In its 13th year, the annual Teaching Italian Symposium at Montclair State University, held virtually via Zoom on Oct. 23 and Oct. 24, was a testament to the commitment of the Joseph and Elda Coccia Institute for the Italian Experience in America and the Italian Program in the Department of World Languages and Cultures that they uphold to the professional development of teachers.

Adapting to these unprecedented times, this year’s signature program, Equity in the Italian Curriculum, responded to recent and ongoing violence against Black people and people of color in the United States, and the disproportionate burdens placed on minorities by the current health crisis, and called educators to action for social justice. Because of the complex histories of Italy and Italian American’s, it is suiting to teach about social justice in the Italian language classroom.