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Discover all of the books in the First Conversations series.

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Diversity Statistics on Books by/or about Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC)

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Diversity Statistics on Books by/or about Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC)

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The CCBC Diversity Statistics FAQs provide essential information and context and can help users avoid time-consuming mistakes when citing or performing independent numerical analysis of our data.

The CCBC Media Kit includes a press release and visual images about our 2022 statistics. The media kit press release and images can be used without permission. (We will not grant permission for additional graphics that replicate the data in the media kit images.)

Request to Publish: Permission to publish additional information about our data in any form (social media, presentations, print or online publication, etc.), including additional numerical analysis of data on our web site and/or in the media kit, requires review by the CCBC. See our Terms of Use for more information.

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Books by and/or about Black, Indigenous and People of Color (All Years)

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The CCBC Diversity Statistics FAQs provide essential information and context and can help users avoid time-consuming mistakes when citing or performing independent numerical analysis of our data. The CCBC Media Kit includes a press release and visual images about our 2022 statistics. The media kit press release and images can be used without permission.

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Know Your Identity (recent article in TIE)

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Know Your Identity (recent article in TIE)

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As I mentioned in my last article, There Is an "I" In Team - Being a Better Team Player, my focus in my work is around adult to adult communication in schools. How do we stretch ourselves at our learning edges to become our best adult selves at school? How do we communicate well with one another in service of our students?

In my last article I asserted there is an "I" in team and shared key ideas around how we can better engage as an effective group member. This article continues my six-part series on being a better colleague and collaborative team member by focusing on another key "stretch edge," knowing ourselves.

Our ability to collaborate and our willingness to engage respectfully with one another matters for the health of the school and the collective well-being of all within it. And one of the steps you can do to engage respectfully with others is to better know yourself.

Understanding who we are as an individual is vital to working productively within teams because our identity shapes our behaviors, our choices, and our actions. Our upbringing and values affect how we communicate - what we say and how and when we say it.

We have different stories and histories. We hold assumptions and have blind spots. It's important that we recognize how our own identities interact with and can bump up against others' upbringings, values, and beliefs.

You might begin to feel uncomfortable as you begin to learn about yourself and differences between you and your colleagues. Many of us strive to minimize differences with the goal to avoid stereotyping and to keep harmony within a group. We have been taught to treat each person as an individual and recognize the essential humanity in each one of us.

We cannot (and should not) apply our wish to feel comfortable onto others and thus avoid discussions which minimize our differences. That wish can result in a negative impact. In the end, it can go against our intention to treat everyone with respect. We need to stretch at this learning edge in order to truly examine how a lack of knowledge about our identity and a lack of time spent learning about others can unintentionally affect our work.

Knowing Your Identity

Knowledge of your history and upbringing, as well as how your background informs your identity, beliefs, and values, and thus, your work.

Recognition that your strengths, motivations, work styles, and learning edges help you discern the best next steps to develop yourself so you are able to collaborate more effectively with others who might not share those traits.

Increases self-awareness and personal insight.

Increases flexibility in your choices of what to say and do, when and how to communicate, and how to behave in more productive ways for the good of your organization.

Being able to articulate your connection with various parts of your identity (gender, race, ethnicity, faith, etc.) and recognize how those parts impact your choices and actions.

Examination of beliefs and actions and how your choices can adversely affect others.

Ability to articulate your values, work styles, and preferences and recognize how those affect your work and leadership., using verbal and nonverbal behaviors that exhibit respect, and more.

Adapted from Stretching Your Learning Edges: Growing (Up) at Work - Jennifer Abrams, 2021, MiraVia Publishing.
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Things you can consider as you work to know yourself better:
KNOWING YOURSELF TAKES WORK
Knowing yourself is an ongoing journey of discovery, and it doesn't happen without commitment. We know from experiences with those older than us that aging does not necessarily increase self-awareness. It takes conscious effort to understand yourself. It is true that you have preferences or inclinations such as, "I like chocolate more than vanilla,"; or "I am a night person."; Yet knowing yourself more deeply, your biases, your limitations, and how your upbringing affects your work and impacts your work with others, well, that requires internal study.

For example, exploring how your family communicated with your schools might help you understand your expectations of parent-teacher interactions. Understanding how your family dealt with conflict may help you recognize patterns in how you talk to colleagues about difficult topics. Recognizing your strengths and weaknesses on a youth sports team might help you understand your approach as a team member.

We bring our past into our present. Awareness of how history impacts current work is a worthwhile endeavor, because knowing and evolving is an ongoing, active project. Increased awareness might cause us discomfort, and that discomfort is important as we develop and grow.
BEING AWARE OF YOUR BLIND SPOTS IS A GOOD THING - REALLY
Self-exploration is easier for some than others. Looking at our blind spots is an uncomfortable undertaking. You may uncover or rediscover parts of yourself that you don't love to acknowledge. For example, you might not have thought about offering food to students during the holidays because you were never food insecure. Or you always assume families can attend parent-teacher conferences because your parents were able to take time off. Or you might expect a basic understanding of Judeo-Christian references since you grew up going to church or synagogue while others might be of a different faith and not be aware of your concepts. Identifying, acknowledging and, dare I say, admitting you have blind spots, weaknesses, or limitations offers areas for learning and ways to grow. Understanding that we all are "works in progress" can help us become more self-compassionate and more empathic toward teammates.
IDENTITY ISN'T FIXED, AND YOU CAN CHANGE
We are all in the process of forming our identity. Age changes us, as do life events such as moving, divorce, deaths, relationships, teaching, leading, raising children, and external events in the world. You shouldn't feel stuck with one identity, attached to the same passions, fears, thoughts, feelings, and limitations. You can ask yourself what story in your life brought you to any given opinion and whether you want to continue thinking this way. You can change and adapt.

As we work on engaging as our best adult selves, we need to consistently focus not just on the content of our meetings with others but also on who we are and how our identities interact with others. We can ask:

How do I self-identify? Which parts of my identity are more important now than they were in the past and which are less important?

Where are my blind spots in terms of how I see the world? What don't I notice? Where are my limitations?

What do I know about how I see the world differently than others? How do I work effectively with those differences?

In my previous articles, I focused on Engaging with Reciprocity, and in my following articles, I will look at three other essential areas where we can stretch ourselves at our learning edges and become even more effective professionals in our adult to adult communication.

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Formerly a high school English teacher and a new teacher coach, Jennifer Abrams is currently a communications consultant who focuses on adult to adult communication in schools. Her publications include Having Hard Conversations, The Multigeerational Workplace: Communincate, Collaborate and Create Community and Hard Conversations Unpacked - the Whos, Whens and What Ifs and Swimming in the Deep End: Four Foundational Skills for Leading Successful School Initiatives. Her newest book is, Stretching Your Learning Edges: Growing (Up) at Work.

Internationally, Jennifer presented at PTC, TTC, EARCOS, NESA, ECIS, AISA, AMISA, CEESA and Tri-Association conferences, and at schools across Asia, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South America and North America. More about Jennifer's work can be found at her website, www.jenniferabrams.com.Twitter: @jenniferabrams

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Know Your Identity | The International Educator (TIE Online)

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As I mentioned in my last article, There Is an "I" In Team - Being a Better Team Player, my focus in my work is around adult to adult communication in schools. How do we stretch ourselves at our learning edges to become our best adult selves at school?

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Diversity in Children's and Young Adult Books

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Diversity in Children's and Young Adult Books

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Diversity in Children’s and Young Adult Books - Social Justice Books

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By Paige Pagan The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) has released data on books by and about Black, Indigenous, and People of Color published for children and teens. While we are seeing steady increases in the number of children’s and young adult books written by authors of color, the numb…

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Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's books

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Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's books

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Based on "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism." Updated in 2013.*
Children's books continue to be an invaluable source of information and values. They reflect the attitudes in our society about diversity, power relationships among different groups of people, and various social identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, economic class, sexual orientation, and disability). The visual and verbal messages young children absorb from books (and other media) heavily influence their ideas about themselves and others. Depending on the quality of the book, they can reinforce (or undermine) children's affirmative self-concept, teach accurate (or misleading) information about people of various identities, and foster positive (or negative) attitudes about diversity. Children's books teach children about who is important, who matters, who is even visible. Consequently, carefully choosing quality children's books is an indispensable educational and child-rearing task.

It is important to offer young children a range of books about people like them and their family - as well as about people who are different from them and their family. All of the books should be accurate and appealing to young children. Fortunately, there are some good anti-bias children's books, which are available as a result of the ongoing activism of many individuals and groups over many years. However, while choices have improved over past decades, the lack of quality multicultural kid's books currently being published has frustrated many communities. The number of children of color in the United States continues to rise, but the number of books published by or about people of color stays the same or even decreases.

Check the Illustrations

Look for Stereotypes: A stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about a particular identity group (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, ability/disability), which usually carries derogatory, inaccurate messages and applies them to ALL people in the group. Stereotypes dehumanize people. So, too, does misinformation. ( See Box 1 below for a list of common, harmful stereotypes).

Unfortunately, all of us absorb socially prevailing stereotypes about a range of people, even if we do not consciously subscribe to them. To alert you to stereotypes in children's books, as well as other media, it is useful to list all the stereotypes you know about various groups of people as precondition for critically reviewing children's books. The books you choose should depict people compassionately and as real human beings. Also consider if images depict all people as genuine individuals with distinctive (rather than stereotypical) features. Books containing stereotypes require you to engage children in critical thinking, but should probably be eliminated from your collection.

BOX 1: Common Harmful/Undermining Stereotypes

Strong, independent girls and women are "manlike"

Book-loving or nonathletic boys and men are "effeminate"

Latino men talk funny, are lazy, gang members, or wear oversize sombreros

Latina women are earth mothers or subservient

African American men are gang members, oversexed, or underemployed

African American women are too independent, oversexed, or "welfare moms"

Arab and/or Muslim men are terrorists

Arab and/or Muslim women are voiceless and passive

All Muslims are Arab / All Arabs are Muslim

American Indians live in teepees, carry bows and arrows, or are half-naked in winter

American Indians were only significant in the past (read)

Disabled people are not independent or are to be pitied

Disabled people must "overcome" their disabilities rather than just live with their disabilities

LGBTQ+ people are invisible

Poor people are invisible

Poor people are depicted as passively needing help from others

AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) are depicted as the "model minority"

AAPI are exotic or their food is exotic/abnormal

All AAPI know martial arts or are meek and compliant

AAPI are portrayed with slanted eyes or just lines to represent eyes

Jewish people are all Zionists (read)

Jewish people are wealthy and yield undue influence in the financial and political world

Look for Tokenism: This is the "one only" message. Regularly seeing only "one" person of any group in a book teaches young children about who is more or less important. Examples of tokenism include books with only one African American child among many white children or having only one book about children with disabilities among many other books. Tokenism also becomes stereotypical. It only allows children to see one view of a group of people, rather than the diversity that exists among all groups.

Look for Invisibility: What children do not see in their books also teaches them about who matters and who doesn't in our society. Invisibility in their storybooks - as well as in textbooks as they get older - undermines children's affirmative sense of themselves and reinforces prejudiced ideas about people who are not seen (See Box 2 for examples of groups who tend to be invisible). The booklists on this website include a great variety of books with groups who are often excluded. (The titles are vetted by Teaching for Change.)

BOX 2: Examples of Groups of People Who Are Often Invisible in Children's Books or Mainstream Media

Families who live in rural areas

Blue-collar workers

Musicians, artists, and writers

Families with two dads or two moms

Single mothers or fathers

Homeless families

Families with an incarcerated parent

People of Middle Eastern descent

Families who practice Islam

Transgender adults and children

Check the Story Line and the Relationships Between People

Even if a book shows visual diversity, the story line may carry biases related to how it handles power relationships among people of various identities. Are whites or male characters the central figures with people of color or female characters in essentially supporting roles? To gain acceptance and/or approval does a child of color, a girl, or child with a disability have to exhibit extraordinary qualities or be the one to understand, forgive, or change? Are the achievements of girls and women based on their own initiative and intelligence, or are they due to their looks or relationship with boys/men?

Are people of color, women, low-income families, or people with disabilities depicted as needing help or in passive roles, while whites, men, and "able-bodied" people are in leadership and action roles? How are problems presented, conceived, and resolved? Who typically causes a problem and who resolves it? Your book collection needs a balance of different people in "doer" roles.

Look at Messages About Different Lifestyles

Do the lives of people of color or people living in poverty in the story contrast unfavorably with the norm of white, middle-class suburban life? Are negative value judgments implied about ways of life that differ from the dominant culture or economic class (e.g., people are to be pitied, or the story is about one person who "gets out" of the less desirable way of life)? Do images and information go beyond oversimplification and offer genuine insights into the lifestyle of the characters in the story? Does the setting reflect current life - or past assumptions about life? Does your book collection depict diversity among people within a specific racial/ethnic group, such as a range of family structures, living environments, socioeconomic conditions and types of work, and male/female roles within the family? (Remember that every racial/ethnic group has diversity, including people who self-identify as white).

Consider the Effects on Children's Self and Social Identities

In addition to specific books, also examine your book collection. Do your books reinforce or counteract messages that teach children to feel inferior or superior because of their skin color, gender, family income, able-bodiedness, or type of family structure? At school, will all of the children you serve see themselves and their family's way of life reflected in your book collection? Will all children of color, including those with mixed heritage, girls, and children from the many types of family structures, children living in poverty, and children with disabilities see one or more characters with whom they can readily and positively identify? If they are visible in your book collection, are the illustrations and information accurate and respectful? Does your overall collection balance the backgrounds of all the children in your program? Does it also show diversity within the social indentity groups to which the children belong (e.g., a range of ways to be female and male, families reflecting different kinds of jobs within a racial/ethnic group). Does your book collection also include a balance between diversity within your classroom and beyond your classroom?

At home, does your book collection reflect diversity among the groups to which your family belongs? Does it have stories about people like you who have contributed to creating a more just world? Does it also include a range of books showing diversity beyond your family and neighborhood?

Look for Books About Children and Adults Engaging in Actions for Change

To fully develop a strong sense of self and a disposition toward cooperation and fairness, children need to know how to stand up for themselves and others when faced with unfairness. They also need to know about people from all social identity groups who have - and are currently - working for justice for all. In addition to previous criteria, here are more items to consider: The story line should be about children and adults working together, rather than perpetrating the myth that change happens because of special, individual people who do it by themselves. Does your book collection include a balance of people who have made important and honored contributions to American life as well as the world community - and not just the traditional white, male "heroes?" Do some of your books about important people include struggles for justice? Do they show people who were/are poor or from racial/ethnic groups of color? Are people with disabilities engaged in these struggles for justice?

Consider the Author's or Illustrator's Background and Perspective

All authors write from a cultural as well as from a personal context. In the past, most children's books were by authors and illustrators who were white and members of the middle class. As a result, a single cultural and class perspective dominated children's literature. There are now excellent books by people of color from a range of backgrounds - although not nearly enough. Consider the biographical material on the jacket flap or back of the book. What qualifies the author or illustrator to deal with the subject? If the book is not about people or events similar to the author or illustrator's background, what specifically recommends them as creators of the book? What is the author's attitude toward her/his story characters? Are the images accurate and do the illustrators respectfully render the people in the story? Do you have books reflecting a balanced range of author and illustrator identities and experiences?

Watch for Loaded Words

A word is loaded when it in any way demeans or makes people invisible because of any of their identities. One example is the generic use of the word "man" to stand for women as well as men (although the opposite never occurs). This traditional terminology is now questioned by many because of its sexist implications. Here are some examples of ways to avoid sexist language: community instead of brotherhood; firefighters inserted of firemen; human family instead of family of man; ancestors instead of forefathers; chairperson instead of chairman. Examples of adjectives applied to people of color that carry racist messages include: "savage," "primitive," "superstitious," "backward," "inscrutable" and "treacherous." Always consider the context in which a word is used and to whom it applies.

Look at the Copyright Date

Copyright dates indicate the publication year, not the time of its writing, which might be two to three years before the copyright date. Although a recent copyright date is no guarantee of a book's relevance or sensitivity, copyright dates are useful information. More children's books began to reflect the reality of a pluralistic society and nonsexist and non-ableist perspectives in the 1970s. Since then, the range of accurate, respectful, and caring books reflecting diversity has increased significantly (unfortunately the diversity of books published in the United States still does not accurately reflect the actual diversity of the people living here). When considering new books for your collection, begin with most recently published ones and then continue with descending copyright dates.

Assess the Appeal of the Story and Illustrations to Young Children

Although these guidelines focus on the messages about diversity and equality reflected in children's books, it is also important to take quality into account. Be sure the book is a "good read." If children find the story or illustrations boring, a book will not hold their attention, even if the book adds a specific kind of diversity you need. Check for active, interesting story lines where different kinds of people are integral to the people in the story, not the main topic. For example, in A Chair for My Mother, a young child tries to save money to get a comfortable chair for her waitress mother. Although the book shows a single parent, working-class family, and a resourceful girl, it is not didactic. Also look for illustrations that are colorful and recognizable to young children. Although they enjoy a range of styles, illustrations that are too subdued or abstract may not hold their attention.

Check for age appropriateness. Most booksellers list any picture book as appropriate for early childhood even if the story line is really for primary grade children. Sometimes a book for older children will work if you simplify the story or "tell" the story rather than read it. In some cases, this is the only way to get books that present specific groups of children (e.g., stories with Cambodian children or children with learning disabilities). Some additional issues to consider:

Many children's books use animal characters instead of people and there are some excellent books that explore diversity with animal characters (e.g., And Tango Makes Three or A Coyote Solstice Tale). Children enjoy these. However, such books are not a substitute for exploring issues of diversity and anti-bias fairness with people as the main characters.

Some early childhood teachers wonder if it is necessary for every book in their collection to show diversity. Every book needs to be accurate, caring, and respectful. However, you will want individual books about specific kinds of people (e.g., a biracial family or a family with adopted children). Diversity becomes essential in the balance of your book collection, where you want to avoid invisibility or tokenism of any group.

Folk and fairy tales have long been a mainstay of children's literature. In the cultures from which they come, folk and fairy tales were used to teach important lessons and values related to their culture of origin. Children love them in their original versions - not their commercially sanitized adaptations. However, folk and fairy tales also carry messages that convey sexism, classism, and racism and must be used thoughtfully as part of introducing young children to diversity and anti-bias values of quality and fairness.

Overuse of folk tales to "teach" about a specific ethnic/cultural group leads to misinformation and confusion. They are about animals and occasionally people from a mythical past and are designed to teach core values and beliefs in their culture of origin. They are not about how people actually live in contemporary society - and that is what young children need to understand. Information and images about how people really live now is what enables young children to build connections to people who are from different cultures while countering stereotypes that children have already absorbed (e.g., how American Indians really live).

Finally there is the somewhat sensitive issue of what to do about "classic" or "well-beloved" children's books. Many of these are wonderful as children's literature, but unfortunately they often convey values of sexism, racism, ableism, or even colonialism. People who love the books that pose this dilemma argue that it is OK to use them because they "reflect their times," which they imply somehow excuses their biased messages. For example, I adored the Babar series of books as a young child and was unpleasantly shocked to realize as an adult how much the images and story lines reflected messages of European colonialism in Africa. I chose not to use them with my own children, wanting them to learn accurate information about how people in Africa really live. Not sharing childhood favorites may sadden some, but it is far better than the harm caused by reinforcing messages of racism and colonialism.
In a nutshell - as you choose books or critically examine your current book selection, always keep in mind the power of books - their words and their images - to nurture or, conversely, to undermine a child's sense of self, positive attitude toward others, and motivation to act for fairness.
Additional Resources

Louise Derman-Sparks is an internationally respected anti-bias educator and author (along with Julie Olsen Edwards) of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. She has co-authored several additional books with Dr. Carol Brunson Day (Teaching/Learning Anti-Racism), the ABC Task Force ( Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children), Dr. Patricia Ramsey (What If All the Kids Are White?), and Dr. John Nimmo and Debbie Leekeenan ( Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change). She speaks throughout the United States and abroad, and served on the NAEYC Governing Board from 1998 to 2001. Louise has a lifelong commitment to building a more just society for all people. Her children Douglass and Holly, now grown, were her inspiration. A Pacific Oaks College faculty member for 33 years - when its mission and pedagogy reflected anti-bias education principles - Louise is now retired.
*In 1980, the Council on Interracial Books for Children published the book Guidelines for Selecting Bias-Free Textbooks and Storybooks. A shorter version of the book in pamphlet form, "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism," followed. One of the first guides written for teachers and families, it became an invaluable tool for hundreds of thousands of people. Both the book and pamphlet have been out of print for several years. Rethinking Schools published their adaptation of the original Guidelines in 1994.

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Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books - Social Justice Books

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By Louise Derman-Sparks Based on "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism." Updated in 2013.* Children's books continue to be an invaluable source of information and values. They reflect the attitudes in our society about diversity, power relationships among different groups of people, and various social identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, [...]

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10 Quick Ways for to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism (WOWLIT)

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10 Quick Ways for to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism (WOWLIT)

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Both in school and out children are exposed to racist and sexist attitudes. These attitudes-expressed over and over in books and other media-gradually distort their perceptions until stereotypes and myths about people of color and women are accepted as reality. These ten guidelines are offered as a starting point in evaluating children's books from this perspective.

The 10 guidelines were adapted from a 1980 brochure by the Council on Interracial Books for Children (citation follows). The Worlds of Words adaptation also updates the language to reflect current terminology. The issues of racist and sexist representations in books, however, continue to remain relevant, and genderism has emerged as a critical area of analysis for misrepresentations in children's books.

Look for Stereotypes. A stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about a particular group, race, sex, or gender, which usually carries derogatory or inaccurate messages, and is applied to all members of a group. While you may not find stereotypes in blatant forms, look for variations that demean, ridicule, or patronize characters because of their race, sex, or gender.

Look for Tokenism. If there are characters of color in the illustrations, do they look just like white people except for the color of their skin? Is there one token character of color amidst many white faces? Do people of color look stereotypically alike, or are they depicted as genuine individuals with distinctive features?

Look for Active Doers. Do the illustrations depict characters of color in subservient and passive roles or in leadership and action roles? Who is depicted as needing help and who takes action? Are males the active doers and females the inactive observers? Are gender identities portrayed that go beyond a female/male binary?

Although blatant racist and sexist representations are no longer prevalent, racist and sexist attitudes and assumptions still find more subtle expression in books. Some of the subtle forms of bias include the following.

Standards for Success. Does it take "white" behavior for a person of color to get ahead? Is "making it" in the dominant white society projected as the only ideal? To gain acceptance and approval, do persons of color have to exhibit extraordinary qualities-excel in sports, get As, etc.? In friendships between white children and children of color, does the child of color have to do most of the understanding and forgiving?

Resolution of Problems. How are problems presented, conceived and resolved in the story? Are people of color considered to be "the problem"? Are the oppressions faced by people of color and women represented as related to social injustice? Are the reasons for poverty and oppression explained, or are they accepted as inevitable? Does the story line encourage passive acceptance or active resistance? Is a particular problem that is faced by a person of color resolved through the benevolent intervention of a white person? Who causes and who resolves the problem?

Role of Women. Are the achievements of girls and women based on their own initiative and intelligence, or are they due to their good looks or to their relationship with boys? Are gender roles incidental or critical to characterization and plot? Could the same story be told if the gender roles are shifted? Are there characters with a range of gender identities?

Are people of color and their setting depicted in such a way that they contrast unfavorably with the unstated norm of white middle-class suburbia? If people of color are depicted as "different," are negative value judgments implied? Are people of color depicted exclusively in ghettos, barrios, or migrant camps? If the illustrations and text attempt to depict a particular culture, do they go beyond oversimplifications and offer genuine insight into the lifestyles of the characters?

Look for inaccuracy and inappropriateness in the depiction of cultures outside of dominant white society. Watch for instances of the "quaint-natives-in-costume" syndrome, which is most noticeable in areas like clothing and customs, but also extends to behavior and personality traits.

Do the white people in the story possess the power, take the leadership, and make the important decisions? Do people of color and females primarily function in supporting roles?

How are family relationships depicted? In African-American families, is the mother always dominant? In Latinx families, is the family always portrayed as struggling? If the family is separated, are societal conditions-unemployment, poverty, for example-cited among the reasons for the separation? Are characters from a range of genders portrayed in nurturing roles?

For many years, books showed only "safe" heroes of color, in particular those who avoided serious conflict with the white establishment of their time. People of color today insist on the right to define their own heroes (of any gender) based on their own concepts and struggles for justice. When heroes of color do appear, are they admired for the same qualities that have made white heroes famous or because what they have done has benefited white people? Ask, "Whose interest is a particular hero really serving?"

Are norms established that limit any child's aspirations and self-concept? Children of color are often bombarded with images of the color white as the ultimate in beauty, cleanliness, virtue, etc., and the color black as evil, dirty, menacing, etc. Does the book counteract or reinforce this positive association with the color white and negative association with black? Will all children of color from a range of backgrounds find one or more characters with whom they can readily and positively identify?

Are there gender associations based on who performs brave and important deeds? What concept of beauty is portrayed and does that concept of beauty vary by gender?

Analyze the biographical material on the jacket flap or the back of the book. If a story deals with a theme related to a specific minoritized group, what qualifies the author or illustrator to deal with the subject? If the author or illustrator are not members of the minoritized group being written about, is there anything in their background that would recommend them as the creators of this book? Also, consider the same issues related to other members of the bookmaking team-e.g. translator, editor, publicist.

No author can be wholly objective. All authors write out of a cultural as well as personal context. In the past, children's books were created by white, middle class authors and illustrators, so that a single ethnocentric perspective dominated children's literature in the United States. Read carefully to determine whether the direction of the author's perspective substantially weakens or strengthens the value of the book. Are omissions and distortions central to the character or message of the book? Check the websites of the author and illustrator to read their statements and perspectives in discussing their creation of the book.

A word is loaded when it has insulting overtones. Examples of loaded adjectives (usually racist) are savage, lazy, conniving, superstitious, treacherous, wily, crafty, docile, and backward.

Look for sexist and gendered language and adjectives that exclude or ridicule women or exclude gender identities beyond male/female. Look for use of the male pronoun to refer to both males and females or the use of binary language that signals that the only two options for gender identity are male or female. While the generic use of the word "man" was accepted in the past, its use today is outmoded. The following examples show how sexist language can be avoided: substitute ancestors for forefathers; chairperson for chairman; community for brotherhood; firefighters for firemen; manufactured for man-made; the human family instead of the family of man. Examples of how gendered language can be avoided include substituting siblings for brother and sister, parents for mom and dad, children for boys and girls, and they for he/she.

Books with characters of color did not appear until the mid-1960s, many of which were published to meet the new market demand but were still written by white authors, edited by white editors and published by white publishers. They therefore reflected a white point of view. Authors of colors writing about their own experiences emerged in the 1970s, but this trend has fluctuated with the market over the years. Non-sexist books, with rare exceptions, were not published before 1973.

The copyright dates, therefore, can be a clue as to how likely the book is to be overtly racist or sexist or gendered, although a recent copyright date is no guarantee of a book's relevance or sensitivity. The copyright date only means the year the book was published. It usually takes several years from the time a manuscript is submitted to the publisher to the time it is actually printed. This time lag meant little in the past, but is significant in a time period of rapid change and evolving consciousness as children's book publishing attempts to be relevant.

Adapted by Worlds of Words (2020) from 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Book for Racism and Sexism (1980), published as a brochure by the Council on Interracial Books for Children (New York). The brochure is out of print and the organization no longer exists.

Another adaptation of these guidelines was created by Louise Derman-Sparks, A Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books.

For academic reviews of global children's literature, please read WOW Review: Reading Across Cultures.

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10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism * Worlds of Words

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Both in school and out children are exposed to racist and sexist attitudes. These attitudes-expressed over and over in books and other media-gradually distort their perceptions until stereotypes and myths about people of color and women are accepted as reality. These ten guidelines are offered as a starting point in evaluating children's books from this perspective.

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IBBY World Congress 2022:  The Power of Stories

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IBBY World Congress 2022:  The Power of Stories

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At the closing ceremony of the 37th IBBY World Congress in Moscow, an invitation to attend the 38th IBBY World Congress, was presented by the President of the Putrajaya Corporation and included films that gave a brief look at the city of Putrajaya and of demonstrations of national dances. After the online presentation, the Malaysian Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Dato' Bala Chandran, spoke to the participants. Maria Vedenyapina, the head of the Russian State Children's Library passed on the traditional 'baton' to the Ambassador as a symbol of a smooth transition to the next Congress. The 'baton' took the form of a wooden bird that is traditional in Russia as well as in Malaysia. The Ambassador warmly invited everybody present in Moscow and the online participants to travel to Putrajaya next year for the 38th IBBY Congress.

The main theme for the Congress is "The Power of Stories", which refers to the bridges between different cultures through common stories across the world. It intends to show how powerful a children's book can be in matter of understanding oneself and others, its own culture and that of the world.

The programme organizers have divided this theme into various subthemes, which, while not exhaustive, aim to guide potential speakers in their choice of topics.

The subthemes are:

1. Cognitive Power in Children's Development (Roles of books and stories in cognitive development; Language, Learning and Literacy; Story-based approaches to teaching and learning; Learning disabilities; Reading for pleasure.)

2. Stories for Healing for Children and Young Adult (Bibliotherapy for children and young adult; Creative writing and reading; Reading and books for children with disabilities.)

3. Power of Visual and Oral Presentation in Children's and Young Adult Stories (Topics related to picture books, illustration, video, graphic, animation and multimedia; Storytelling as a performance art/art form; Power of spoken word, text, audio, or other artifacts, i.e. original multimedia.)

4. Bridging Divides in Children's and Young Adult Literature (Multicultural and multilingual themes in literature; National and transnational themes in literature; Translations and communication; Diversity and inclusivity in multicultural society, including Indigenous representation; Oral to written tradition; Multimedia for bridging traditional oral literature with modern technology.)

5. Identity and Values in Children's and Young Adult Literature (Individual, communal and cultural identity in literature; Community and nation building in literature; National Literature focusing on children's issues; Immigrant and emigrant experiences in children's and young adult literature; Universal values in children's and young adult literature; Sustainability of culture and family in children's and young adult literature.)

6. Empathy and Memory in Story and Storytelling (Cognitive/emotional Empathy, empathy for in-group and out-group members and empathy with positive and negative consequences; Youth literature as social activism; Representation of memory in children's experience; Virtues, moral values, humanistic values, etc. in children's and young adult literature.)

The programme organizers would also welcome proposals within the frame of the theme and subthemes that are related to specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) from the United Nations. These are:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

In addition to this rich and diverse choice of topics that address IBBY's mission statement, some traditional IBBY events will take place during the Congress: the IBBY General Assembly, where important decisions and elections are decided by the membership; the 2022 Award ceremonies, such as the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award and the IBBY-iRead Outstanding Reading Promoter Award. The IBBY Honour List 2022 will also be presented in Putrajaya. Presentations and other exhibitions will include the 2021 IBBY Selection of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities and the 2021 IBBY Silent Books Collection.

Don't forget these important dates:

Deadline for the submission of abstract: 15 March 2022. You can find the detailed conditions to submit your presentation here.

Early-bird registration closes on 15 March 2022.

Registration closes on 1 July 2022.

The website of the Congress is regularly updated: https://www.ibbycongress2022.org/

You can also follow the 2022 Congress on Facebook.

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Preparation of the 38th IBBY World Congress 2022 in Putrajaya, Malaysia

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At the closing ceremony of the 37th IBBY World Congress in Moscow, an invitation to attend the 38th IBBY World Congress, was presented by the President of the Putrajaya Corporation and included films that gave a brief look at the city of Putrajaya and of demonstrations of national dances.

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#TheEdCollabGathering:  Reading the World With Culturally Sustaining Literature for Children and Young Adults (K-12)

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#TheEdCollabGathering:  Reading the World With Culturally Sustaining Literature for Children and Young Adults (K-12)

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Session 4, Workshop 16: Reading the World with Culturally Sustaining Literature for Children and Young Adults, K-12 - #TheEdCollabGathering

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Carla España, Luz Y Herrera, Tracey T Flores, LaMar Timmons-Long, & Nawal Qarooni ☟⬇︎ Watch Here on April 2nd ⬇︎☟ Today’s Gathering has pre-recorded sessions (to allow greater flexibility for presenters and tech hosts during the pandemic). This means: Keep your eye on the time! You will see the sess…

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#TheEdCollabGathering: Poetry and Picture Books That Illuminate the Beauty and Brilliance of Children K-6

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#TheEdCollabGathering: Poetry and Picture Books That Illuminate the Beauty and Brilliance of Children K-6

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☟⬇︎ Watch here on April 2nd⬇︎☟

Today's Gathering has pre-recorded sessions (to allow greater flexibility for presenters and tech hosts during the pandemic).

This means:

Keep your eye on the time! You will see the session from the start, not live in progress... don't miss the next one!

Tweet with #TheEdCollabGathering. Presenters looking forward to connecting!

JoEllen McCarthy is a TheEdCollab Book Ambassador, focusing on K-5 readers. Read her full bio here or request her support for speaking engagements.

JoEllen, a dedicated educator for 20+ years, is a self-proclaimed "literacy geek." Her considerable knowledge of effective literacy practices and child development, coupled with her passion and expertise for children's literature, makes her a significant resource in the school districts with which she works. A proud member of the NerdyBookClub, she can be found tweeting daily about reading, writing, and learning together at @JoEllenMcCarthy as well as occasionally blogging at McCarthyJoEllen.blogspot.com.

Stella Villalba divides her everyday life teaching English language learners for one part of the day as she has been doing for over 20 years. The other part of her day includes collaborating and coaching teachers across the Dublin, Ohio, school district, bridging understandings regarding teaching ELLs. She is passionate about languages, literacy, and culture. You can keep up with her on Twitter @stellavillalba, Instagram @stellavillalba, or at her blog, Listening and Learning: A Teaching and Coaching Life.

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Session 1, Workshop 1: Poetry and Picture Books That Illuminate the Beauty and Brilliance of Children, K-6 - #TheEdCollabGathering

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JoEllen McCarthy & Stella Villalba ☟⬇︎ Watch here on April 2nd⬇︎☟ Today's Gathering has pre-recorded sessions (to allow greater flexibility for presenters and tech hosts during the pandemic). This means: Keep your eye on the time! You will see the session from the start, not live in progress...

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Educating for Peace, Educating for Sustainability:  Download UWCSEA White Papers here

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Educating for Peace, Educating for Sustainability:  Download UWCSEA White Papers here

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Anti-Defamation League (ADL):  Assessing Children's Book Collections Using an Anti-Bias Lense

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Anti-Defamation League (ADL):  Assessing Children's Book Collections Using an Anti-Bias Lense

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National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE): Build Your Stack: The Power of Names: Windows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors

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National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE): Build Your Stack: The Power of Names: Windows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors

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This post was written by NCTE members Rosanne Kurstedt and Jenny Tuten. It's part of Build Your Stack,® an NCTE initiative focused exclusively on helping teachers build their book knowledge and their classroom libraries. Build Your Stack® provides a forum for contributors to share books from their classroom experience; inclusion in a blog post does not imply endorsement or promotion of specific books by NCTE.
"What's in a name?" This famous quote from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet resonates with us greatly, especially within the context of the diverse and multi-faceted school communities in which we work. Answered simply, we think there is a lot in a name. So much, in fact, that names warrant more attention in classrooms. Rudine Sims Bishop's powerful and evocative metaphor of literature as windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors informs our thinking and practice.

Although teachers often use students' names as an authentic way to introduce them to letters, sounds, and the way words work, we believe the study of names can have a broader and greater impact if we dig a bit deeper.

Think about it. The way each and every one one of us got our name has a story. And the story is part of who we are. Different cultures, religions, and even families have their own naming traditions. Learning the story of individual students' names can be a powerful experience for students and their families; while, at the same time, creating a sense of community, respect, and understanding within a classroom.

The study of names can foster opportunities for students to

learn about themselves (mirrors)

connect and learn about and from each other (windows)

learn about family cultures, traditions, and people they may have been named after, and

connect with family members and help them connect with the classroom or school (sliding glass doors).

Jenny recently facilitated a family literacy engagement workshop at a local school in New York City. Fathers, mothers, uncles, sisters, and brothers joined their young learners in exploring the origin of their names. Tatiana learned that her mother loved all things Russian and chose her name to express that interest. Kaytish found out that her parents created her name as a compromise-a combination of a "K" name, for her dad Kevin, and Latisha, her mother's name.

And after reading together an excerpt from Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming, about a girl named Jack, family members and children engaged in a rich discussion of names and gender. Some of the children laughed about the idea that a girl could be called Jack even as a nickname. Yet another student thoughtfully asked "Are there boy names and girl names?" We pondered this. A parent suggested some names that didn't have clear gender markers, such as Taylor. We talked about why this was a good and hard question and the children and families determined they wanted to know more about traditions of naming.

In No More Culturally Irrelevant Teaching, Mariana Souto-Manning and teachers tapped into family literacies by engaging in an inquiry about students' names. The project was called "No Name The Same." Families were invited to share how each student received their name. The information was then made into a class book that lived in the class library. Copies were also made for all students and their families. The educators who implemented the No Name the Same project understood the power of learning about students' names and bringing families' voices into the classroom. The authors discuss how students felt proud as their family members' voices were heard and celebrated.

The experiences highlighted above are just two ways to capitalize on the power of names. A great entry into such studies is reading various texts. Below we offer a list of books that focus on children's names and identities. The first three are particularly useful for elementary-aged students.

Alma and How She Got Her Name
Written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

What's in a name? When Alma complains to her dad that her name is too long, their conversation helps her discover her family's rich history and special strengths. We read this book with both teachers and children as an invitation to explore the meanings of our names.

My Name Is Sangoel
by Karen Williams and Khadra Mohammed
Illustrated by Catherine Stock

Sangoel is a refugee from Sudan. His transition to the United States is challenging with so many differences from his homeland. And everyone mispronounces his name, which is a legacy of his father and grandfather. Sangoel's creative solution is a great way to talk about problem solving and building relationships.

My Name Is Yoon
by Helen Recorvits
Illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska

Why does my name look different? Why do I feel different? As Yoon, a recent immigrant, works through learning to write her name in English, we explore the conflicted and confusing emotions of young multilingual students.

Always Anjali
by Sheetal Sheth
Illustrated by Jessica Blank

When Anjali can't find a bicycle name plate with her name and other children start to tease her, she wants to change her name. Anjali learns to appreciate her name and be proud of it. Always Anjali, by Sheetal Sheth

Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/Marisol McDonald No Combina
by Monica Brown
Illustrated by Sara Palacios

Marisol McDonald learns to appreciate her name and how perfectly it fits with who she is.

by Jacqueline Woodson
An autobiographical chapter book written in free verse, with one chapter devoted to how Jacqueline Woodson got her name.

G eorge
by Alex Gino
G eorge is transgender and at ten years old, with the support of a best friend, she figures out how to be who she is in a world that sees her as a boy.

The books listed above are in no way an exhaustive list. We just wanted to provide you with a starting point. We're disappointed we won't be able to share more texts with you during an in-person Build Your Stack session this November, but hope to continue the conversation virtually!
Resources
Bishop, R. S. (1990). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives, 6(3), ix-xi.

Souto-Manning, M., Llerena, C. L., Martell, J., Maguire, A. S., & Arce-Boardman, A. (2018). No more culturally irrelevant teaching. Heinemann.
Rosanne L. Kurstedt has been an educator for over 20 years. She is the associate director of READ East Harlem/Hunter College and is an adjunct professor at Hunter College where she teaches in the masters of literacy and doctoral programs. She is the author of several books and professional development guides for teachers, including Teaching Writing with Picture Books as Models and most recently a series titled 100+Growth Mindset Comments. She is a children's book author and founder of The Author Experience, a nonprofit organization grounded in the transformative power of story, that partners with schools to build and sustain a culture of literacy-one in which students, families, and educators craft their stories and develop their voices together. Rosanne loves picture books and anything kid lit so she volunteers as the Assistant Regional Advisor for the New Jersey chapter of the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators. Jenny Tuten is a professor of literacy education at Hunter College-the City University of New York. She is the director of READ East Harlem/Hunter College, a collaborative professional learning project uniting university faculty and K-2 teachers and school leaders to support teacher growth and student literacy learning. Her research focuses on the assessment and instruction of struggling readers and writers, the preparation of effective literacy teachers and coaches, and the development of responsive professional development models to improve literacy instruction in urban schools. She is the author of several books, including Crossing Literacy Bridges: Collaborating with Families of Struggling Readers. It is the policy of NCTE in all publications, including the Literacy & NCTE blog, to provide a forum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teaching of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any particular point of view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, the staff, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy, where such endorsement is clearly specified.

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Build Your Stack: The Power of Names: Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors

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This post was written by NCTE members Rosanne Kurstedt and Jenny Tuten. It's part of Build Your Stack,® an NCTE initiative focused exclusively ...

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White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

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White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors

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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice at UWCSEA:  Find our more

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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice at UWCSEA:  Find our more

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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Aligning our mission and strategy

The UWC mission is to use education as a force to secure a peaceful and sustainable future for all. Valuing diversity, building trust and understanding are core to our bold vision for education and require commitment from our entire community as we continually strive for positive and just action.

The UWCSEA Strategy 2018-2023 renewed our commitment to building a community which is intentionally inclusive and equitable, and makes clear the College's priority of intercultural understanding and inclusion through our Areas of Focus - Education as a Force; Peace and a Sustainable Future; and A United Community. In turn, there are systemic initiatives designed to promote diversity and build the College's capacity to make long-lasting and impactful change.

Almost 60 years ago, the UWC movement grew out of a desire to create future peace, an aspiration to bring culturally different people together to build the intercultural understanding necessary to avoid future conflicts. Our founder Kurt Hahn had witnessed conflict on a staggering and horrific scale in the destruction of World War 2. This vision has never been more relevant than now: the College has both an opportunity and responsibility to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion is uppermost in our thinking, planning and learning across all aspects of the College. We are committed to using our education as a force to help create greater social justice and to uphold basic rights within and beyond our community as a means to realise peace.

We recognise that as a College, we too, have an imperfect history and are on a journey to meet the aspirations captured in our founding mission. This is, and will continue to be, a collective effort across the College.

Implementing strands of our DEI strategy

Our more recent work under Action for Diversity has included promotion of gender equity, support of our LGBTQ+ community, creating greater access for learners who speak a language other than English as a home language, and deepening our organisational learning around systems of injustice.

In the 2018/2019 school year, we spent time listening to our community through Action for Diversity World Café events that brought day and boarding students, parents, teachers, administrative staff, leaders and Board members together to unpack what diversity means for our community. This was followed by a climate survey that invited students in Grades 6-12, parents, staff and alumni to share their thinking and priorities around DEI.

As a result of these actions, we were able to use the rich evidence gathered to develop a strategic action plan during the 2019/2020 school year. In that same year, the College also:

underwent a review of our values within the Values in Action project

began developing guiding statements around inclusion

developed internal capacity to lead unconscious bias training

began to understand the contribution that increased linguistic diversity would make to our community and examine ways in which we could become more inclusive for speakers of languages other than English

In the third term of the 2019/2020 school year, our focus turned to active anti-racist deliberations and actions, which we have continued in the 2020/2021 school year. This work involves all our stakeholders - staff, students, parents, leaders and alumni - to ensure we are inclusive in our behaviours, our practices, our policies and, in line with our mission, our education.

Committing to systemic change

While we are committed to transformational change within our work on diversity, equity and inclusion, this change is complex and requires a systemic approach. We are guided by our abiding commitment to cultivate a diverse, equitable and inclusive College environment where all are welcomed to be their authentic selves and to feel seen, valued, and heard. Given our commitment to systemic change, with targeted outcomes, our Action for Diversity work has necessarily evolved and adapted as we work to address important issues, and meet the needs of our community. Although this work has begun, we acknowledge that we have significant work still to do. We welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively within our community and to draw on the strength of our UWC network to embed inclusive policies, practices and behaviours in our work as an organisation.

Guided by our UWCSEA Strategy, our work within DEI has unfolded over the last three years, and most recently has been catalysed by the imperative of addressing the search for social justice. Over this period, we have instigated a number of initiatives - such as the World Cafés and the Values in Action consultation - which have served to highlight the need to focus on a shared approach to understanding and addressing unconscious bias and cultural competence. It is with this in mind that we have taken our anti racism DEI work forward this year.

While our current focus is on anti-racism, our commitment is to create a more inclusive College where all belong. We have approached our work by gathering data and seeking to understand better the diversity in our community, including but not limited to, data on:

Gender

Language and Linguistic Diversity

LGBTQ+

Race and Ethnicity

Culture

Differing abilities (neuro-diversity and physical ability)

Anti-racism at UWCSEA

UWCSEA unequivocally condemns all forms of racism, whether individual, structural, or systemic, and we acknowledge that even a mission-led organisation such as ours is not immune from racism. As we look towards the future, we are striving to be an anti-racist, equitable, and more inclusive organisation as we identify, challenge, and change the structures and behaviours that reinforce any form of systemic racism. Taking bold and deliberately anti-racist steps, we are critically examining our policies, processes, practices, and curricula through a diversity, equity and inclusion lens. We are challenging racism in both subtle and overt forms, including understanding of unconscious bias and microaggressions and increasing cultural intelligence. We are engaging our whole community - students, staff, parents, alumni and other stakeholders - so we are all better equipped to recognise, take ownership of the role we may play, and address bias and instances of injustice.

We also understand racism sometimes reveals itself to our community through unintentional behaviour, routines and norms and it is our deliberate intention to review any such systemic problems. We pledge to implement strategies which address racism and oppressive behaviours where these may be experienced in any way in our College.

By listening carefully to our students, alumni, parents, staff and other stakeholders, we will continue this work, which will be an ongoing project at the College.

Our strategic DEI initiatives

UWCSEA's DEI initiatives can be grouped in four specific areas of action, as outlined below:

Develop expected outcomes for DEI over the next five years, including:

Through the Office of the College President and in collaboration with UWC International Office hold ourselves to account to dismantle systemic racism within UWCSEA and more broadly within the UWC movement

Make explicit the connection and actions of the values and mission competencies to the vision for diversity, equity and inclusion at UWCSEA

Collect baseline data in our community to enable us to understand both the experience of marginalised groups and the impact of our efforts to become a more inclusive community over time

Partnerships will be an important part of our work, and the College looks to collaborate with organisations such as AIELOC, CIS, and the ISS Diversity Collaborative in understanding the systemic issues of bias, privilege, racism, sexism, homophobia, ablism and other forms of inequity that can be found in international school education, and addressing them in our context.

Action to date

In progress

An ongoing series of workshops and training on cultural competence, unconscious bias, anti-racism and anti-bias recruitment in the community and with specific groups

Development of a UWCSEA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) belief statement to be published internally and externally.

Development of DEI Guiding Statements and a shared lexicon to create a shared understanding of DEI language: this has been drafted and is in the final stages of being reviewed. This will include identification of key terminology and written definitions of terms such as diversity, equity, inclusion/inclusivity, affinity, privilege, discrimination, bias, microaggression and unconscious bias.

Recruitment process to address representational gaps, with baseline data from the initial 2020 staff survey being compared with recruitment data to provide insights over time

Reviewing our policies through an ARDEI lens

In line with our focus on creating deliberate diversity when recruiting our student community, we are currently reviewing our recruitment process and employee experience through a holistic lens to identify gaps and to make the process as equitable as we can in line with our mission, and to diminish and eventually eliminate potential bias.

As a result, the HR Recruitment team, together with hiring managers, was supported with unconscious bias training so as to refine recruiting and interviewing procedures as we worked to increase diversity in hiring. The first HR team member completed unconscious bias trainer certification through the Cultural Intelligence Centre in February 2020; two additional staff had to postpone due to the focus on immediate operational response required by COVID-19, but are allocated to complete the training in future. These staff will then share their learning with other hiring managers in the College.

Review of our staff recruitment process has included moves to diversify our staff recruitment pool so that staff at all levels, including senior leadership, reflect the rich diversity of global and local talent pools.

The College is employing other means to diversify its staff recruitment pool including:

creating a toolkit for hiring managers with specific DEI questions and self guided learning on recruitment bias

strengthen links to Singapore teacher training programmes, including acting as professional mentors to emerging Singapore teachers

elevating the visibility and voice of those coming from historically underrepresented identities, backgrounds, abilities and beliefs

gather and analyse data regarding the diversity of speakers and consultants to ensure we are partnering with all those with required expertise

create partnerships with organisations such as AIELOC, CIS, ISS Diversity Collaborative and Search Associates

The campus climate survey will collect data from our community (students, staff, parents) in relation to the inclusive nature of their experience at UWCSEA. This will be used to inform the strategic priorities for our future DEI work.

The survey is currently being designed by a sub-committee of the College ARDEI Task Force

To welcome all community members, our ambition is that all College and campus materials should reflect the diverse interests, needs and values of our community. School systems should include non-binary community members.

A review of College and campus-based marketing materials has been conducted to identify areas for greater diversity to be reflected eg website, brochures, posters

School systems now reflect non-gendered and non-binary identification options

Review communications with our community to ensure that they are inclusive; ideally including translations of key documents for both current and prospective community members.

Work on identifying key documents such as our Mission, Guiding Statements and other core community communications has begun, including internal processes to identify translators who are able to provide UWCSEA context-specific translations

We are gathering community data to identify core languages for the first phase of community-specific translations

Decolonising the curriculum will involve reviewing the written and taught curriculum through an DEI lens. This is led by the College Head of Curriculum and Research along with the Directors of Teaching and Learning on both campuses.

This work has started and will continue throughout this and the next school year

Develop a definition and rationale for the UWCSEA vision of an inclusive school. Present this work to the Board of Governors with all resource implications.

DLT and ELT Inclusion Workshop in May 2020 drafted a temporary position on inclusive education and student support. The College is currently undertaking feasibility studies to explore this further.

Further develop the bi- and multilingual and English as an Additional Language programmes aligned with our understanding of linguistic diversity and the importance of translanguaging practices in classrooms.

Linguistic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion review began October 2019

Parental Linguistic Diversity Survey conducted

Language Policy reviewed and agreed

Linguistic landscaping project, started in September and October 2020 to be implemented during the 2020/2021 school year

Our goal is to raise intercultural awareness among staff, students, and parents around bias, power, privilege, polarising behaviour, and micro-aggression through targeted learning, and professional and curriculum development.

Priorities around which we are organising our work in this area include:

identify a research based inventory tool to support leadership and staff in becoming aware of their own intercultural understanding. Examples being considered are Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and Cultural Intelligence Assessment (CQ)

increase staff capacity to embed intercultural learning and practice to ensure that the learning experience reflects the complexity and diversity of future workplaces

creation authentic opportunities for staff and students to understand the place of religion and spiritual growth in a secular education system.

Examples of action to date

unconscious bias training with administrative staff (June 2020 through June 2021)

curated anti-racist resources shared with staff (June 2020)

guided personal anti-racist learning shared with East teachers (June 2020)

ELT, DLT and Operational Leadership teams participated in a UWCSEA-designed two-day workshop 'Courageous First Steps' which covered topics: understanding bias, privilege and oppression as an anti-racist leader (August and November 2020)

Unconscious bias and micro-aggression professional learning in East Middle School (August 2020)

Information and opportunities for engagement for facilities and operations staff are being created, including printed material based on audience requirements and engagement in community. This will include accessible information that will introduce topics such as bias, prejudice and other key concepts in intercultural awareness.

Dover and East Parents' Associations hosted a face to face workshop on both Unconscious Bias and Cultural Intelligence to recruit parent volunteers who can run these workshops in multiple languages (December 2020)

Intercultural communication professional learning in Dover Middle School (December 2020)

Intercultural understanding professional learning in East Middle School (January 2021)

Cultural Intelligence training in Dover Primary School (January 2021)

Unconscious Bias training in Dover Primary School (February 2021)

Dover and East Parents' Associations online workshops in Cultural Intelligence and Unconscious Bias in languages other than English (February and March 2021)

campus-based ARDEI support is led by a subcommittee of the College ARDEI Task Force; there are regular meetings to support initiatives and answer questions from each campus

creation of a Human Library resource, a cross-campus initiative involving members of the College ARDEI Task Force, College Safeguarding Lead and our campus-based librarians is in the initial planning stages

How we organise our DEI work

Our collective goal is to work together to tackle injustice in all its forms. We strive to be the harmonious and respectful community our mission demands, one which is welcoming, inclusive and which celebrates diversity in all its cultural, ethnic, religious and gender expressions, and which values the experience of everyone. The focus of our DEI work is currently on antiracism, and the following groups are involved in this important work across the College. As explained below, groups across the College work together to guide our strategy, address issues and implement initiatives.

While much of their work is focused on antiracism, our work on unconscious bias and cultural competence, which we have prioritised as some of our first steps, will inevitably serve as a catalyst to address our broader DEI strategy.

In addition to these groups which are currently focused on antiracism, a number of student-led initiatives, and groups which include both parents and staff, work towards providing support and inclusion based on gender and LGBTQ+ identification and allyship.

This graphic shows the structure of UWCSEA groups who are focused on strategic work towards becoming an anti-racist organisation, which is aligned with the UWCSEA Strategy: Action for Diversity.

The Board has supported the College's response to calls from our alumni and current community to ensure that anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion are fully embedded in our school culture and manifested in our policies and daily behaviours. The College Anti-Racism DEI Task Force reports to the Board's new DEI Steering Group, creating a dialogue that will ensure deliberate action is taken to be anti-racist, to implement greater diversity in our community, and to ensure our culture is inclusive and never harms or segregates any individual or group.

Members

Madan Menon, Steering Group Chair, Chair UWCSEA Board of Governors

Sajjad Akhtar, Vice Chair, UWCSEA Board of Governors

Heather Carmichael, Chair of Education and Talent Committee, UWCSEA Board of Governors

Priti Devi, Chair of Engagement Committee, UWCSEA Board of Governors

Caroline McLaughlin, UWCSEA Board of Governors

Carma Elliot, College President

Nick Alchin, Head of East Campus

Cynthia Ding and Meena Chopra* (the East Parents' Association Co-Chairs share one role on this group)

Angel Wu, Dover Parents' Association Chair

Emmanuel Gezahegne Mitikie, UWC National Committee scholar

Roosmarijn Emmering, ARDEI Project Lead

Activity

Actions to date include undertaking unconscious bias and cultural competence training, supporting College procurement and identification of high-level specialist skills needs.

The Task Force explores current issues in a safe place, researches options with a view to initiating strategic change to counteract inequities across the College. The Task Force has a number of sub-committees which take responsibility for oversight of implementation of strategic initiatives as well as researching and presenting opportunities to the group.

Members

Activity

The ARDEI Task Force supports these College-wide initiatives through the work in the sub committees, as well as providing campus-based ARDEI support. There are regular meetings to support initiatives and answer questions from each campus.

The first three Task Force subcommittees and their work are:

1. DEI Community Climate Survey, mentioned above in 'Increase inclusivity' initiatives, is in the process of being finalised

2. DEI Staff Support Structure, whose recommendations will be presented to campus leadership

3. DEI Resource Curation, whose work can be seen in the resource lists linked below and on the staff portal

These are nearing completion and then we will begin another phase of sub-committee work.

Roosmarijn Emmering joined the Office of the College President on a 12 month contract from 24 August 2020 to facilitate the ARDEI work being undertaken across the College. Roosmarijn

The role of the ARDEI Project Lead is to work with the College Leadership Team and our DEI groups across the College to create insight into our current capacity and to identify opportunities for the College to increase awareness, understanding and engagement with our DEI agenda. This work includes facilitating opportunities to build diversity and inclusivity into our operations and education, including providing support as needed for work in the curriculum.

We are gathering understanding of our current status, and developing a road map for our future priorities, addressing any systemic issues. The ARDEI Project Lead works with our wider community on the roll out of our DEI vision and to create structures for accountability with clear milestones and goals.

As we work towards creating a safer internal environment the role of the ARDEI Project Lead may evolve as new priorities are identified for future work.

The Action for Diversity aspiration of the College Strategy arose from a desire to take our commitment to diversity into intentional and proactive action, focused on educational equity and inclusion.

The Dover and East Action for Diversity pods support this strategic work by acting as think tanks aligned with the College ARDEI Task Force. In this capacity, the Action for Diversity pods act as a coalition to support DEI ideas, principles, and learnings, as well as further intercultural understanding among individuals, groups, and at an organisational level.

In addition, the pods are designed to build organisational capacity so that UWCSEA may become a more equitable and inclusive school community.

Elizabeth Bray, Chair
Roosmarijn Emmering, ARDEI Project Lead
Members

Andrea Strachan

Andrew Ruane

Anisha Wilmink

Anna Hammonds

Anuradha Ruhil

Barry Daniels

Cynthia Cooper

Ellie Alchin

Gilles Collong

Gopika Jadeja

Hans Schellekens

Karen Balthazaar

Kurt Wittig

Louise Sanderson

Martha Harrington

Natalie Stevens

Nicholas Allison

Pamela Males

Rachel Fielding

Rebecca Butterworth

Shruti Tewari

Stephanie Clelland

Velia Goberna

Omar Henry

Erin Robinson, Co-Chair
Joy Haugen, Co-Chair
Roosmarijn Emmering, ARDEI Project Lead
Members

Stephanie Hepner

Naida Arrindell

Cathy Jones

Komal Daswani

Nadine Mains

Kathryn Powell Rachid

Jamee Guerra

Eivind Lodemel

Jabiz Raisdana

Paul Sharry

Philip Williams

Shilpa Patel

Patrick Renouf

Nisha Farah

Susan Allen

Liz Jackson

Allan Hoo

Zai Mohamed

Luke Haugen

Janine Larsen

James Shillabeer

Ruby Tan

Katherine Wallace

Natasha Hoff

Members

Pauline Markey, Primary School Principal, East

Rebecca Butterworth, High School Principal Dover

Manju Kohli, Director of Human Resources

Roosmarijn Emmering, ARDEI Project Lead

Joze Hutagaol, Talent Recruitment Lead

Hemantha Dissanayake, Director of Faculty Timetabling and Information Systems

Kate Woodford, Senior Marketing and Business Development Manager

Activity

External messaging: College website and UWCSEA content on other recruitment sites were reviewed for DEI messaging, and opportunities to better promote the College's intention were identified and actioned, including

draft DEI Statement on careers pages and all job ads: "UWCSEA is an equal opportunities employer, and welcomes applications from those who wish to join a community which is inclusive, and which celebrates diversity."

additional staff profiles have been seeded on key pages throughout the website (home page, careers pages, About Us, Community, Staff, Campus pages) providing visibility for staff from underrepresented groups

language in our job brochure template has been reviewed to be more inclusive

Candidate application form changes: the working group reviewed the application form with the Co-Chair of the Task Force to implement more inclusive recruitment practices:

multiple choice questions and text boxes have replaced the previous 10,000 word text box on our application form, which favoured first-language English speakers

to elicit relevant details from candidates with a more diverse experience, application form language was reviewed and amended eg. added a question on grade-level experience

demographic questions added to capture additional information with new biodata fields added for candidates, both demonstrates commitment to DEI and ability of College to track progress over time

Addressing unconscious bias in candidate screening

hiring managers no longer see biodata such as names, gender, marital status, passport country, dependents, etc at the point of candidate review (long listing) so as to remove unconscious bias in initial assessment process

concurrent unconscious bias and cultural competence training for many hiring managers throughout the organisation has created a two-fold approach to addressing this issue in recruitment

Outreach to attract greater diversity

A new hiring process has seen candidate sourcing channels expanded beyond traditional partners, as we renewed efforts to reach diverse networks.

Student-led Activity and Service groups have conducted a significant amount of student-focused activity in support of DEI awareness and understanding.

Facilitated by staff, these groups allow students to learn more, and to shape their actions both individually and as contributors to systemic change.

Engagement with parents is a key part of our DEI strategy. They are both key stakeholders and important partners in our work. In the past we have invited parents to participate in the World Cafés and the Values in Action consultations, and this school year we have continued to extend our partnership approaches.

In December 2020, the ARDEI Project lead hosted a face to face workshop on both Unconscious Bias and Cultural Intelligence in partnership with the Dover and East Parents' Associations, to recruit parent volunteers who can run these workshops in multiple languages.

UWCSEA engages with the UWC movement though a number of channels, including:

College President, Carma Elliot has regular involvement with UWC International through her role as a member of the UWC International Board, and as Chair of the International Board's Education Strategy Steering Group

Erin Robinson and Sajjad Akhtar, Vice Chair of the UWCSEA Board of Governors, were founding members of the (temporary) UWC ARDEI Think Tank which was created in response to an impassioned movement-wide call in summer 2020 for UWC to take action around anti-racism. The outcome of the UWC ARDEI Think Tank was the development of the first movement wide UWC Steering Group.

The UWC ARDEI Steering Group is being formed and will soon begin the important undertaking of strategically addressing ARDEI issues within UWC international and making recommendations to UWC governance. Erin Robinson will help to facilitate the UWC ARDEI Steering Group.

Resources to educate ourselves and others

Please explore the tabs below to discover some resources which we have found helpful in guiding our discovery and thinking as we shape our response.

A 'start here' list is then linked to a long list which, where we have an extensive list of resources to educate ourselves as individuals, and for educators to use to inform their practice as well as in their classroom. These are constantly being extended, and we would love to hear from you if you have any suggestions; please email us the details.

Our long list - additional resources

We have an extensive list of resources to continue to educate ourselves as individuals, and for educators to use to inform their practice, as well as to consider using in their classrooms. These are constantly being extended, and we would love to hear any further suggestions; please email us with the details.
explore our long list here

Contact Us

Please contact Roosmarijn Emmering, ARDEI Project Lead with any questions, observations, suggestions or feedback. We would be very happy to hear from you.
email

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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - UWCSEA | International school in Singapore

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The UWC mission is to use education as a force to secure a peaceful and sustainable future for all. Valuing diversity, building trust and understanding are core to our bold vision for education and require commitment from our entire community as we continually strive for positive and just action.

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General Resources Where To Find Diverse Books Resources for Race, Equity, Anti-Racism, and Inclusion COVID-19 Resources Diverse-owned Bookstores Cultural Accuracy Editorial Services from Kevin Ande…

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Imagination Soup: Pictures Books About Identity, Inclusion and Diverse Cultures

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Imagination Soup: Pictures Books About Identity, Inclusion and Diverse Cultures

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Spring 2018 Picture Books About Identity, Inclusion, & Diverse Cultures

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I'm so happy to see books about different cultures and stories with non-white faces! Little by little, children's picture books are starting to more accurately represent the world we live in. Yes! These spring 2018 titles are about the themes of identity and inclusion or from a specific culture.

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Embrace Race: 20 Picture Books, Readings to Embrace Race, Provide Solace & Do Good

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Embrace Race: 20 Picture Books, Readings to Embrace Race, Provide Solace & Do Good

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Parents and other caregivers are seeking resources to help them hold children through the current, terrible wave of racialized violence, which is exacerbated by the tensions and vulnerabilities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As scholars, writers, and parents who use books to connect with our children and spark conversations with them, we've developed this book list to help engage the broad range of emotions and needs of diverse children in our multiracial society. In some cases, we've highlighted worthy, albeit lesser-known titles. Some are older books, some are newer, and a few will publish later this year but are available for pre-order now. This list skews heavily towards #ownvoices books and is arranged alphabetically by title.

Please use these books to help you do the work of making the world a safer, more equitable place for all children.

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20 Picture Books for 2020: Readings to Embrace Race, Provide Solace &...

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As scholars, writers, and parents who use books to connect with our children and spark conversations with them, we've developed this book list to help engage the broad range of emotions and needs of diverse children in our multiracial society.

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Antiracism for Young Kids (Resources developed by UWCSEA's Rassamee Hayes)

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Antiracism for Young Kids (Resources developed by UWCSEA's Rassamee Hayes)

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An educational resource for parents and teachers to raise an actively antiracist generation.

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TED Talk (Grace Lin): The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf

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TED Talk (Grace Lin): The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf

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The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf | Grace Lin | TEDxNatick

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TED Talk (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie): The Danger of a Single Story

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TED Talk (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie): The Danger of a Single Story

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Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

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TED Talk (Taiye Selasi):  Don't Ask Me Where I Am From, Ask Me Where I'm A Local

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TED Talk (Taiye Selasi):  Don't Ask Me Where I Am From, Ask Me Where I'm A Local

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Don’t ask where I’m from, ask where I’m a local

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When someone asks you where you’re from … do you sometimes not know how to answer? Writer Taiye Selasi speaks on behalf of “multi-local” people, who feel at home in the town where they grew up, the city they live now and maybe another place or two. “How can I come from a country?” she asks. “How can a human being come from a concept?”

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Harper Collins Publishers:  Read in Full Colour (Stories That Reflect Every Reader)

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Harper Collins Publishers:  Read in Full Colour (Stories That Reflect Every Reader)

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Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books

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Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books

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Based on "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism." Updated in 2013.*
Children's books continue to be an invaluable source of information and values. They reflect the attitudes in our society about diversity, power relationships among different groups of people, and various social identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, economic class, sexual orientation, and disability). The visual and verbal messages young children absorb from books (and other media) heavily influence their ideas about themselves and others. Depending on the quality of the book, they can reinforce (or undermine) children's affirmative self-concept, teach accurate (or misleading) information about people of various identities, and foster positive (or negative) attitudes about diversity. Children's books teach children about who is important, who matters, who is even visible. Consequently, carefully choosing quality children's books is an indispensable educational and child-rearing task.

It is important to offer young children a range of books about people like them and their family - as well as about people who are different from them and their family. All of the books should be accurate and appealing to young children. Fortunately, there are some good anti-bias children's books, which are available as a result of the ongoing activism of many individuals and groups over many years. However, while choices have improved over past decades, the lack of quality multicultural kid's books currently being published has frustrated many communities. The number of children of color in the United States continues to rise, but the number of books published by or about people of color stays the same or even decreases.

Check the Illustrations

Look for Stereotypes: A stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about a particular identity group (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, ability/disability), which usually carries derogatory, inaccurate messages and applies them to ALL people in the group. Stereotypes dehumanize people. So, too, does misinformation. ( See Box 1 below for a list of common, harmful stereotypes).

Unfortunately, all of us absorb socially prevailing stereotypes about a range of people, even if we do not consciously subscribe to them. To alert you to stereotypes in children's books, as well as other media, it is useful to list all the stereotypes you know about various groups of people as precondition for critically reviewing children's books. The books you choose should depict people compassionately and as real human beings. Also consider if images depict all people as genuine individuals with distinctive (rather than stereotypical) features. Books containing stereotypes require you to engage children in critical thinking, but should probably be eliminated from your collection.

BOX 1: Common Harmful/Undermining Stereotypes

Strong, independent girls and women are "manlike"

Book-loving or nonathletic boys and men are "effeminate"

Latino men talk funny, are lazy, gang members, or wear oversize sombreros

Latina women are earth mothers or subservient

African American men are gang members, oversexed, or underemployed

African American women are too independent, oversexed, or "welfare moms"

Arab and/or Muslim men are terrorists

Arab and/or Muslim women are voiceless and passive

All Muslims are Arab / All Arabs are Muslim

American Indians live in teepees, carry bows and arrows, or are half-naked in winter

American Indians were only significant in the past (read)

Disabled people are not independent or are to be pitied

Disabled people must "overcome" their disabilities rather than just live with their disabilities

LGBTQ+ people are invisible

Poor people are invisible

Poor people are depicted as passively needing help from others

AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) are depicted as the "model minority"

AAPI are exotic or their food is exotic/abnormal

All AAPI know martial arts or are meek and compliant

AAPI are portrayed with slanted eyes or just lines to represent eyes

Jewish people are all Zionists (read)

Jewish people are wealthy and yield undue influence in the financial and political world

Look for Tokenism: This is the "one only" message. Regularly seeing only "one" person of any group in a book teaches young children about who is more or less important. Examples of tokenism include books with only one African American child among many white children or having only one book about children with disabilities among many other books. Tokenism also becomes stereotypical. It only allows children to see one view of a group of people, rather than the diversity that exists among all groups.

Look for Invisibility: What children do not see in their books also teaches them about who matters and who doesn't in our society. Invisibility in their storybooks - as well as in textbooks as they get older - undermines children's affirmative sense of themselves and reinforces prejudiced ideas about people who are not seen (See Box 2 for examples of groups who tend to be invisible). The booklists on this website include a great variety of books with groups who are often excluded. (The titles are vetted by Teaching for Change.)

BOX 2: Examples of Groups of People Who Are Often Invisible in Children's Books or Mainstream Media

Families who live in rural areas

Blue-collar workers

Musicians, artists, and writers

Families with two dads or two moms

Single mothers or fathers

Homeless families

Families with an incarcerated parent

People of Middle Eastern descent

Families who practice Islam

Transgender adults and children

Check the Story Line and the Relationships Between People

Even if a book shows visual diversity, the story line may carry biases related to how it handles power relationships among people of various identities. Are whites or male characters the central figures with people of color or female characters in essentially supporting roles? To gain acceptance and/or approval does a child of color, a girl, or child with a disability have to exhibit extraordinary qualities or be the one to understand, forgive, or change? Are the achievements of girls and women based on their own initiative and intelligence, or are they due to their looks or relationship with boys/men?

Are people of color, women, low-income families, or people with disabilities depicted as needing help or in passive roles, while whites, men, and "able-bodied" people are in leadership and action roles? How are problems presented, conceived, and resolved? Who typically causes a problem and who resolves it? Your book collection needs a balance of different people in "doer" roles.

Look at Messages About Different Lifestyles

Do the lives of people of color or people living in poverty in the story contrast unfavorably with the norm of white, middle-class suburban life? Are negative value judgments implied about ways of life that differ from the dominant culture or economic class (e.g., people are to be pitied, or the story is about one person who "gets out" of the less desirable way of life)? Do images and information go beyond oversimplification and offer genuine insights into the lifestyle of the characters in the story? Does the setting reflect current life - or past assumptions about life? Does your book collection depict diversity among people within a specific racial/ethnic group, such as a range of family structures, living environments, socioeconomic conditions and types of work, and male/female roles within the family? (Remember that every racial/ethnic group has diversity, including people who self-identify as white).

Consider the Effects on Children's Self and Social Identities

In addition to specific books, also examine your book collection. Do your books reinforce or counteract messages that teach children to feel inferior or superior because of their skin color, gender, family income, able-bodiedness, or type of family structure? At school, will all of the children you serve see themselves and their family's way of life reflected in your book collection? Will all children of color, including those with mixed heritage, girls, and children from the many types of family structures, children living in poverty, and children with disabilities see one or more characters with whom they can readily and positively identify? If they are visible in your book collection, are the illustrations and information accurate and respectful? Does your overall collection balance the backgrounds of all the children in your program? Does it also show diversity within the social indentity groups to which the children belong (e.g., a range of ways to be female and male, families reflecting different kinds of jobs within a racial/ethnic group). Does your book collection also include a balance between diversity within your classroom and beyond your classroom?

At home, does your book collection reflect diversity among the groups to which your family belongs? Does it have stories about people like you who have contributed to creating a more just world? Does it also include a range of books showing diversity beyond your family and neighborhood?

Look for Books About Children and Adults Engaging in Actions for Change

To fully develop a strong sense of self and a disposition toward cooperation and fairness, children need to know how to stand up for themselves and others when faced with unfairness. They also need to know about people from all social identity groups who have - and are currently - working for justice for all. In addition to previous criteria, here are more items to consider: The story line should be about children and adults working together, rather than perpetrating the myth that change happens because of special, individual people who do it by themselves. Does your book collection include a balance of people who have made important and honored contributions to American life as well as the world community - and not just the traditional white, male "heroes?" Do some of your books about important people include struggles for justice? Do they show people who were/are poor or from racial/ethnic groups of color? Are people with disabilities engaged in these struggles for justice?

Consider the Author's or Illustrator's Background and Perspective

All authors write from a cultural as well as from a personal context. In the past, most children's books were by authors and illustrators who were white and members of the middle class. As a result, a single cultural and class perspective dominated children's literature. There are now excellent books by people of color from a range of backgrounds - although not nearly enough. Consider the biographical material on the jacket flap or back of the book. What qualifies the author or illustrator to deal with the subject? If the book is not about people or events similar to the author or illustrator's background, what specifically recommends them as creators of the book? What is the author's attitude toward her/his story characters? Are the images accurate and do the illustrators respectfully render the people in the story? Do you have books reflecting a balanced range of author and illustrator identities and experiences?

Watch for Loaded Words

A word is loaded when it in any way demeans or makes people invisible because of any of their identities. One example is the generic use of the word "man" to stand for women as well as men (although the opposite never occurs). This traditional terminology is now questioned by many because of its sexist implications. Here are some examples of ways to avoid sexist language: community instead of brotherhood; firefighters inserted of firemen; human family instead of family of man; ancestors instead of forefathers; chairperson instead of chairman. Examples of adjectives applied to people of color that carry racist messages include: "savage," "primitive," "superstitious," "backward," "inscrutable" and "treacherous." Always consider the context in which a word is used and to whom it applies.

Look at the Copyright Date

Copyright dates indicate the publication year, not the time of its writing, which might be two to three years before the copyright date. Although a recent copyright date is no guarantee of a book's relevance or sensitivity, copyright dates are useful information. More children's books began to reflect the reality of a pluralistic society and nonsexist and non-ableist perspectives in the 1970s. Since then, the range of accurate, respectful, and caring books reflecting diversity has increased significantly (unfortunately the diversity of books published in the United States still does not accurately reflect the actual diversity of the people living here). When considering new books for your collection, begin with most recently published ones and then continue with descending copyright dates.

Assess the Appeal of the Story and Illustrations to Young Children

Although these guidelines focus on the messages about diversity and equality reflected in children's books, it is also important to take quality into account. Be sure the book is a "good read." If children find the story or illustrations boring, a book will not hold their attention, even if the book adds a specific kind of diversity you need. Check for active, interesting story lines where different kinds of people are integral to the people in the story, not the main topic. For example, in A Chair for My Mother, a young child tries to save money to get a comfortable chair for her waitress mother. Although the book shows a single parent, working-class family, and a resourceful girl, it is not didactic. Also look for illustrations that are colorful and recognizable to young children. Although they enjoy a range of styles, illustrations that are too subdued or abstract may not hold their attention.

Check for age appropriateness. Most booksellers list any picture book as appropriate for early childhood even if the story line is really for primary grade children. Sometimes a book for older children will work if you simplify the story or "tell" the story rather than read it. In some cases, this is the only way to get books that present specific groups of children (e.g., stories with Cambodian children or children with learning disabilities). Some additional issues to consider:

Many children's books use animal characters instead of people and there are some excellent books that explore diversity with animal characters (e.g., And Tango Makes Three or A Coyote Solstice Tale). Children enjoy these. However, such books are not a substitute for exploring issues of diversity and anti-bias fairness with people as the main characters.

Some early childhood teachers wonder if it is necessary for every book in their collection to show diversity. Every book needs to be accurate, caring, and respectful. However, you will want individual books about specific kinds of people (e.g., a biracial family or a family with adopted children). Diversity becomes essential in the balance of your book collection, where you want to avoid invisibility or tokenism of any group.

Folk and fairy tales have long been a mainstay of children's literature. In the cultures from which they come, folk and fairy tales were used to teach important lessons and values related to their culture of origin. Children love them in their original versions - not their commercially sanitized adaptations. However, folk and fairy tales also carry messages that convey sexism, classism, and racism and must be used thoughtfully as part of introducing young children to diversity and anti-bias values of quality and fairness.

Overuse of folk tales to "teach" about a specific ethnic/cultural group leads to misinformation and confusion. They are about animals and occasionally people from a mythical past and are designed to teach core values and beliefs in their culture of origin. They are not about how people actually live in contemporary society - and that is what young children need to understand. Information and images about how people really live now is what enables young children to build connections to people who are from different cultures while countering stereotypes that children have already absorbed (e.g., how American Indians really live).

Finally there is the somewhat sensitive issue of what to do about "classic" or "well-beloved" children's books. Many of these are wonderful as children's literature, but unfortunately they often convey values of sexism, racism, ableism, or even colonialism. People who love the books that pose this dilemma argue that it is OK to use them because they "reflect their times," which they imply somehow excuses their biased messages. For example, I adored the Babar series of books as a young child and was unpleasantly shocked to realize as an adult how much the images and story lines reflected messages of European colonialism in Africa. I chose not to use them with my own children, wanting them to learn accurate information about how people in Africa really live. Not sharing childhood favorites may sadden some, but it is far better than the harm caused by reinforcing messages of racism and colonialism.
In a nutshell - as you choose books or critically examine your current book selection, always keep in mind the power of books - their words and their images - to nurture or, conversely, to undermine a child's sense of self, positive attitude toward others, and motivation to act for fairness.
Additional Resources

Louise Derman-Sparks is an internationally respected anti-bias educator and author (along with Julie Olsen Edwards) of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. She has co-authored several additional books with Dr. Carol Brunson Day (Teaching/Learning Anti-Racism), the ABC Task Force ( Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children), Dr. Patricia Ramsey (What If All the Kids Are White?), and Dr. John Nimmo and Debbie Leekeenan ( Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change). She speaks throughout the United States and abroad, and served on the NAEYC Governing Board from 1998 to 2001. Louise has a lifelong commitment to building a more just society for all people. Her children Douglass and Holly, now grown, were her inspiration. A Pacific Oaks College faculty member for 33 years - when its mission and pedagogy reflected anti-bias education principles - Louise is now retired.
*In 1980, the Council on Interracial Books for Children published the book Guidelines for Selecting Bias-Free Textbooks and Storybooks. A shorter version of the book in pamphlet form, "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism," followed. One of the first guides written for teachers and families, it became an invaluable tool for hundreds of thousands of people. Both the book and pamphlet have been out of print for several years. Rethinking Schools published their adaptation of the original Guidelines in 1994.

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Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books - Social Justice Books

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By Louise Derman-Sparks Based on "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism." Updated in 2013.* Children's books continue to be an invaluable source of information and values. They reflect the attitudes in our society about diversity, power relationships among different groups of people, and various social identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, [...]

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Teaching for Change: 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books 

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Teaching for Change: 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books 

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Teaching for Change (Formerly Teaching for Tolerance) Social Justice Standards

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Teaching for Change (Formerly Teaching for Tolerance) Social Justice Standards

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Identity-Centered Learning has grown out of the exploration of my own identity and the identity journeys I have witnessed in hundreds of students over my eleven years teaching in international schools.

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Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation

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Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation

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Prologue: Data in a Time of Pandemic

PART I: WHY STREET DATA, WHY NOW?

Chapter 1: Leading for Equity: Another World Is Possible

Chapter 2: No Shortcut: Avoiding Equity Traps and Tropes, by Dr. Jamila Dugan

PART II: CHOOSE THE MARGINS

Chapter 3: Flip the Dashboard: Street Data Drives Equity

Chapter 4: Pound the Pavement: Digging Into the Levels of Data

PART III: DEEPEN THE LEARNING

Chapter 5: Redefine "Success": Street Data and the Pedagogy of Voice

Chapter 6: Build Coherence: Focus, Holism, and Well-Being

Chapter 7: Make Learning Public: Valuing Teacher Voices, by Carrie Wilson

PART IV: TRANSFORM THE CULTURE

Chapter 8: Embrace Vulnerability: Moving Through Street Data Cycles

Chapter 9: Calling Folks In and Up to Equity: Street-Level Conversations

Epilogue: The Journey Toward Liberation

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Prologue: Data in a Time of Pandemic PART I: WHY STREET DATA, WHY NOW?

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors:  Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors:  Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors

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Zaretta Hammond with Jennifer Gonzales- Cult of Pedagogy

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Zaretta Hammond with Jennifer Gonzales- Cult of Pedagogy

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Culturally Responsive Teaching: 4 Misconceptions | Cult of Pedagogy

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In some cases, teachers think they’re practicing culturally responsive teaching, when in fact, they’re kind of not. Zaretta Hammond helps clear things up.

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Inclusive Education: It's not more work, it's different work!

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Holiday Reading Ideas from our UWCSEA Primary Library: Diverse Books

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Holiday Reading Ideas from our UWCSEA Primary Library: Diverse Books

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The Primary Library at UWCSEA prides itself on its diverse collection. We have heard it said that books are windows, mirrors and sliding doors and we aim to collect books that not only reflect our students' lives but the give them the opportunity to hear others points of view and to develop empathy for others. Over this holiday period why not try to read a selection of books that will help to expand your understanding of how other people live.
"Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books."

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LibGuides: Primary Holiday Reading - 2022: Diverse Books

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The Primary Library at UWCSEA prides itself on its diverse collection. We have heard it said that books are windows, mirrors and sliding doors and we aim to collect books that not only reflect our students' lives but the give them the opportunity to hear others points of view and to develop empathy for others.

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UWCSEA Libraries Social Justice Booklists

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UWCSEA Libraries Social Justice Booklists

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LibGuides: STAFF: Primary School Classroom collections: Social Justice Booklists

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This document is hyperlinked - click the cover to find a copy in the UWCSEA East Library.

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LibGuides: STAFF: Primary School Classroom collections: Diversity Booklist

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Skip to Main Content It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.

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UWCSEA Libraries:  Picture Books to Support Anti-Racism

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UWCSEA Libraries:  Picture Books to Support Anti-Racism