Summary: Sharply different reactions to the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial reveal the racial divide that persists in America. The author of a book about race and cultural bias, Allen Lewis (James Madison University), looks at race in light of the Obama presidency and the George Zimmerman and Michael Dunn court cases. Also: The Geography of Slavery website catalogues more than 4,000 advertisements offering rewards for runaway slaves (including one written by Thomas Jefferson) placed in newspapers in the later part of the 18th century. Tom Costa (University of Virginia’s College at Wise) says these advertisements humanize the stories of the runaway men and women and will also be used in the classroom to teach American history. And: Bridgett Robertson (Virginia State University) says three-fourths of all African-Americans use Twitter and are using it to discuss political and social issues of importance to the black community. Later in the show: Civil rights activist Bob Moses famously helped organize a voter registration drive in Mississippi that changed the political landscape for the black community. He also believed that something else was necessary for full citizenship in society: math literacy. Oliver Hill (Virginia State University) agrees that learning algebra is a civil right. Also featured: John Nunnery (Old Dominion University) has caught the attention of the White House with his classroom collaboration model that gets children excited about math. And: Rose Asera tells the remarkable story of how Uri Treisman transformed Berkeley’s math program. Plus: Sometimes all it takes to grab kids’ attention is one really good teacher. Dan Meyer uses video to make math problems real.
