sensitive topics, even with the risk of becoming problematic or offensive.

In a safe classroom, students and teachers can participate in thought-provoking conversations without being held accountable when they offend others or perpetuate racism or other-isms because it is “safe”—unlike brave spaces, which allow for accountability and responsibility for what we say and do.

Although it is easier to maintain the traditional curriculum, we miss out on truly supporting our students, whose histories and current realities misalign with the “traditional” curriculum. True transformation comes from pushing limits and challenging ourselves and our students to grow.

We need to make brave classroom spaces a top priority, setting a firm foundation for inclusive teaching. Read on to learn how to start.

Create an Empowering Classroom

When teachers and students allow themselves to be vulnerable in class, they actively choose to foster more meaningful connections between themselves and their peers. To meet the challenges

as educators, we can work to unlearn problematic perspectives and ideas that lead to unjust actions.

It is vital for students to belong to a community that is trusting, empathetic, and connected.

You can transform your classroom into a brave space. Position it by setting classroom rules or codes: what you allow and what you don’t. Promote critical thinking, growth, and empathy.

As educators, we can recognize that all students bring unique experiences and backgrounds to the classroom and that they can all learn from each other.

Here are some steps to begin (or to continue growing and building):

The Final Word

We realize that not all experiences are equal, especially when it comes to the lived experiences of racialized students. Let’s aim for holistic education: asking about students’ languages and cultures, engaging them, sparking conversations about current events, promoting diverse ways of learning, and challenging students to think critically on a local, national, and global level.

While not all schools and districts allow teachers to delve into the more controversial issues, most teachers can get the point across by allowing students to share their experiences with each other.

Be a change leader by learning more:

Hacking Culturally Inclusive Teaching: 8 Anti-Racist Strategies to Help Teachers and Leaders Improve Equity in Education by Kendra Nalubega-Booker

Anti-Racist Teaching: 8 Steps to Build a Framework for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Your School by Symone James Abiola

“3 Culturally Inclusive Skills That All Students Should Have.” X10 Publications blog. May 30, 2023.
“Diversity and Inclusion: 6 Simple Steps to Create an Environment of Belonging in Your Class.” X10 Publications blog. February 22, 2025.‌
Landreman, Lisa M. The Art of Effective Facilitation. 2023. Taylor & Francis.‌
“Little Readers, Big Lessons: Top Picks to Explore Diversity.” X10 Publications blog. November 19, 2024.
Najarro, Ileana. “What Works to Help Students of Color Feel like They Belong at School.” Education Week. September 27, 2024.

Larry Ferlazzo Tells It Like It is.

He Also Shares What Others Are Saying.

If you haven’t discovered Larry Ferlazzo yet, you’re missing out on a real gem in your Teacher’s Tool Chest. Not only has he written 13 books on student motivation, ELL and teaching strategies, but he also writes a popular education blog (larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/) and writes a weekly Education Week teacher advice column. Then there’s his weekly Bam! Education radio show and 150+ professional articles.

Time to check out Larry.

We suggest you start by reading this round-up:

Get in the Know

How DEI Looks and Feels

How do we adjust to a changing student demographic? Django Paris, Michigan State University Department of Teacher Education associate professor and author of Language Across Difference: Ethnicity, Communication, and Youth Identities in Changing Urban Schools, has some ideas.