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A Piece of Home - by Jeri Watts (Grades K and up)

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A Piece of Home - by Jeri Watts (Grades K and up)

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In this story, a boy named Hee Jun and his family move from Korea to West Virginia. He struggles to adjust to his new home, he looks different from his classmates, and he can’t understand what the teacher is saying even when she speaks slowly and loudly. Feeling lost and alone, little by little he begins to learn English words and makes friends. One day, he is invited over to his friend's house, where he sees a flower called mugunghwa, or a rose of Sharon he knows from his garden in Korea. Hee Jun is so happy to bring a shoot home and plant a “piece of home” in his new garden.

This story can help our students see how a new student or a student of a different race/ethnicity than the majority, might feel in class. It can also help us determine what we can do to help these new students in the class feel more comfortable and accepted. To help do this, we can ask our students questions such as, have you ever been the new kid in class? If yes, how did you feel? What do you wish the class or teacher would have done to help you feel more comfortable? What do you think we can do to help the new students in our class feel welcomed, safe, accepted, etc.?

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This Realistic Fiction book is about a little Korean boy who has to leave Korea to move to West Virginia. In the book, he talks about how he was just a ordinary boy in Korea and how when he moved to West Virginia he was considered different. The characters of the story are all of a Korean family: a little boy, his sister, mother, father, and grandmother. The theme is about different cultures and how we may look different but we are all the same.

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This Realistic Fiction book is about a little Korean boy who has to leave Korea to move to West Virginia. In the book, he talks about how he was just a ordinary boy in Korea and how when he moved to West Virginia he was considered different.

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All Are Welcome - by Alexandra Penfold	(Grades K and up)

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All Are Welcome - by Alexandra Penfold	(Grades K and up)

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In this story you follow a group of children through their day at school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. This school depicts kids in patkas, hijabs, and yamulkes playing next to other kids in baseball caps. In this school, they learn each other’s traditions and in the end the whole community celebrates the Lunar New Year.

This is a great book to read to start the year off right by helping all of our students and their families feel included and important in our classroom and community. This book also helps open up the conversation of diversity in the classroom such as race and ethnicity, and shows how we can learn so many new things from each other. Questions to consider individually or as a class could be, what does it feel like to be excluded and how can that make us feel? What does it feel like to be welcomed? What are things we can do everyday to be more welcoming?

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All Are Welcome has 537 ratings and 115 reviews. Mrs. Krajewski said: The perfect book for the first day of school. All children need to know they are we...

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Last Stop on Market Street - by Matt de la Pena	(Grades K and up)

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Last Stop on Market Street - by Matt de la Pena	(Grades K and up)

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This story is about a boy named CJ and his grandma. Every Sunday after church, him and his grandma take the bus across town. CJ begins to ask his grandma why they don’t own a car like his friend? Why he doesn’t have an iPod like the other boys on the bus? How come they always get off in the dirty part of town? His grandma answers these questions with encouragement, and helps him see the fun and beauty in the world around them.

This book can help our students understand that we all have different lives and it's important to remember that we never know what someone could be going through outside of school, so always be kind. Another important thing we can all try to do is be grateful for what we do have and strive to see the good in each day. We can help our students do this by asking questions such as, what is something you enjoyed about today? What does the term grateful mean? What is something you are grateful at your house for? What is something you are grateful at school for?

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Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn't he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty-and fun-in their routine and the world around them.This energetic ride through a bustling city highlights the wonderful perspective only grandparent and grandchild can share, and comes to life through Matt de la Pena's vibrant text and Christian Robinson's radiant illustrations.
**Winner of the 2016 Newbery Medal **A 2016 Caldecott Honor Book **A 2016 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book **A #1 New York Times Bestseller A New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2015
An NPR Best Book of 2015
AKirkus Reviews Best Book of 2015
AWall Street Journal Best Book of 2015
A 2015Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
AHorn Book Best Book of 2015
BookPage's "2015's First Must-Read Picture Book"
The Huffington Post Best Overall Picture Book of 2015
ABoston Globe Best Book of 2015
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2015
Chosen for the New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading & Sharing List
AMiami Herald Best Children's Book of 2015
ARaleigh News & Observer Best Children's Book of 2015
AnAtlanta Parent Best Book of 2015
ASan Francisco Chronicle Holiday Gift Guide Pick
A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature "Best Multicultural Books of 2015" Pick
A ScholasticInstructor 50 Best Summer Book
Chosen for the ALSC 2015 Summer Reading List
AHorn Book Summer 2015 Reading List Pick
Chosen forSchool Library Journal's 2015 Top 10 Latin Books List
AKansas City Star Thanksgiving 2015 Roundup Pick
A Winter 2014-2015 Kids' Indie Next Pick
2015 E.B. White Read Aloud Award Finalist
Nominated for the 2016 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award
Nominated for the 2016 Kentucky Bluegrass Award
Four Starred Reviews!
- New York Times Notable Children's Book of 2015

- Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of 2015

- Boston Globe Best of 2015

- A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

- A Winter 2014-2015 Kids' Indie Next Pick

- Finalist for the E.B. White Read Aloud Award

- BookPage Best Picture Books of 2015

- Horn Book Best Book of 2015

- Atlanta Parent Best Books of 2015

- Raleigh News & Observer Best Children's Books of 2015

- Miami Herald Best Children's Books of 2015

- 2015 Horn Book Summer Reading List

- Scholastic Instructor "50 Best Summer Books"

- School Library Journal's Top 10 Latin Books list

- Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Lit "Best Multicultural Books of 2015"

- CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY'S BEST OF THE BEST BOOKS 2015

- NYPL'S 100 BOOKS FOR READING & SHARING

"This celebration of cross-generational bonding is a textual and artistic tour de force."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Like still waters, de la Peña and Robinson's story runs deep. It finds beauty in unexpected places, explores the difference between what's fleeting and what lasts, acknowledges inequality, and testifies to the love shared by an African-American boy and his grandmother."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"With the precision of a poet, Matt de la Peña chronicles a boy's heartwarming Sunday morning routine with his nana. Christian Robinson's uplifting palette and culturally diverse cast brightens the rainy-day backdrop.-Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"That material poverty need not mean spiritual or imaginative poverty becomes beautifully clear in the quietly moving in the pages of Last Stop on Market Street."-The Wall Street Journal

"Robinson's simple shapes, bright palette and flat perspective belie a sophisticated use of acrylic and collage. His cityscape is diverse and friendly, without neglecting the grittiness: litter, graffiti, security grilles and a soup kitchen-CJ and Nana's destination. With this final detail, Last Stop on Market Street provides a gentle twist, letting readers in on the secret Nana and CJ have known all along: They're on the way to help others who have even less. But it's also the warmth of their intergenerational relationship that will make this book so satisfying, for both young readers and the adults sharing it with them."-New York Times

"The urban setting is truly reflective, showing people with different skin colors, body types, abilities, ages, and classes in a natural and authentic manner... A lovely title."-School Library Journal

"A celebration of the joys of service, the gift of grandmothers and the tenderness a city can contain."-Newsday

""[The] artwork is reminiscent of the great Ezra Jack Keats. The book is a good reminder that often the journey is just as important as the destination."-St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"An exceptional book on kindness and the diversity of life, 'Last Stop on Market Street' is first-rate."-Philadelphia Eagle

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Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn't he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town?

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Freedom Over Me - by Ashley Bryan		(Grades 1st and up)

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Freedom Over Me - by Ashley Bryan		(Grades 1st and up)

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Ashley Bryan tells of how a slave is given monetary value by the slave owner, combining this with the one thing that cannot be bought or sold, dreams. Inspired by the actual will of a plantation owner, that lists the worth of each and every one of his “workers”, Bryan has created collages of paintings and poetry to interpret each person's life on the plantation, as well as the life and dreams their owner knew nothing about.

This book can help us teach our younger students about what slavery was, what life was like as a slave, and slave owner. This book can also help show our students the importance of having pride in themselves and never letting anyone take that away.

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Newbery Honor Book Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book Using original slave auction and plantation estat…

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Black is a Rainbow Color - by Angela Joy (Grades K and up)

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Black is a Rainbow Color - by Angela Joy (Grades K and up)

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In this story, a child reflects on the meaning of being Black in an anthem about people, culture, and a legacy that lives on. It talks about how Black surrounds our lives. Yes black is a color, but it also has a deep meaning. It embodies the incredible people who helped change the world and a community that continues to grow and thrive. Black is not a color in the rainbow, black culture is a rainbow of its own.

This is a great book to read to celebrate black culture and an excellent book to help introduce black history to young children. This story can also help students start to consider each of their backgrounds and how they differ from one another.

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This beautiful book examines concepts behind "black", from the actual color (not found in the rainbow but found in many other important places) to cultural significance. This is an affirming book that looks at all different kinds of black and always coming back to the refrain "My/Our color is black". This would be an excellent starting point for Black History Month discussions or just a general affirmation for African American families. Backmatter includes many resources for Black History Month ...more

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This beautiful book examines concepts behind "black", from the actual color (not found in the rainbow but found in many other important places) to cultural significance. This is an affirming book that looks at all different kinds of black and always coming back to the refrain "My/Our color is black".

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Melissa Johnson
Kayla Kerr
Kelsie Mendez
Jessica Murray
Amanda Sears
Tyler Skidmore
and Nicholas Thornburg

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 White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism 

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 White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism 

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[BOOK] [Secondary Teachers]
Robin DiAngelo illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people’ (Claudia Rankine). Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue.

It is important to stress the importance of the “white fragility” so that if a race problem arises in the classroom the teacher may know a better route to handle and resolve a situation of a white person being overly defensive.

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DiAngelo, R. & Sensoy, Ö. (2008). "But I'm shy!": Classroom participation as a social justice issue.

Sensoy, Ö. & DiAngelo, R. (2017). " Diverse Candidates Encouraged To Apply...": How Faculty Hiring Committees Reproduce Whiteness and Practical Suggestions for How They Can Change. Harvard Educational Review.

Thurber, A. & DiAngelo, R. (2017). Microaggressions: Intervening in three acts. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work.

DiAngelo, R. & Sensoy, O. (2014). Calling in: Ways of speaking, thinking, seeing: Cultivating humility, curiosity, and vision in service of anti-racist practice. Journal of Understanding and Dismantling Privilege, 4(2).

Sensoy, Ö. & DiAngelo, R. (2014). Respect differences? Challenging the common guidelines in social justice education. Democracy in Education, 2(1)

Matlock, S. & DiAngelo, R. (2015). " We put it in terms of "not-nice": White anti-racist parenting. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 26(2).

DiAngelo, R. & Sensoy, Ö. (2014). Leaning in: A student's guide to engaging constructively in social justice content. Radical Pedagogy, 11(1).

DiAngelo, R. & Sensoy, Ö. (2014). Getting slammed: White depictions of cross-racial dialogues as arenas of violence. Race & Ethnicity in Education, 17(1) 104-128. DOI:10.1080/13613324.2012.674023.

Matias, C. & DiAngelo, R. (2013). Beyond the face of race: Emo-Cognitive Explorations of White Neurosis and Racial Cray-Cray. Journal of Educational Foundations, 2(1).

DiAngelo, R. (2012). Nothing to add: The role of white silence in racial discussions. Journal of Understanding and Dismantling Privilege, 2(2), 1-17.

DiAngelo, R. (2011). White Fragility. International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 3(3).

Schroeder, C. & DiAngelo, R. (2010). Addressing Whiteness in Nursing Education: The Sociopolitical Climate Project at the University of Washington School of Nursing. Advances in Nursing Science, 33 (3) 244-255.

DiAngelo, R. & Flynn, D. (2010). Showing what we tell: Facilitating anti-racist education in cross-racial teams. Journal of Understanding and Dismantling Privilege, 1 (1) Article 2.

DiAngelo, R. & Sensoy, Ö. (2010). " OK! We get it! Now tell us what to do": Why we can't just tell you how to do critical multicultural education. Multicultural Perspectives, 12 (2) 97-102.

DiAngelo, Robin J. (2010). Why Can't We All Just Be Individuals?: Countering the Discourse of Individualism in Anti-racist Education. InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies, 6(1), . Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/5fm4h8wm

DiAngelo, R. & Sensoy, Ö. (2009). We don't want your opinion: Knowledge construction and the discourse of opinion in the equity classroom. Equity & Excellence in Education, 42 (4) 443-455.

Sensoy, O. & DiAngelo, R. (2009). Developing social justice literacy: An open letter to our faculty colleagues. Phi Delta Kappan. 90 (5), 345-352.

DiAngelo, R. (2006). The production of whiteness in education: Asian international students in a college classroom. Teachers College Record. Vol 108(10), (p. 1960-1982)

DiAngelo, R. (2006). My class didn't trump my race: Using oppression to face privilege. Multicultural Perspectives. Vol 8(1), (pp.51-56).

Sensoy, O. & DiAngelo, R. (2006). I wouldn't want to be a woman in the Middle East: White female student teachers and the narrative of the oppressed Muslim woman. Radical Pedagogy. Vol. 8 (1).

DiAngelo, R. & Allen, D. (2006). My Feelings Are Not About You: Personal Experience as a Move of Whiteness. InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies. Vol. 2, Issue 2, Article 2. http://repositories.cdlib.org/gseis/interactions/vol2/iss2/art2

DiAngelo, R. (1997). Heterosexism: Addressing internalized dominance. Journal of Progressive Human Services, Vol. 8(1), (pp.5-22).

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DiAngelo, R. & Sensoy, Ö. (2008). "But I'm shy!": Classroom participation as a social justice issue. Sensoy, Ö. & DiAngelo, R. (2017). " Diverse Candidates Encouraged To Apply...": How Faculty Hiring Committees Reproduce Whiteness and Practical Suggestions for How They Can Change. Harvard Educational Review. Thurber, A. & DiAngelo, R.

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 Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America 

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 Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America 

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[BOOK] [Secondary Teachers]
Kendi explains the entire story of anti-black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. He uses the stories from Puritan minister Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and legendary activist Angela Davis. Kendi shows that racist ideas did not arise from ignorance or hatred, but were created to justify discriminatory policies and the nation's racial inequities.

These stories can explain to teachers different types of backgrounds and oppression faced in each circumstance. It hopefully can show that not all kids have the same opportunities as others and they cannot assume such.

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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning (AGES 12 & UP)
A timely, crucial, and empowering exploration of racism--and antiracism--in America

This is NOT a history book.
This is a book about the here and now.
A book to help us better understand why we are where we are.
A book about race.

The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.

Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas--and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.

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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You - Ibram X. Kendi

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This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future.

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Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race

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Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race

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[BOOK] [Secondary Teachers]
Growing up in America, Debby always struggled with befriending other races in fear of being offensive. As an art administrator she wondered why her attempts at getting a more diverse classroom failed. She had struggled so much with racial issues and talked about how she overcame them and her “aha” moment to diverse success.

As a student in America, I see there is still a lot of discrimination in todays schools. Black people hang out with black people, mexican with mexican, and white with white. If teachers can understand how to bring them together

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Available at:

"Debby Irving's powerful Waking Up White opens a rare window on how white Americans are socialized. Irving's focus on the mechanics of racism operating in just one life - her own - may lead white readers to reconsider the roots of their own perspectives - and their role in dismantling old myths. Readers of color will no doubt find the view through Irving's window fascinating, and telling." - Van Jones, author, Rebuild The Dream, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems; President, Rebuild The Dream; Co-host, CNN Crossfire

"I read Waking Up White in one sitting. To say I loved it is an understatement. It's such a raw, honest portrait .... Irving's experience on display - warts and all - will help white people, who haven't noticed the role systemic privilege has played in their lives, start to see the world in a new way." - Jodi Picoult, author, The Storyteller, My Sister's Keeper, The Pact

"Deborah Irving bravely describes her jolting and continuing journey from white oblivion to white awareness in an honest way that may inspire others to do such transformational work on themselves. She has courage in tracing many cultural and class assumptions that kept her for decades in a fog of racial denial and white dominance. This empathetic book can help white readers to dissipate the imprisoning white ignorance that we did not ask for but that has damaged our world and ourselves." - Peggy McIntosh, Ph.D., Associate Director, Wellesley Centers for Women; Founder and Senior Associate, National SEED Project on Inclusive Curriculum (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity)

" Waking up White is a brutally honest, unflinching exploration of race and personal identity, told with heart by a truly gifted storyteller. Much as Irving's family sought to shield her from the contours of the nation's racial drama, so too do far too many white Americans continue to do the same. For their sakes, and ours, let's hope Irving's words spark even more truth-telling. They certainly have the power to do so." - Tim Wise, author, White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son

"Irving's personal and moving tale takes us on an adventure to a world utterly new to her as she wakes up to the reality of how, without her knowledge or active pursuit, she lives in a society which is set up to reward her at the expense of people of color. I cannot imagine a more understandable and compelling invitation to learn about how racism lives on in our homes, communities, and nation." - Bishop Gene Robinson, Retired Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire and Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, Washington, DC

"A beautiful, powerful, achingly honest book ... even just reading the foreword, I was touched and had an aha moment of realizing my own inbred racism. This is a very brave book to have written. I hope and believe that it will be a meaningful step forward in healing race relations. Thank you for stepping out so bravely and compassionately." - Rivvy Neshama, author, Recipes for a Sacred Life: True Stories and a Few Miracles

"Deborah Irving's Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Raceis a courageous, insightful, and critical contribution to awareness of race in the United States. A virtual one-woman Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Deborah's journey from an 'ah-ha' instant to consciousness is a journey for all Americans." - uthor, Director, Thomas Shapiro, a The Hidden Cost of Being African American; Institute on Assets and Social Policy

"Waking Up White is a wake-up call for white people who want to consciously contribute to racial justice rather than unconsciously perpetuate patterns of racism. With honesty and humility, Debby Irving shares her own story of transformation-a journey of opening herself to learning about the realities of racism and the unintended impacts of white privilege. By confronting her own fears and mistakes, she gleans many useful lessons and tips that can help move others from confusion and avoidance to constructive engagement, authentic connection and courageous action." - Terry Keleher, Thought Leadership and Practice Specialist, Race Forward

" Waking Up White is engaging, challenging, and action-oriented! It's a must read for anyone exploring issues of racism, power, privilege, and leadership." - Eddie Moore, Jr., PhD, Founder, White Privilege Conference

" Waking Up White is the only book I've ever read that weaves together one person's experience of class and race in this society in a way that is engaging and thought-provoking, yet at the same time challenging and accessible. Irving's book is a unique contribution to the emerging dialogue around the intersection of class and race in our society. It shines a light on how privilege is not only unseen, but is actively hidden away by the conventions and patterns of so-called "middle-class respectability." - Brian Corr, Executive Director, City of Cambridge Peace Commission

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"One of the most important books on race in recent memory." ~ Readers + Writers Journal Available at: Your Local BookstoreAmazon.comBarnesandnoble.comAudiobooks.com Waking Up White is the book I wish someone had handed me decades ago. My hope is that by sharing my sometimes ...

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 Why Conversations About Racism Belong in the Classroom

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 Why Conversations About Racism Belong in the Classroom

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[ARTICLE] [Elementary Teachers]
In this article, it illustrates why racism is essential to address in the classroom. Something kids should be talking about and not kept in the dark about. The main steps being: Be honest, brace for impact, walk the line, and engage in self-reflection.

This is huge advice for new teachers and how to approach race in the classroom. Being honest is vital to the students' interest and trust and lying to them may make them hate a certain group of people if you choose not to be truthful and instead state your own opinions.

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Starting constructive conversations about racism and bias can be daunting, regardless of audience. And when that audience is young children, it can seem impossible.

There are plenty of arguments why classrooms should continue to avoid the issue altogether. Julie Olsen Edwards, the coauthor of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, has heard them all.

"It's not my place."

"I don't have the space in my curriculum."

"My students are too young."

"Talking about injustice will only upset kids."

But Olsen Edwards, who also works as an anti-bias consultant for K-12 schools, likes to flip that last excuse on its head.

"Kids love to hear [that] bad things happen and people change it," she said. "People can make injustice into justice. There are heroes - real heroes - in the world. ... And it's that framework that makes it really useful to children."

Dwayne Reed, a fifth-grade teacher in Chicago, said that as difficult as it may seem, educators need to have these conversations.

"Race and privilege and bias and prejudice - these are part of our life," he said. "So, let's talk about it."

Do Children Notice Race?

Children are learning every day - who's who in their life, new words that assign meaning to the world around them, and what they are capable of doing. In these critical developmental years, the ability to notice differences - not just what things are, but what they aren't - leads to more discovery. The developmental achievement in a child calling their mother, and only their mother, "mama" is not about vocabulary but about the ability to distinguish mom from everyone else.

Children as young as 3 notice differences in biological sex. They differentiate between fact and fiction around the same time and children can recognize right from wrong before turning 2.

Children also act on these differences earlier than parents may expect: 6-month-olds can show a preference for people of the same ethnicity. The famed "doll test" of the 1940s asked children 3 to 7 years old to assign traits to white and black dolls. The results found most children preferred the white doll and labeled it positively, while the black doll was assigned negative words.

In 2010, a revamp of the study had a similar conclusion. White children were overwhelmingly biased toward whiteness, and black children showed a slight bias toward whiteness, too.

Why do children start assigning positive and negative attributes to skin? When do differences become biases?

Olsen Edwards said it's because children notice more than they get credit for. Nonverbal cues like facial expressions, tone of voice and body language leave impressions.

Whether it's white children watching their parents lock the car doors in certain neighborhoods, or Black children observing a fear of police, children feel these experiences and hold on to them. But they also notice when things aren't there.

Of all children's television characters, just 6 percent are black. Less than 2 percent of characters are Latino, compared to almost 18 percent of the U.S. population.

"If children do not see themselves, if they do not see their families reflected back to them in the world, in the school, the books, the movies, everything else, what you have done has been to erase a phenomenal part of who they are," Olsen Edwards said.

Reed remembers the silence from his own teachers and questions why they didn't give him the space to talk about race, especially when he was talking about it at home.

"Growing up Black in America, we had conversations all the time about police officers, about the government, about teachers, about how the system is set up," he said.

Mariel Buque, a race and culture columnist for Psychology Today, agrees: Ignoring these conversations of racism and bias won't help young students, even for educators who worry about disrupting their curriculum.

Their silence can be more destructive than anything else.

Buque, who specializes in providing access to culturally responsive mental health services for communities of color, said having ongoing conversations about racial identity is important so that kids have the tools to cope after trauma. Otherwise, she said, we're reactive, not proactive.

"We're just trying to eradicate the damage that has been done already," Buque said. "Being able to socialize a child around their racial identity in a positive way can mitigate the effects of trauma and racial discrimination that they're likely to encounter throughout the rest of their lives."

How to Address Race in the Classroom

Figuring out when, where and how to begin conversations about racial identity can seem overwhelming, especially when trying to incorporate them into the curriculum or everyday conversation with kids. But Reed reminds people that responsibility should outweigh any fear.

Be honest

Talking about racial identity and bias with children means acknowledging what children already know: people are different, and the world is not colorblind.

Reed said he understands the goal in trying to ignore color, but it eliminates from a person what the world already sees. The "colorblind" approach takes away from the experiences of people of color because when people refuse to see color, they are looking through the lens of the default in America: whiteness.

"I'm Black. I know that. You know that," he said. "The cameras that are watching me as I walk in the supermarket know that."

Brace for impact

Being honest with children also means expecting a response to that honesty. With topics that can feel delicate for many people, that response will not always be positive.

"A lot of people aren't going to be happy that you're having this conversation," Reed said. "And they will address that with you." The best thing educators who are experiencing pushback can do, Reed said, is remind themselves that this is for the good of the children and keep moving forward.

Buque agrees that the fear of saying something wrong shouldn't stop you from speaking. Embrace the learning process and ask for help from colleagues and friends if you have questions or come across obstacles.

Walk the line

Understand your role. Educators aren't there to tell children what to think, but to help them learn how to think. Reed said he practices by playing devil's advocate in his fifth-grade classroom.

And as a neutral party, experts agree it's important that adults affirm what young children are feeling. It's not an educator's role to force children to explain their experiences around racial identity. Instead, Reed said he gives his students space to share their thoughts and questions without judgment.

Engage in self-reflection

You need to know where you are beginning before charting a path for students. Buque said that means having a complete understanding of your own racial identity.

Start by asking what biases, privileges and experiences you have that could affect how you think about racism. Buque said overlooking this step is the most common error she sees, and it's a process everyone should undergo constantly.

"Just because a person of color identifies as a person of color does not mean that they have an understanding of how to best service a client of color or students of color," she said. "They also have to do the work, the internal work in order to better service others."

Kids crave real information and, according to Olsen Edwards, they need it from someone who takes the approach: "This is really interesting how we are different. And it's really heartbreaking that people don't treat each other well. And what are we going to do about it?"

And if that's the place you're coming from, Olsen Edwards said, you'll always get it right enough with kids.

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Why Conversations About Racism Belong in the Classroom

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Starting constructive conversations about racism and bias can be daunting, regardless of audience. And when that audience is young children, it can seem impossible. There are plenty of arguments why classrooms should continue to avoid the issue altogether. Julie Olsen Edwards, the coauthor of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, has heard them all.

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[BOOK] [Elementary Teachers]
She goes through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.

This can help teachers improve in talking about race with students in the classroom. Potentially this could make conversation a lot easier and especially for teachers who maybe never got taught much about race can use this information to learn the basics that they need for the classroom.

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"I MEAN, I JUST FEEL LIKE WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN further if we'd focused more on class than race."

I'm sitting across from a friend at a coffee shop near my house. He's a good friend-a smart, thoughtful, and well-meaning person. I always enjoy his company and a chance to talk with someone who is also interested in world events. But I'm tired. I'm tired because this is the conversation I've been having since the 2016 election ended and liberals and progressives have been scrambling to figure out what went wrong. What was missing from the left's message that left so many people unenthusiastic about supporting a Democatic candidate, especially against Donald Trump? So far, a large group of people (mostly white men paid to pontificate on politics and current events) seem to have landed on this: we, the broad and varied group of Democrats, Socialists, and Independents known as "the left," focused on "identity politics" too much. We focused on the needs of black people, trans people, women, Latinx people. All this specialized focus divided people and left out working-class white men. That is the argument, anyways.

It's what I and many others have heard throughout the very long presidential campaign; it's what I heard last campaign and the one before that. It's what every other white dude in my political science classes in college had to say.

And although I'm tired, because I have just had this conversation with multiple people for multiple hours the evening before, here I am having it again, hearing what I've always heard: the problem in American society is not race, it's class.

"Surely, if you improve things for the lower classes, you improve things for minorities," he adds, seeing the disappointment and weariness on my face. But I'm going to go ahead and engage in this conversation, because if I can just make some progress with one well-meaning white dude about why class will never be interchangeable with race, I'll feel a little better about our social justice movements.

"If you could do that-if you could improve things for the lower classes-it would," I say, "But how?"

When he then recites the standard recommendations of strengthening unions and raising minimum wages I decide to jump to the point: "Why do you think black people are poor? Do you think it's for the same reasons that white people are?"

This is where the conversation pauses. This is where I see my friend first look at me puzzled and then try to come up with ways to push back. I continue on, since I've already gone this far.

"I live in a world where if I have a 'black sounding' name, I'm less likely to even be called for a job interview. Will I equally benefit from raising minimum wages when I can't even get a job?"

My friend recalls that study, acknowledging that the discrimination I'm referencing is indeed a real thing that happens.

"If I do get a good job and do what society says I should do and save up and buy a house-will I benefit equally when the fact that I live in a 'black neighborhood' means that my house will be worth far less? Will I benefit equally when I'm much more likely to get higher mortgage rates from my bank, or predatory loans that will skyrocket in cost after a few years causing me to foreclose and lose my home and equity and credit, because of the color of my skin?"

I'm on a coffee-and-frustration-fueled roll now.

"If I am able to get what is considered a decent wage for the 'average' American, but my son is locked up in jail like one in three black men are predicted to be, so I'm raising my grandkids on my meager salary, will stronger unions really raise me out of poverty?

"If I'm more likely to be suspended and expelled from school, because even since preschool my teachers are more likely to see my childhood antics as violence and aggression, will a reduction in student loan costs help me when I was pushed out of education before completing high school?"

I'm ranting now, I'm talking fast to get it all out. Not because I'm angry, because I'm not, really. I know it's not my friend's fault that what he's saying is the prevailing narrative, and that it's seen as the compassionate narrative.

But it's a narrative that hurts me, and so many other people of color.

My friend pauses and says, "Well, what are we supposed to do then? Nothing? Can't we focus on this first to get everybody behind it and then address the race stuff?"

To which I sigh and say, "That's the promise that's been made to us for hundreds of years. Those are the words of every labor movement that managed to help white America so much more than everyone else. Those are the words that 'move everybody forward' but in the exact same place, with the exact same hierarchy, and the exact same oppressions. Those words are why the wealth gap between whites and blacks is just as bad as it was when Dr. King was leading marches. We're still waiting. We're still hoping. We're still left behind."

RACE AS WE KNOW IT IN THE US IS CLOSELY INTEGRATED with our economic system. The system of racism functioned primarily as a justification for the barbaric act of chattel slavery and the genocide of Indigenous Americans. You cannot put chains around the necks of other human beings or slaughter them wholesale, while maintaining social rules that prohibit such treatment, without first designating those people as somewhat less than human. And later, the function of racism was somewhat repurposed as a way of dividing lower classes, still with the ultimate goal of the economic and political supremacy of white elites.

Yes, like many say, race is a social construct-it has no bearing in science. Many believe that because race was created by our economic system-because it is a lie told to justify a crime-a unilateral improvement of conditions for lower classes would address the economic and social disparities around race. Money is also a social construct-a series of rules and agreements we all made up while pretending that these pieces of paper are worth our entire lives. But we cannot simply stop thinking of money and it will cease to enthrall us. It has woven its way into every part of our lives. It has shaped our past and our futures. It has become alive.

Race has also become alive. Race was not only created to justify a racially exploitative economic system, it was invented to lock people of color into the bottom of it. Racism in America exists to exclude people of color from opportunity and progress so that there is more profit for others deemed superior. This profit itself is the greater promise for nonracialized people- you will get more because they exist to get less. That promise is durable, and unless attacked directly, it will outlive any attempts to address class as a whole.

This promise- you will get more because they exist to get less -is woven throughout our entire society. Our politics, our education system, our infrastructure-anywhere there is a finite amount of power, influence, visibility, wealth, or opportunity. Anywhere in which someone might miss out. Anywhere there might not be enough. There the lure of that promise sustains racism.

White Supremacy is this nation's oldest pyramid scheme. Even those who have lost everything to the scheme are still hanging in there, waiting for their turn to cash out.

Even the election of our first black president did not lessen the lure of this promise to draw people to their support of racism. If anything, the election strengthened it. His election was a clear, undeniable sign that some black people could get more, and then what about everyone else's share? Those who had always blatantly or subconsciously depended on that promise, that they would get more because others would get less, were threatened in ways that they could not put words to. But suddenly, this didn't feel like "their country" anymore. Suddenly, they didn't feel like "their needs" were being met.

But aside from that one, mostly symbolic, change of the race of our president, not much else had changed. The promise of racism has still held true: in just about every demographic of socio-political-economic well-being, black and brown people are consistently getting less.

We, people of color, of course are not the only people who have gotten less. Even without the invention of race, class would still exist and does exist even in racially homogenous countries. And our class system is oppressive and violent and harms a lot of people of all races. It should be addressed. It should be torn down. But the same hammer won't tear down all of the walls. What keeps a poor child in Appalachia poor is not what keeps a poor child in Chicago poor-even if from a distance, the outcomes look the same. And what keeps an able-bodied black woman poor is not what keeps a disabled white man poor, even if the outcomes look the same.

Even in our class and labor movements, the promise that you will get more because others exist to get less, calls to people. It tells you to focus on the majority first. It tells you that the grievances of people of color, or disabled people, or transgender people, or women are divisive. The promise that keeps racism alive tells you that you will benefit most and others will eventually benefit... a little. It has you believing in trickle-down social justice.

Yes, it is about class-and about gender and sexuality and ability. And it's also, almost always, about race.

Talk about race is inevitable in today's society, but it often doesn't seem to get much farther than an argument about whether or not something is about race. Talk about race can feel like a horribly depressing rendition of "who's on first?" While some argue that these issues of racism must be addressed, others argue that these issues are not race issues, and after much frustration trying to determine whether or not the yet-to-be-had conversation is indeed about race, somebody gives up and walks away, leaving the original issue untouched.

In the day-to-day, determining whether or not an issue is about race can be difficult-not only for white people, but for people of color as well. Rarely is there only one factor or viewpoint in a serious issue. Things are never cut-and-dry. And because we have come up in a society where talking about race is just not something you "do" in polite company, we don't have a lot of practice in putting words to racial issues. But it is difficult, if not impossible, to talk about race when we can't even agree that something is about race. And we have to start somewhere. If you are looking for a simple way to determine if something is about race, here are some basic rules. And when I say basic, I mean basic.

1. It is about race if a person of color thinks it is about race.

2. It is about race if it disproportionately or differently affects people of color.

3. It is about race if it fits into a broader pattern of events that disproportionately or differently affect people of color.

Now, looking at this short list, it's easy to think-hey, that is far too broad, almost anything can fall under those categories! And it's true, almost anything can fall under these categories. Why? Because race impacts almost every aspect of our lives. Let's look a little deeper.

It is about race if a person of color thinks it's about race. This may sound at first like I'm asking you to just take every person of color's word for it, as if they are infallible and incapable of lying or misinterpreting a situation. But the truth is, whether or not someone is fallible is beside the point. We are, each and every one of us, a collection of our lived experiences. Our lived experiences shape us, how we interact with the world, and how we live in the world. And our experiences are valid. Because we do not experience the world with only part of ourselves, we cannot leave our racial identity at the door. And so, if a person of color says that something is about race, it is-because regardless of the details, regardless of whether or not you can connect the dots from the outside, their racial identity is a part of them and it is interacting with the situation. Note, if you are a white person in this situation, do not think that just because you may not be aware of your racial identity at the time that you did not bring race to your experience of the situation as well. We are all products of a racialized society, and it affects everything we bring to our interactions.

Something can be about race, and that doesn't mean that it is only about race. When I talk about being followed in a store by a white clerk, it is about race, because regardless of the clerk's intention I'm bringing with me my entire history of a black woman who is routinely followed around by staff or security when I shop in stores. This clerk herself may not be thinking of my race at all when she's following me, she may just be an overeager trainee, or maybe she suspects everybody of stealing and follows all customers regardless of race. But she, for her possibly innocent intentions, is also bringing her white identity into the interaction, as someone who is not regularly followed by store personnel and therefore would be unaware of the impact it would have on me to, once again, be followed around a store by a white clerk. She too is making it about race whether she knows it or not. But while this issue is about race and the racial aspects should be addressed, it's also about training-as aggressively following customers of any race is bad business. It can be about all of these things, and it is.

It is about race if it disproportionately or differently affects people of color. Often, when talking about issues of race I will receive messages from white people stating that what I'm talking about is not about race because they, a white person, too suffer from said issue. Poverty cannot be about race if there are poor white people. Incarceration cannot be about race if there are incarcerated white people, and so on. Many white people who themselves often suffer from the same hardships that many people of color suffer from feel erased by discussions of racial oppression.

In contrast, I'll also often hear from white people (often the very same white people) about successful black people that obviously debunk the theory that hardships are race-based. How can poverty be about race if Oprah exists? How can there be lack of representation in the entertainment industry when Beyoncé wins all the awards? Setting aside the fact that the racial exceptionalism of people of color does not detract from, but instead adds to, arguments of racial inequality (because honestly, we don't have to name a few successful white people to argue that they are doing comparatively well in society-there are enough that they don't even stand out), these arguments are a pretty extreme oversimplification of how racial oppression works.

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"I MEAN, I JUST FEEL LIKE WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN further if we'd focused more on class than race." I'm sitting across from a friend at a coffee shop near my house. He's a good friend-a smart, thoughtful, and well-meaning person.

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[BOOK] [Elementary Teachers]
In this book, Kendi creates a disconcerting combination of ethics, history, law, and science with his personal experiences of his awakening to antiracism.

In an elementary classroom, it is very important to be anti racist. Especially with younger kids when they are very impressionable, they might repeat something they heard in a video or something their parents said and they might not know how offensive it may be, but if you can lead an anti racist classroom, then you could prevent kids growing up to think the same thought.

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Something look wrong with the site? Contact kelsiemendez@suumail.net

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Teaching Tolerance is a fantastic resource aimed towards educators with advice and topics on how to better run your classroom. This website has collected many resources that help educators to “cultivate positive identity formation, encourage students to confront racial and ethnic injustice, and prepare them to live and work together in a diverse world. [their] resources can help [educators to] facilitate discussions about race and guide students through lessons on white privilege, economic inequality, mass incarceration, the complexities of identity and more.”

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Cultivate positive identity formation, encourage students to confront racial and ethnic injustice, and prepare them to live and work together in a diverse world. Our resources can help you facilitate discussions about race and guide students through lessons on white privilege, economic inequality, mass incarceration, the complexities of identity and more.

"We may be uncomfortable talking about race, but we can no longer afford to be silent. We have chosen a profession that-like parenting-requires us to put our comforts second to those of children."

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Cultivate positive identity formation, encourage students to confront racial and ethnic injustice, and prepare them to live and work together in a diverse world. Our resources can help you facilitate discussions about race and guide students through lessons on white privilege, economic inequality, mass incarceration, the complexities of identity and more.

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Racial Equity Tools is a wonderful organization. They are “designed to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity. This site offers tools, research, tips, curricula and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working toward justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities and the culture at large.”

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Racial Equity Tools offers tools, research, tips, curricula, and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working for racial justice at every level -in systems, organizations, communities, and the culture at large.

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This website by the Pew Research Center is a wonderful source of information for all different types of research. For our purpose here we are in the “Race and Ethnicity” portion of the website. This page includes current news regarding the topic, current events, reports, facts, and other publications that can teach and inform us of the topic from all different sources and sides of the spectrum.

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About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions.

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This website is done by the Equality and Human Rights Commission of Scotland. Although it does not pertain directly to us as educators in the United States of America, I believe it includes a variety of knowledge and facts such as, what race discrimination is, What their Equality Act says about race discrimination, the few times Circumstances when being treated differently due to race is lawful, and Different types of race discrimination. Different types of race discrimination includes Direct discrimination, Indirect discrimination, Harassment, and Victimisation.

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What is Race discrimination ? We explain its definition, areas covered and what constitutes discrimination.

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This website made by the American Sociological Association explores “the sociological perspective [and] explores how race and ethnicity are socially constructed and how individuals identify with one or more. Research [that] demonstrates how they are linked to social position and to political and policy debates about issues such as immigration, identity formation, and inter-group relations (including racism).” It includes wonderful sources on the topic such as podcasts, links to research, and current news.

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A best seller for many years, this invaluable reference has been published by the ASA since 1965 and provides comprehensive information for academic administrators, advisers, faculty, students, and a host of others seeking information on social science departments in the U.S., Canada, and abroad.

Included are listings for 186 graduate departments of sociology. In addition to name and rank, faculty are identified by highest degree held, institution and date of degree, and areas of specialty interest. Special programs, tuition costs, types of financial aid, and student enrollment...

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Sociology uses and critiques the concepts of race and ethnicity, connecting them to the idea of majority and minority groups and social structures of inequality, power, and stratification. "Race" refers to physical differences that groups and cultures consider socially significant, while "ethnicity" refers to shared culture, such as language, ancestry, practices, and beliefs.The sociological perspective explores how race and ethnicity are socially constructed and how individuals identify with one or more.

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Teaching Tolerance, Different Colors of Beauty: Reflection 

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Teaching Tolerance, Different Colors of Beauty: Reflection 

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This lesson plan was written for grades K-5. The purpose of the lesson is to teach students that one race is not superior to another and to teach them the importance of tolerance. This is the sixth lesson in a series call “Different Colors of Beauty.”

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Framework

After working with difficult and complex themes in this series, it is essential for students to reflect on the knowledge they have gained. It is also important for students to value the artistic and literary works they have created and acknowledge how their thinking has changed over time.

In this lesson, students will think about what they have learned throughout the series. They will brainstorm ways they can put their new and deeper understanding of race, racial identity and beauty to positive use in their community.

Professional Development

Reflection is an important aspect of any kind of learning. By helping students to consolidate newly acquired knowledge and insights, teachers can ignite and accelerate young people's ability to think critically about a range of social issues. Some resources for helping students with metacognitive awareness and growth are Reflection for Learning and the overview of Reflection available on (the informal education homepage and encyclopaedia of informal education).

Some websites that address writing reflections include Two Writing Teachers and Teachers College Reading & Writing Project.

Finally, this lesson challenges children to take on roles as activists. A particularly useful book on the topic is Do Something: A Handbook for Young Activists, by Nancy Lublin (with Vanessa Martir and Julia Steers), and its accompanying website, Do Something.

Vocabulary

reflection [ rih- FLEK-shuhn ] (noun) insightful thoughts on something; a careful reconsideration of experiences

value [ VAL-yoo ] (noun) an idea that holds great worth to you, or the worth that you attribute to an object, a relationship or a cause

celebration [ sel-uh- BREY-shuhn ] (noun) festivities to mark a special event or occasion; to congratulate oneself or others

activism [ AK-tuh-viz-uhm ] (noun) engaging in work toward the achievement of a particular goal, often of a political or social nature

Activities

Ask students what they have learned from listening to their classmates' reflections.

1. Remind students of the work they have done over the course of this series. In their journals, have them sketch a picture or write a paragraph about race, racial identity and beauty. If they need help getting started, use one or more of these prompts:

What are some of the ideas my class helped me understand about race, identity or beauty? How can I use my new understandings to challenge others to rethink their ideas about race, racial identity and beauty?

What are some of the ways that these activities-looking closely at myself, writing poetry, examining picture book illustrations, making a self-portrait and talking to my peers-helped me see myself, my skin and my race as beautiful?

What piece of work from this unit makes me feel the most pride? Why?

What was the most challenging part of this series? Why?

2. Now, explain that it is time to look back over the work everyone did as a class and take pride in what was accomplished. Talk about why it is important to value and celebrate the work that students completed as a class. Discuss some guidelines for making sure a celebration runs smoothly. (Note: If you do not have a protocol for end-of-unit celebrations, you will want to chart a list for your class. The list might include appropriate behavior during an exciting time, strategies for making guests feel welcome in the classroom and reminders about how to comment respectfully on someone else's work.)

3. Have students prepare displays of the work they did over the course of the series. Encourage children to spend some time circulating around the room, either independently or with partners, looking at their own and others' work. If there are guests present for the celebration, let children showcase their work using whatever method makes most sense.

4. After everyone has had a chance to look at their classmates' work, come together in a circle as a group. (Note: You can decide whether to include guests.) Go around the circle and have each child choose and comment positively on another child's work. Comments should stress one especially impressive aspect of the chosen work. Then go around the circle once more and ask the students to share one thing about changes in their own work or thinking that gives them particular satisfaction. This is a celebration, but also a reflection.

5. Ask students to think about one way they wish they could positively change the thinking of others in their school, home or community about race, racial identity and beauty. Brainstorm and chart a list of changes they wish they could make. Once you have a list, let children work with a partner or in a small group to write a letter or create a poster for the person or people they hope to influence. Explain that learning about issues like these often leads to activism. Define the term if it is unfamiliar. Activism is hard work toward making a change. It cannot be accomplished in one small step, but it has to start somewhere. If your students are inspired to keep working with these issues, have them write lists in their journals, or make a list collectively as a class, of other ways the students think they can work toward change.

Extension Activity

ELL Extension

Now that you have come to the end of this series, choose 10 to 20 key vocabulary words for concepts that have been part of this series. Write the words in your language journal or notebook. Write a sentence to help you remember each word; then, challenge yourself to include this vocabulary in the poster or letter you create in Step 5.

Extension Assignment

Reflective thinking around important and challenging issues often leads to activism, which can take a lot of time and energy. Form working groups in your classroom around the ideas for creating change that you brainstormed in Step 4. Set aside one or two periods a week to work on these projects over the course of the year. For instance, maybe you want to create your own picture book with a positive impact on racial identity. Perhaps you can write letters to people who you feel use oversimplifying racial labels, or start a poster campaign in your school or neighborhood. Get creative-the possibilities are endless. Build in time for community meetings and reflections to report on how the work is going. Put your thoughts and hard work into action!

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This lesson is the sixth in a series called "The Different Colors of Beauty." The goal of these lessons is to help students develop their racial or ethnic identities in a safe and open classroom environment, and appreciate the broad spectrum of beauty in our diverse, multicultural world.

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Critical Media Project, Lesson Plan: Race and Ethnicity

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Critical Media Project, Lesson Plan: Race and Ethnicity

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This lesson plan would be best for older students (secondary school). This lesson helps students recognize and analyze racial and ethnic stereotypes that are represented in the media.

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Australian Government-Department of Home Affairs, Lesson Plan-Culture, Race & Ethnicity

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Australian Government-Department of Home Affairs, Lesson Plan-Culture, Race & Ethnicity

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This lesson plan would be best used for older students (secondary school) because they are split into groups to discuss and brainstorm about ideas for the topic they are assigned. The lesson plan will need to be adapted slightly because it is currently tailored towards Australian society, so it will need to be adapted to the US and whatever state you end up teaching in.

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Understanding concepts: reading, recording and reassessing - Students are introduced to these concepts and how they differ from each other, then apply them to their own experiences.

Aims

To help students differentiate between the concepts of culture, race and ethnicity.

Preparation

Copies of the definitions and questions sheets for students.

Butchers' paper and felt pens.

What to do

1. Prior to distributing the sheets, divide the class into three groups and allocate one of the concepts to each group.

2. Have students brainstorm words and phrases associated with their concept and record on butchers' paper.

3. Ask a representative from each group to present their ideas to the whole class.

4. Hand out the definitions sheet and work through the definitions with the class.

5. Review each of the brainstorming sheets in terms of these definitions.

6. Hand out the questions sheet and have students complete them and compare with classmates.

Culture, Race & Ethnicity definitions

These concepts are complex and are often confused or thought to mean the same thing - but they do not. Many different definitions of these terms exist, and the following are examples:

Culture

Culture is not about superficial group differences or just a way to label a group of people.

It is an abstract concept.

It is diverse, dynamic and ever-changing.

It is the shared system of learned and shared values, beliefs and rules of conduct that make people behave in a certain way.

It is the standard for perceiving, believing, evaluating and acting.

Not everyone knows everything about their own culture.

Race

The term 'race' is not appropriate when applied to national, religious, geographic, linguistic or ethnic groups. Race does not relate to mental characteristics such as intelligence, personality or character.

Race is a term applied to people purely because of the way they look.

It is considered by many to be predominantly a social construct.

It is difficult to say a person belongs to a specific race because there are so many variations such as skin colour.

All human groups belong to the same species (Homosapiens).

Ethnicity

Ethnicity is a sense of peoplehood, when people feel close because of sharing a similarity. It is when you share the same things, for example:

physical characteristics such as skin colour or bloodline,

linguistic characteristics such as language or dialect,

behavioural or cultural characteristics such as religion or customs or

environmental characteristics such as living in the same area or sharing the same place of origin.

Culture, Race & Ethnicity questions

1. How does culture define who a person is?

2. What is your culture?

3. Is this the same as your ethnicity?

4. What is a common belief about race and how is it untrue?

5. Identify some stereotypes you know of about a particular group of people.

6. List some of your values, beliefs and customs (3 of each).

7. What are some of the things from your culture that you are proud of?

8. What are some of the things about your culture that you don't like?

9. How would you describe Australian culture?

10. What are some cultural issues in Australia today?

The observable aspects of culture such as food, clothing, celebrations, religion and language are only part of a person's cultural heritage. These things make up how you live and what makes you accepted in society.

Fill in the table below with information about your own culture. Compare your information with that of your classmates.

Adapted from a Living in Harmony Funded Project, 'Culture & Colour', Northern Beaches Neighbourhood Service, NSW, 2005

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Harmony Week is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds.

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Teaching Tolerance, Anti-Racism Activity ‘The Sneetches’

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Teaching Tolerance, Anti-Racism Activity ‘The Sneetches’

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This lesson plan was written for grades K-5. The point of the lesson is to help kids realize the emotional impact of discrimination and unfair practices.

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Bringing Education Disparities to the Forefront of the Political Debate [VIDEO]

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Bringing Education Disparities to the Forefront of the Political Debate [VIDEO]

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This video is a webcast panel that has four different educational professionals that discuss the pressing issues of disparities between the achievement gap between white and non-white students in K-12. Each of the panel members offers different statistics and experiences in education and what contributes to achievement gaps. One of the panelists addresses how recruiting, training, and retaining better teachers is an important part in solving racial issues in education. A lot of this video focuses on the importance of quality and diverse teachers in order to create a more positive experience.

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Bringing education disparities to the forefront of the political debate

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How America’s Public Schools Keep Kids in Poverty [TEDTALK]

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How America’s Public Schools Keep Kids in Poverty [TEDTALK]

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Kandice Sumner discusses the disparity between schools in low-income neighborhoods across the United States, particularly in communities of color. The Ted Talk is about how resources are more available for wealthier schools like instruments, books, higher quality school lunches and soccer fields. Kandice is a teacher in a less affluent neighborhood than she went to school in and she can see the differences between the school systems. She parallels achievement gaps to the lack investment in communities with people of color. This video highlights the importance of socioeconomic disparities in education.

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Please [contact us](https://www.ted.com/contact) and let us know what happened.

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How Students of Color Confront Imposter Syndrome [TEDTALK]

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How Students of Color Confront Imposter Syndrome [TEDTALK]

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Deena Simmons addresses the experience of being an African American woman from a tough part of the Bronx who grew up to have academic prestige. She recalls while attending boarding school and Columbia University, she had to work to feel like she felt like she belonged. Simmons is an educator and this video is about encouraging fellow educators to create classrooms that are inclusive and let African American students feel safe to be themselves. Simmons describes ‘imposter syndrome’ as a problem of African American students policing their ‘black’ behavior in order to gain access to better opportunities. She describes how she had teachers correct her Bronx accent in order for her to sound ‘smarter’.

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Dena Simmons: How students of color confront impostor syndrome

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As a black woman from a tough part of the Bronx who grew up to attain all the markers of academic prestige, Dena Simmons knows that for students of color, success in school sometimes comes at the cost of living authentically.

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How to Teach Kids to Talk About Taboo Topics [TEDTALK]

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How to Teach Kids to Talk About Taboo Topics [TEDTALK]

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Liz Kleinrock offers a unique Ted Talk about teaching young elementary students about subjects that aren’t normally addressed in a general classroom like race, gender, and equity. She talks about how important it is for students to be fluent in language about race. She details a story about a fourth-grade student who says something inappropriate in class about black people, and she addresses the fearless way an educator can approach the situation. Liz enforces that any sort of solution to social problems begins with conversations particularly with children.

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Liz Kleinrock: How to teach kids to talk about taboo topics

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When one of Liz Kleinrock's fourth-grade students said the unthinkable at the start of a class on race, she knew it was far too important a teachable moment to miss. But where to start? Learn how Kleinrock teaches kids to discuss taboo topics without fear -- because the best way to start solving social problems is to talk about them.

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Black Student Voices: Classroom Discussions on Race [VIDEO]

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Black Student Voices: Classroom Discussions on Race [VIDEO]

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Education Week interviews different African American high school students from across the United States about their opinions on how race and racism should be addressed in education. Their interviews talk about how there are a lot of different positive and controversial aspects of African American history that isn’t addressed in school. The video also talks about how African American history should be talked about more outside of “Black History” month.

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Black Student Voices: Classroom Discussions on Race

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The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X (Grades 11-12)

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The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X (Grades 11-12)

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In this autobiography published originally in 1965, Malcolm Little (Malcolm X) shares the story of his life and the beginning of the Human Rights movement. He tells of his leadership, affiliation in Black empowerment activities, and his experiences with religion.

This is a story of one who devoted his life to a timeless endeavor. The goal that Malcolm X dreamed of has made great strides but has yet to be fully accomplished. This will help students not only learn more about modern US history, but inform them of problems that have plagued this great country and inspire them to help find solutions.

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Read 8,414 reviews from the world’s largest community for readers. Alternate cover for ISBN 9780345350688 Through a life of passion and struggle, Malcolm …

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Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi (Grades 9-10)

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Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi (Grades 9-10)

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In this black and white graphic novel, author Marjane Satrapi tells of her childhood living in Tehran and all that she experienced. She writes of the abolition of Shah’s regime, the victory of the Islamic Revolution, and the catastrophic effects of Iran’s war with Iraq.

This gives a broader understanding of how the media has covered Iran and other countries in the middle east. It also gives a child's perspective of growing up in a different, more authoritarian country. It will also be attractive because it is a graphic novel.

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A New York Times Notable Book * A Time Magazine "Best Comix of the Year" * A San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times Best Seller

"Delectable. . . Dances with drama and insouciant wit." - The New York Times Book Review

"A stunning graphic memoir hailed as a wholly original achievement in the form. There's still a startling freshness to the book. It won't age. In inky shadows and simple, expressive lines-reminiscent of Ludwig Bemelmans's "Madeline"-Satrapi evokes herself and her schoolmates coming of age in a world of protests and disappearances . . . A stark, shocking impact." -Parul Sehgal, "The 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years" The New York Times

"A dazzlingly singular achievement. . . . Striking a perfect balance between the fantasies and neighborhood conspiracies of childhood and the mounting lunacy of Khomeini's reign, she's like the Persian love child of Spiegelman and Lynda Barry." -
"A brilliant and unusual graphic memoir. . . . [Told] in a guileless voice . . . accompanied by a series of black-and-white drawings that dramatically illustrate how a repressive regime deforms ordinary lives."-"Odds are, you'll be too busy being entertained to realize how much you've learned until you turn the last page."-"[A] self-portrait of the artist as a young girl, rendered in graceful black-and-white comics that apply a childlike sensibility to the bleak lowlights of recent Iranian history. . . . [Her] style is powerful; it persuasively communicates confusion and horror through the eyes of a precocious preteen." - Village Voice

"This is an excellent comic book, that deserves a place with Joe Sacco and even Art Spiegelman. In her bold black and white panels, Satrapi eloquently reasserts the moral bankruptcy of all political dogma and religious conformity; how it bullies, how it murders, and how it may always be ridiculed by individual rebellions of the spirit and the intellect." -Zadie Smith, author of The Autograph Manand White Teeth
You've never seen anything like Persepolis-the intimacy of a memoir, the irresistability of a comic book, and the political depth of a the conflict between fundamentalism and democracy. Marjane Satrapi may have given us a new genre." -Gloria Steinem

"I grew up reading the Mexican comics of Gabriel Vargas, graduated to the political teachings of Rius, fell under the spell of Linda Barry, Art Spiegelman, and now I am a fan of Marjane Satrapi. Her stories thrummed in my heart for days. Persepolis is part history book, part Scheherazade, astonishing as only true stories can be. I learned much about the history of Iran, but more importantly, it gave me hope for humanity in these unkind times." -Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street and Caramelo

"I thought [ Persepolis] was a superb piece of work, not only for the child's eye view-the developing child's eye view-of a society unknown to many of us in the west, and feared and suspected in proportion to being unknown.... Satrap has found a way of depicting human beings that is both simple and immediately comprehensible, AND is almost infinitely flexible. Anyone who's tried to draw a simplified version of a human face knows how immensely difficult it is not only to give the faces a range of expression, but also to maintain identities from one frame to the next. It's an enormous technical accomplishment." -Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.
"I cannot praise enough Marjane Satrapi's moving account of growing up as a spirited young girl in revolutionary and war-time Iran. Persepolis is disarming and often humorous but ultimately it is shattering." -Joe Sacco, author of Palestine and "This witty, moving and illuminating book demonstrates graphically why the future of Iran lies with neither the clerics nor the American Empire." -Tariq Ali, Author of The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity
"I found the work immensely moving with depths of nuance and wisdom that one might never expect to find in a comic book. It's a powerful, mysterious, enchanting story that manages to reflect a great swath of Iranian contemporary history within the sensitive, intimate tale of a young girl's coming-of-age. I didn't want it to end!" -Diana Abu-Jaber, Author of Crescent and "A rare and chilling memoir that offers every reader a personal, honest portrait of Iran's recent political and cultural history. Ms. Satrapi's provocative, graphic narrative of life in Iran before and after the Islamic revolution is an extraordinary testament to the level of human suffering experienced by Iranians tossed from one political hypocrisy to another. Aside from the humanistic dimension, the beautifully minimalist Persepolis gives further evidence of Marjane Satrapi's sensitivity and superb skill as an artist." -Shirin Neshat, visual artist/filmmaker

"Readers who have always wanted to look beyond political headlines and CNN's cliches should plunge into this unique illustrated story. Let Marji be your trusted companion, follow her into the warmth of a Persian home and out along Tehran's turbulent streets during those heady days of revolution. Persepolis opens a rare door to understanding of events that still haunt America, while shining a bright light on the personal humanity and humor so much alive in Iranian families today." -Terence Ward, author of "Blending the historical with the personal is not an easy task, to blend the individual with the universal is even more challenging. But Marjane Satrapi has succeeded brilliantly. This graphic novel is a reminder of the human spirit that fights oppression and death, it is a witness to something true and lasting which is more affective than hundreds of news broadcasts." -Hanan al-Shaykh, author of Women of Sand and Myrhh

Alex Award - YALSA WINNER 2004

Booklist Editor's Choice for Young Adults WINNER

New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age WINNER

School Library Journal Adult Books for Young Adults WINNER

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults WINNER

The following pages are excerpted from Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Copyright © 2005 by Marjane Satrapi. Excerpted by permission of Pantheon, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

ON WRITING PERSEPOLIS
By Marjane Satrapi, as told to Pantheon staff

Chances are that if you are an American you know very little about the 1979 Iranian Revolution. "This revolution was normal, and it had to happen," says Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis, a totally unique memoir about growing up in Iran after the Shah left power. "Unfortunately, it happened in a country where people were very traditional, and other countries only saw the religious fanatics who made their response public." In her graphic novel, Satrapi, shows readers that these images do not make up the whole story about Iran. Here, she talks freely about what it was like to tell this story with both words and pictures, and why she is so proud of the result.

Why I Wrote Persepolis

From the time I came to France in 1994, I was always telling stories about life in Iran to my friends. We'd see pieces about Iran on television, but they didn't represent my experience at all. I had to keep saying, "No, it's not like that there." I've been justifying why it isn't negative to be Iranian for almost twenty years. How strange when it isn't something I did or chose to be?

After I finished university, there were nine of us, all artists and friends, working in a studio together. That group finally said, "Do something with your stories." They introduced me to graphic novelists. Spiegelman was first. And when I read him, I thought "Jesus Christ, it's possible to tell a story and make a point this way." It was amazing.

Writing a Graphic Novel is Like Making a Movie

People always ask me, "Why didn't you write a book?" But that's what Persepolis is. To me, a book is pages related to something that has a cover. Graphic novels are not traditional literature, but that does not mean they are second-rate. Images are a way of writing. When you have the talent to be able to write and to draw it seems a shame to choose one. I think it's better to do both.

We learn about the world through images all the time. In the cinema we do it, but to make a film you need sponsors and money and 10,000 people to work with you. With a graphic novel, all you need is yourself and your editor.

Of course, you have to have a very visual vision of the world. You have to perceive life with images otherwise it doesn't work. Some artists are more into sound; they make music. The point is that you have to know what you want to say, and find the best way of saying it. It's hard to say how Persepolis evolved once I started writing. I had to learn how to write it as a graphic novel by doing.

I'm a pacifist. I believe there are ways to solve the world's problems. Instead of putting all this money to create arms, I think countries should invest in scholarships for kids to study abroad. Perhaps they could become good and knowledgeable professors in their own countries. You need time for that kind of change though.

I have been brought up open-minded. If I didn't know any people from other countries, I'd think everyone was evil based on news stories. But I know a lot of people, and know that there is no such thing as stark good and evil. Isn't it possible there is the same amount of evil everywhere?

If people are given the chance to experience life in more than one country, they will hate a little less. It's not a miracle potion, but little by little you can solve problems in the basement of a country, not on the surface. That is why I wanted people in other countries to read Persepolis, to see that I grew up just like other children.

It's so rewarding to see people at my book signings who never read graphic novels. They say that when they read mine they became more interested. If it opens these people's eyes not to believe what they hear, I feel successful.

You Have to Think Freely to Know What to Write

My parents were very proud when they read Persepolis. If I criticize them once in a while, it's because it's the truth, and they laugh. My father always says, "It is only an idiot who never changes his mind." My parents accept that times change, and they are not right anymore. They've taught me that you can make mistakes.

They were extremely open-minded about what I said and they were demanding. I'm also tender with them because they were magnificent parents. They gave me the most important thing - the freedom of thinking and deciding for myself. The best present anyone can receive is not being formatted because the world or a religion wants you to be.

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Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi: 9780375714573 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

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A New York Times Notable Book * A Time Magazine "Best Comix of the Year" * A San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times Best Seller "Delectable. . . Dances with drama and insouciant wit." - The New York Times Book Review "A stunning graphic memoir hailed as a wholly original achievement in the form.

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Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Peña (Grades 9-12)

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Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Peña (Grades 9-12)

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Born and raised in San Diego, Danny’s mom is white with blonde hair and blue eyes while his dad was born 15 miles south in Mexico. Although his appearance screams Mexican, Danny doesn’t even speak spanish. He throws a 95-mile an hour fastball but isn’t even on his high school baseball team. This is his story of coming to terms with his sometimes confusing identity.

This sends a message to students that appearance is not a determining factor of identity. It shares moving experiences between an American teenage boy and his Mexican background. It will also help students learn from someone else’s trials and experiences.

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Danny's tall and skinny.

Even though he's not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. A 95 mph fastball, but the boy's not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it.

But at private school, they don't expect much else from him. Danny's brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can't speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blonde hair and blue eyes, they've got him pegged.

Danny's convinced it's his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico. And that's why he's spending the summer with his dad's family. Only, to find himself, he might just have to face the demons he refuses to see right in front oh his face. And open up to a friendship he never saw coming.

An ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults (Top 10 Pick)

2008 Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Ribbon List

2009 Notable Books for a Global Society

Texas TAYSHAS Reading list

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Reviews

"Danny is the remarkably human creation of young California-bred "Ball Don't Lie" writer Matt de la Pena. Mexican White Boy is the uplifting - but never corny, sentimental or sappy - story of a young man trying to figure out who he is. It's emotionally rich, a vivid portrait of a So-Cal barrio and its inhabitants." - Steve Bennet THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Everyone in the book faces mountains of obstacles, and in a fantastic move by the author that is not cloying or obvious, they also have the temerity to overcome them. De la Pena makes their world feel real by not shying away from the harsh realities." - VOYA

"Readers will sense that there's more to their family stories than Danny and Uno suspect, and while they wait for the two very different but equally realistic resolutions to play out, de la Pena keeps the chronicle of a summer's worth of parties, romances, scheming, and hustles immediate and engrossing." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"De la Pena deftly explores the subject of interracial mixing and the resulting sometimes confusing questions that are part of the baggage. Noticeable also is a certain rhythm to de la Pena's writing, a beat having to do with the way his words fall onto the page, sometimes beyond simple syntactical order. A real treat for both the eye and the ear." - Multicultural Review

"There's much more going on here than just baseball: some surprising realizations about fathers, family, and street violence, related in street slang and terrific dialogue. de la Pena, author of Ball Don't Lie, makes it all feel very real." - KLIATT

"A first-rate exploration of self-identity." - School Library Journal

"de la Pena blends sports and street together in a satisfying search for personal identity." - Kirkus

"This fast-paced baseball story is unique in its gritty realism and honest portrayal of the complexities of life for inner-city teens, framed in the context of the emotional confusion of broken homes and bicultural pressures. De la Peña poignantly conveys the message that, despite obstacles, you must believe in yourself and shape your own future." - The Horn Book

"Danny's struggle to find his place will speak strongly to all teens but especially to those of mixed race." - Booklist

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Danny's tall and skinny. Even though he's not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. A 95 mph fastball, but the boy's not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it.

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (Grades 9-12)

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (Grades 9-12)

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In this story of a boy living in the Indian reservation of the American North West. Junior, a determined cartoonist, takes his future into his own hands and leaves his school on the reservation. He ends up in a white farming community where he is the only Indian, besides the school mascot.

Among the underprivileged groups in the United States, Native Americans experience arguably the worst treatment and effects. This story will give students a better understanding of what Native American life is like on the reservation as well as those living off of the reservation. It also includes illustrations that will help maintain the students’ interest.

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From New York Times bestselling author Sherman Alexie and Caldecott Honor winning Yuyi Morales comes a striking and beautifully illustrated picture book celebrating the special relationship between father and son.

Thunder Boy Jr. wants a normal name...one that's all his own. Dad is known as big Thunder, but little thunder doesn't want to share a name. He wants a name that celebrates something cool he's done like Touch the Clouds, Not Afraid of Ten Thousand Teeth, or Full of Wonder.

But just when Little Thunder thinks all hope is lost, dad picks the best name...Lightning! Their love will be loud and bright, and together they will light up the sky.

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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

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From New York Times bestselling author Sherman Alexie and Caldecott Honor winning Yuyi Morales comes a striking and beautifully illustrated picture book celebrating the special relationship between father and son. Thunder Boy Jr. wants a normal name...one that's all his own. Dad is known as big Thunder, but little thunder doesn't want to share a name.

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Grades 9-12)

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Grades 9-12)

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Starr Carter lives in a poor, black neighborhood but goes to a rich, white high school. All is well and manageable until she witnesses her unarmed friend, Khalil, get shot and killed during a traffic stop. Being the only witness of this now national headline, Starr must decide whether to tell the truth about that night or go with the easier-to-believe story of Khalil being an aggressive thug that was being suspicious.

This story is a great example of bravery amid a difficult situation. It also portrays a lifestyle that is misunderstood by those who haven’t experienced it. It will help students see what life is like for those who have dark skin and a different upbringing than themselves. It will instill a sense of compassion, sympathy and desire to make a change.

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Order a signed copy from Lemuria Books. For more information, call 601.366.7619.

ISBN-10: 0062498533
ISBN-13: 978-0062498533
February 28th 2017 by Balzer + Bray

Also available in the following territories

The acclaimed, award-winning novel is now a major motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg, Russell Hornsby, Regina Hall, Anthony Mackie, Issa Rae, and Common.

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does-or does not-say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

A #1 New York Times Bestseller

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award

Coretta Scott King Honor (Author)

Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee (Mystery Writers of America)

Michael L. Printz Honor Book

National Book Award Longlist

William C. Morris Award

Praise for THE HATE U GIVE

"Angie Thomas has written a stunning, brilliant, gut-wrenching novel that will be remembered as a classic of our time." -John Green, #1 NYT Bestselling Author of THE FAULT OF OUR STARS

"As we continue to fight the battle against police brutality and systemic racism in America, THE HATE U GIVE serves as a much needed literary ramrod. Absolutely riveting!" -Jason Reynolds, bestselling coauthor of ALL AMERICAN BOYS

"Fearlessly honest and heartbreakingly human. Everyone should read this book." -Becky Albertalli, William C. Morris Award-winning author of SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA

"This is tragically timely, hard-hitting, and an ultimate prayer for change. Don't look away from this searing battle for justice. Rally with Starr." - Adam Silvera, New York Times bestselling author of MORE HAPPY THAN NOT

"With smooth but powerful prose delivered in Starr's natural, emphatic voice, finely nuanced characters, and intricate and realistic relationship dynamics, this novel will have readers rooting for Starr and opening their hearts to her friends and family. This story is necessary. This story is important." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Though Thomas's story is heartbreakingly topical, its greatest strength is in its authentic depiction of a teenage girl, her loving family, and her attempts to reconcile what she knows to be true about their lives with the way those lives are depicted-and completely undervalued-by society at large." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Beautifully written in Starr's authentic first-person voice, this is a marvel of verisimilitude as it insightfully examines two worlds in collision. An inarguably important book that demands the widest possible readership." -Booklist (starred review)

"Pair this powerful debut with Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's ALL AMERICAN BOYS to start a conversation on racism, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement." -School Library Journal (starred review)

"...An important and timely novel that reflects the world today's teens inhabit... Thomas delivers an authentic plot with realistic, relatable characters." -VOYA, (starred review)

"Thomas has penned a powerful, in-your-face novel that will similarly galvanize fans of Kekla Magoon's How It Went Down and Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys." -HORN BOOK, (starred review)

"Ultimately the book emphasizes the need to speak up about injustice. That's a message that will resonate with all young people concerned with fairness, and Starr's experience will speak to readers who know Starr's life like their own and provide perspective for others." -BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS (starred review)
This special edition includes:

a letter from Angie

the meanings behind the names

a map of Garden Heights

fan art

the full, original story that inspired the book

an excerpt from On the Come Up

This special edition includes:

movie poster art

full-color photos

Angie Thomas in conversation with Amandla Stenberg and director George Tillman Jr.

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ISBN-10: 0062498533 ISBN-13: 978-0062498533 February 28th 2017 by Balzer + Bray Also available in the following territories The acclaimed, award-winning novel is now a major motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg, Russell Hornsby, Regina Hall, Anthony Mackie, Issa Rae, and Common.