We are here for you: SRL reacts to civil unrest across the country

A picture of George Floyd is seen at a makeshift memorial put up by protesters at the corner where he got arrested, in the aftermath of a white police officer getting caught on a bystander’s video pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck, who later died at a hospital, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., May 28, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria – RC20YG9SX3S2

Arlington, Va.– PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SRL) was created to empower the voices of young people who are left out of important conversations. This week and every week, SRL is intended to be a place for students to turn to as a space where they can feel comfortable sharing their experiences, perspectives and solutions through their journalism and video storytelling work.

“Race and justice are themes we’ve delved into repeatedly, and we are heartened to see some of our alumni speaking out and producing content in new ways,” says Leah Clapman, SRL Founder and managing editor of education for the PBS NewsHour.

“Moments like this, we’re reminded of why SRL exists and committed to a vision of building a more diverse, inclusive and empathetic generation of creators and consumers through our community and educational work,” says Elis Estrada, SRL Senior Director.

SRL will continue to share important resources to key community members — especially students, educators, and PBS local stations — to help process and reflect on the death of George Floyd and protests against police brutality.

Use SRL’s Race and Justice Rapid Response to start conversations with students and other young people in your community.