# data[].attributes.headline
Diversity Collaborative Newsletter - October 2020

# data[].attributes.subject
Diversity Collaborative Newsletter - October 2020

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Training and Professional Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We offer equity, diversity, inclusion, and beloning training, professional development, and assistance for educators and for schools, school districts, and other educational organizations. We also offer equity assessment, policy analysis, and more.

# data[].attributes.body
Nueva School

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As someone committed to this work, you know how difficult it is to receive the credit you deserve as a chief diversity officer, diversity manager, or diversity champion. The lack of organizational commitment is difficult enough, but to assume that you lack credibility based on your role is disheartening at best.

# data[].attributes.body
Association of International Educators and Leaders of Color

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Conference | Association for International Educators and Leaders of Color

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cultural Wealth and Lifelong Learning Practitioners

# data[].attributes.body
Kelly Bowen,
BestColleges.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ongoing social activism, combined with the recent surge in Black Lives Matters protests, has drawn national attention to issues of racial equity and justice as well as the Black experience as a whole. But it's important to put everything that's happening into context.

An African American studies major - also called an Africana studies or Black studies major - provides students with a nuanced understanding of African Americans' historical, political, and cultural impact, in addition to the unique challenges they continue to face today. This field also offers the opportunity to advocate for and contribute directly to the Black community.

For this article, we interviewed Angela M. Siner, director of the University of Toledo's Africana studies program and instructor of several Africana studies and cultural anthropology courses, for her perspective on the benefits and value an African American studies major holds in today's society.

Angela M. Siner

How would you describe the field of African American studies to a first-year student?

African American studies, Black studies, and Africana studies are part of an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary academic field, which seeks to understand the historical, social, political, and cultural development of Africans and African-descended people in the Diaspora.

"[S]tudents learn about the experiences of Black people from a variety of fields in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences."

In this discipline, students learn about the experiences of Black people from a variety of fields in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Specifically, students can take courses in history, English, psychology, anthropology, sociology, political science, music, art, biology, public health, and so on.

Another major focus of this field of study is social justice. Students have opportunities for social engagement through community development programs.

What do you consider the value or importance of a major in African American studies?

The value of pursuing African American studies is gaining knowledge and an understanding of the past and present situation of African-descended people in the United States. This discipline prepares students to critically examine, explore, and analyze the unique experiences of African-descended people.

As an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary field, African American studies exposes students to all facets of the African American experience. It also offers multiple opportunities to engage in social justice and local community development programs.

What benefits and skills does an African American studies major offer students?

An African American studies major offers students a plethora of transferable skills.

Critical Thinking Skills: Ability to think independently, read critically, and write analytically.

Research Skills: How to apply theoretical approaches to research questions, locate and interpret data, and define problems.

Communication Skills: How to write effectively and construct persuasive arguments. Related skills include public speaking and social relations, as well as the ability to understand diverse populations, appreciate diversity, and apply academic theories to community development.

Knowledge of the Historical, Cultural, and Political Experiences of African Americans: The ability to appreciate the diversity of African people and African-descended people in the Diaspora, and to recognize a multiethnic, multicultural society and world.

Are there unique challenges associated with an African American studies major?

The unique challenges associated with an African American studies major has more to do with institutions than it does students.

"[T]he first Black studies program was born out of faculty and student activism [and] eventually led to the establishment of ... Africana studies programs across the country."

Established in 1968 at San Francisco State College (now San Francisco State University), the first Black studies program was born out of faculty and student activism. This activism eventually led to the establishment of Black studies, African American studies, and Africana studies programs across the country. It also influenced the creation of other ethnic studies and women's/gender studies programs.

Unfortunately, many of these programs today face issues with funding, limited staffing, and low student enrollment. Some argue that African American studies is constantly in a state of having to prove itself relevant.

Who should consider majoring in African American studies?

African American studies attracts a wide range of students because it offers both a specific and multidisciplinary perspective of the African American experience. Students interested in social justice, learning about the Black experience, and connecting academia with the community can benefit from a degree in African American studies.

This academic discipline is open to all students - not just Black or ethnic students. One need only look at African American studies scholars to realize that broad groups of individuals study the Black experience.

What types of careers does an African American studies degree prepare you for?

An African American studies degree can provide students with a wide range of career options, similar to other humanities and social sciences degrees. According to the National Council for Black Studies, "The answer to those asking what can a person do with a Black studies major is simple[:] ANYTHING!"

Potential African American Studies Careers

Medicine and health

Science and technology

Law and criminal justice

Politics and government

Business, industry, and labor

Performing arts and entertainment

Visual and decorative arts

Education

Sports

News, media, and publishing

Social and community services

Religion

Has the current political climate impacted how you teach classes in African American studies?

Yes. In addition to teaching about the historical, social, political, and cultural experiences of African Americans, I now emphasize the inequality and racism that has affected the Black experience. I've also become more deliberate in choosing course resources, such as books and visual aids, and in how I lead class discussions and compose and deliver lectures.

Additionally, I give students more opportunities for experiential learning by requiring participation in the African American experience through assignments like interviewing African Americans or attending and participating in African American social and cultural events on campus and in the community. Social justice and community service projects will soon become course requirements.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why You Should Major in African American Studies | BestColleges

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ongoing social activism, combined with the recent surge in Black Lives Matters protests, has drawn national attention to issues of racial equity and justice as well as the Black experience as a whole. But it's important to put everything that's happening into context.

# data[].attributes.body
BLM at School

# data[].attributes.headline
Social Justice:  Lesson Planning Resources

# data[].attributes.subject
Social Justice:  Lesson Planning Resources

# data[].attributes.body
Lisa Hollenbach,
The Teaching Channel

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When events like those in Charlottesville, Virginia happen, we watch the news in disbelief and despair. We scroll endlessly through our Twitter feeds -- tweeting, retweeting, sharing resources, and keeping abreast of the latest developments. Maybe what you saw invoked anger, maybe sadness, maybe fear.

The question that remains is, what are you going to do about it?

Teachers need to talk with their students about race, but before you begin to explore race, bias, and identity in your classroom, you'll need to do a bit of work to be sure you're prepared.

When you're ready, the resources below can help spur discussions about implicit bias, privilege, and systemic racism, and empower students to work toward a more just society.

Be Thoughtful About Curriculum

The resources we use in our classrooms say a lot about our values and priorities. Think about the types of resources you can include to support dialogue, critical thinking, and questioning. Also, be intentional about including more liberatory texts that challenge traditional textbook narratives by telling the stories of workers, women, Native Americans, African Americans, and others whose impact has been overlooked or dismissed.

Here are a few great resources to help you start to shift your curriculum:
Books: Blogs: Websites:
Teaching Channel Videos
Teaching for Civic Engagement
If you've been wondering how to engage young people in civic actionand prepare them to address the great challenges of our age -- from climate change to racism -- you need to see our Educating for Democracy in the Digital Age series.
VIDEO: Encouraging Students to Take Action
This video shows Matthew Colley's students thinking about the root causes and effects of contemporary social problems. You can learn about how Matt teaches for civic engagement all year long and pick up some of his best resources here.

In Infographics for Change, Chela Delgado's students design an infographic to visually represent a theory of change around a contemporary issue.

Although not in this same series, you can see students express themselves around social issues through 3D art in Walls and Barriers: Using Art to Express Social Issues.
Reading Like A Historian VIDEO: Reading Like a Historian: Overview
The Reading Like a Historianmethodology " turns history into a series of questions instead of a series of answers." Students become " Historians in Training," beginning their investigations with questions to focus their learning. Most lessons include one or more primary source documents, which allow students to practice skills like Sourcing, Repetition, Re-Assessing Reliability, Contextualization, and Corroboration.

You'll also notice how movement and space are important in Turn to Your Partnerand Philosophical Chairs.

One added benefit of this Tchvideo series is that after you view, you can head over to Stanford Education Group's website and check out the history curriculum and lesson plans available for you to use in your classroom.
Conversations About Race Charlottesville Related Resources
Curated Curriculum, Reading Lists, & Resources

Intersectionality of Social Justice

Conversations about race are front and center right now, but we can't forget that oppressive systems such as racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, and the like are inherently interconnected and can't be examined separately from one another.

Here are a few resources from Tch ers Voice that extend beyond race to discuss social justice and equity in other spaces:

Teaching for social and racial justice is some of the most important work we can do together. I encourage you to lean into the discomfort, have courageous conversations, forgive yourself when you make mistakes, and be patient but persistent. We have a long way to go, but we'll get there -- together.

Topics: Class Culture, Equity, Social Justice, Lesson Planning, Social Studies, Supporting Students, Video Playlist, Summer Learning, Media Literacy

Lisa Hollenbach is a former high school Social Studies teacher and Department Chair, an adjunct professor, working with pre-service social studies teachers and behavioral science students, and serves as a mentor for the Teacher Leadership program at Mt. Holyoke College. Lisa is passionate about storytelling, teacher voice and leadership, collaboration, innovative instruction, social learning, and redefining professional development. Lisa is a member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Teacher Advisory Council, several ECET2 Steering Committees, and is a Co-Founder, Director, and Writing Coach for the National Blogging Collaborative, a non-profit organization that cultivates and supports the capacity of all educators to use their unique voice to elevate the craft of teaching and learning. Lisa leads the Collaborative in engagement and social media storytelling. Connect with Lisa on Teaching Channel, on her blog, or on Twitter: @lisa_hollenbach.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Social Justice: Lesson Planning Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When events like those in Charlottesville, Virginia happen, we watch the news in disbelief and despair. We scroll endlessly through our Twitter feeds -- tweeting, retweeting, sharing resources, and keeping abreast of the latest developments. Maybe what you saw invoked anger, maybe sadness, maybe fear.

# data[].attributes.body
Black Star Rising

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Doing "The Work"

Black Star Rising creates socially-conscious educational material that inspires, enlightens and activates transformation. To do "the work" of debunking racial ignorance and eliminating inequality, it requires a serious engagement with history, power, ideology and culture.

"We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society." - Angela Davis

Black Star Rising curates educational experiences that draw from the best of Black intellectual traditions. Our aim is to elevate the conversation and empower individuals to make a difference.

Cultural Intelligence

Our Black history curriculum units & study sessions are designed to arm you with critical knowledge to navigate race with confidence and success. We save you time by identifying content that is innovative and inclusive.

How We Get Free

Sharpen your cultural intelligence beyond basic awareness and towards critical conscisousness and transformative power. On this journey, we "go for broke." A bold Black history education is imperative. Re-education is preparation.

Use Primary Sources to Explore "OUR"story

Our Black history units are designed for individual study, diversity professionals, and teachers (even with minimal-to-no training in Black Studies). Engaging primary source material sharpens your ability to interpret and analyze historic events and their present-day implications. We bring focus to those perspectives and events that have been undervalued, distorted or ignored in standard narratives of world history and school curricula.

"It is strange, then, that the friends of truth and the promoters of freedom have not risen up against the present propaganda in the schools and crushed it." -- Carter G. Woodson

A Few of Our Favorite Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Black Star Rising creates socially-conscious educational material that inspires, enlightens and activates transformation. To do "the work" of debunking racial ignorance and eliminating inequality, it requires a serious engagement with history, power, ideology and culture. Black Star Rising curates educational experiences that draw from the best of Black intellectual traditions.

# data[].attributes.body
Tolerance.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
With so many significant issues in the balance, it's imperative that we pay attention to the upcoming midterm elections, particularly on the local level. Young people, families and communities need to know how powerful their votes are in our democracy. These LFJ resources can help you support your studentsand all the young people in your lifein learning about the voting process and ongoing civic responsibility.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learning for Justice | Education Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learning for Justice provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

# data[].attributes.headline
Please note:  Additional learning and teaching resources are included in most of the "shelves" of this Padlet.  So, please browse widely to find a diverse collection of relevant resources for your students.  Thank you!

# data[].attributes.subject
Please note:  Additional learning and teaching resources are included in most of the "shelves" of this Padlet.  So, please browse widely to find a diverse collection of relevant resources for your students.  Thank you!

# data[].attributes.body
L. Benson

# data[].attributes.body
Zinn Education Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Zinn Education Project is my compass in a sea of corporate textbooks, packaged common core curriculum and standardized testing. My entire curriculum is based on lessons that can be found on the Zinn Education Project.

High School Social Studies Teacher, Portland, Ore.

Your support is needed to help more students learn people's history. 100% of Zinn Education Project funding comes from individuals like you. Donate today.

By Ursula Wolfe-Rocca

From voter ID laws to voter-roll purges, gerrymandering to poll closures to the deadly in-person voting conditions during a pandemic, the right to vote is under attack and the stakes are high. It is critical that students learn about the fight for voting rights, past and present.

Oct. 17, 1837: Petition to Repeal Black Codes in Ohio...

Pledge to Teach the Truth...

I can UNDERSTAND pessimism, but I don't BELIEVE in it. It's not simply a matter of faith, but of historical EVIDENCE. Not overwhelming evidence, just enough to give HOPE, because for hope we don't need certainty, only POSSIBILITY.

-Howard Zinn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Zinn Education Project promotes and supports the teaching of people's history in middle and high school classrooms across the country. Based on the lens of history highlighted in Howard Zinn's best-selling book A People's History of the United States, the website offers free, downloadable lessons and articles organized by theme, time period, and reading level.

# data[].attributes.body
Dr. Erin Robinson, UWCSEA

# data[].attributes.body
Also see https://twitter.com/decolonise_intl/status/1306649446520946695

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
Another idea to change the way we approach field trips especially week long visits. We recognise that we these ideas may not be perfect & can be improved. Also that there are so many other things you can do let us know what you are doing/want to do 👇🏼👇🏼

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Another idea to change the way we approach field trips especially week long visits. We recognise that we these ideas may not be perfect & can be improved. Also that there are so many other things you can do let us know what you are doing/want to do 👇🏼👇🏼 https://t.co/as9MLNJ7Vq

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.referenced_tweets[].text
2 ideas that can be implemented. Let us know what your ideas are or how we can improve ours! https://t.co/IiriY1E4dF

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
Another idea to change the way we approach field trips especially week long visits. We recognise that we these ideas may not be perfect & can be improved. Also that there are so many other things you can do let us know what you are doing/want to do 👇🏼👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/as9MLNJ7Vq
— Organisation to Decolonise Intl Schls (@decolonise_intl) September 17, 2020

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Another idea to change the way we approach field trips especially week long visits. We recognise that we these ideas may not be perfect & can be improved. Also that there are so many other things you can do let us know what you are doing/want to do 👇🏼👇🏼 https://t.co/as9MLNJ7Vq

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.includes.tweets[].text
2 ideas that can be implemented. Let us know what your ideas are or how we can improve ours! https://t.co/IiriY1E4dF

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Another idea to change the way we approach field trips especially week long visits. We recognise that we these ideas may not be perfect & can be improved. Also that there are so many other things you can do let us know what you are doing/want to do 👇🏼👇🏼 https://t.co/as9MLNJ7Vq

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Another idea to change the way we approach field trips especially week long visits. We recognise that we these ideas may not be perfect & can be improved. Also that there are so many other things you can do let us know what you are doing/want to do 👇🏼👇🏼

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.referenced_tweets[].text
2 ideas that can be implemented. Let us know what your ideas are or how we can improve ours! https://t.co/IiriY1E4dF

# data[].attributes.body
Catlin Tucker

# data[].attributes.headline
Strategies for Embracing Antiracist Work in Our Classrooms

# data[].attributes.subject
Strategies for Embracing Antiracist Work in Our Classrooms

# data[].attributes.body
Larry Ferlazzo, Education Week

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The new question-of-the-week is:
What specific changes are you making in your teaching this year as a result of what you have learned from the killing of George Floyd and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests?
The shooting of Jacob Blake earlier this week highlights-yet again-that those of us who have not yet made anti-racism a central part of our curriculum can wait no longer.

Today, Keturah Proctor, Erika Niles, Dr. Theresa Capra, and Mark Holt share their plans and suggestions to do just that.

You can find additional related resources at Race & Racism in Schools.
Embracing Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist Work Keturah Proctor has just completed her 20th year in education in the Elmsford Union Free school district. She began her career as a special education teacher and for the last 18 years, she has taught 6th grade math and English/language arts:
In the wake of the brutal killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the horrific shooting of Jacob Blake, how can we not step back and reflect on our teaching and instruction? We are in the midst of transformational change in our country.

As educators, we must acknowledge that the events of our society impact the practice and activities of our classrooms. Students are coming in with knowledge and experiences that are rooted in real life, and teachers must be reflective and responsive enough to create space for this knowledge and these experiences to be valued as learning.

Chris Emdin speaks of "Reality Pedagogy" in his text, For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood...And the Rest of Y'all Too. This new look at pedagogy values creating a space for students' experiences to anchor the learning and welcomes what is happening in society as the catalyst for students and teachers to engage in the learning process together. It values and centers the experiences of the students over curriculum mandates and "status quo" learning experiences.

In our instruction, we must create opportunities where we are intentionally embedding learning experiences that are authentic for students. Our students must know that what they experience outside of the classroom has value and purpose inside of the classroom. We reflect that through text selection, assessments, projects, and discussion. We have to shift from what was to create what will be. Learning must be authentic but should also focus on creating space where our students have agency, or ownership and control over their own learning. We also have to make sure that the purpose of our instruction is rooted in action as a means to promote change. We want our students to question, analyze, and challenge so that they are also actively moving toward cultivating their understanding of systems of oppression and marginalization. As we begin to embrace anti-bias, anti-racist work, we want to provide the space where students can openly question and critique what is happening in their educational experience as well as what is happening in society.

In addition to examining our instruction, we must also look at ourselves and grow personally. Teachers must begin to look inward and grow their capacity in understanding racial equity and anti-bias, anti-racist work. This requires constant learning and unlearning as to how standards of whiteness actually create learning environments that are oppressive and marginalizing. It also requires being vulnerable and uncomfortable as we begin to challenge the biases and the standards of whiteness that live within us.

Overall, our commitment must be to challenge what we value as true and develop our critical consciousness so that we can work toward decolonizing the educational experiences of our children and embrace education as an act of liberation and freedom.

"Listen" Erika Niles is an instructional coordinator in the St. Louis area. She is passionate about ALL students:
When I first read the question, I wondered if I was the right person to respond. As a white educator, I don't have all the answers. However, all too often I have seen my Black friends and colleagues asked to do the heavy lifting when it comes to answering questions on racism and equity. While I know I don't have the same level of expertise and understanding, I also know that we have to stop asking the people experiencing the harm to do the teaching. It's on white educators to know better, to do better.

So, what should white teachers learn from the murder of George Floyd?
Decenter Yourself
As hard as it may be, and as much as you may want to, don't look away. History is unfolding before our eyes, and racial injustice is once again in the center. Take whatever sadness you may feel as a white educator and multiply that by a lifetime of pain and injustice; that is the experience of our Black educator colleagues. White people, this is not about you.
Learn History
We claim to be lifelong learners; however, we tend to limit ourselves to learning about 21 st-century education and pedagogy and fail to look at the hundreds of years that Black folx have suffered as a result of our actions (or inactions). We must make ourselves incredibly familiar with history that centers the perspectives and stories of Black folx. While understanding slavery and racism is important, there are also amazing accomplishments and achievements that go unmentioned or overlooked. We must learn about those, too. If we don't take time to educate ourselves on Black history, we are going to have a tough time confronting the systems and institutions that have perpetuated inequities and racism.
Understand Equity
We need to deepen and extend our understanding of equity to include the dismantling of systems perpetuating these inequities. In this understanding, we must acknowledge that diversity and inclusion, in isolation, will not change outcomes for our students. The best place to gather knowledge is from Black authors and educators. Read the books, follow the threads, and listen to the podcasts. And, when you think you know everything there is to know, find another Black author or educator to read or follow. And listen, again.
Don't Wait
Buying the books and reading the books aren't action steps. They give us background information in order to better understand what steps we should take. The first step is talking about racism. For far too long, we've let the wrong people set the tone and pace for this work. We can't pause and wait for people to catch up or feel comfortable. We have an ongoing crisis in our country where people have spent hundreds of years feeling uncomfortable as a result of our inability or unwillingness to act. Being anti-racist as a public educator should be the rule, not the exception.
Build Community
Have the right people at the table. I am not, nor will I ever be, an expert on racism. Experts are those who have, themselves, experienced racism. If we aren't working in partnership with our Black families and community members, it's time to start. We need to have open and honest conversations about how to hire and retain more Black educators and how to support our Black families and community members. And when these experts speak, we need to listen and be prepared to act.
ALL Kids
Building honest and trusting relationships with our students where we can talk about race, racism, and equity should be a top priority. We need to pay attention to whose story is being told in our class and how we amplify diverse perspectives. We must model anti-racism and equity in what we say, how we say it, and whom we say it to. We can't say we love ALL children unconditionally and then fail to talk to them about race, racism, and equity. In doing so, we are creating greater injustice for our Black students. And if kindergarten feels too young to talk about racism, remember that our Black students have had to learn about it firsthand from the time they entered this world.
Go Vote
Get out and vote. But don't just vote. Educate yourself on how candidates voted in the past. What did they support? What did they not support? Our sphere of influence has the potential to extend to those that we elect. Choose wisely. Black Lives Matter.
Thank You
I am not an expert. I am constantly learning from the many Black authors and educators who continue to do the heavy lifting: Michelle Alexander, John Hope Franklin, Wesley Lowery, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Layla F. Saad, Ibram X. Kendi, and many more. We must continue to magnify and amplify the voices of people who have fought so hard and overcome so much to help us in our quest to love and honor all students.

"Teachers must incorporate race into their teaching" Dr. Theresa Capra is a professor of education and clinical supervisor for teacher-candidates. She is the founder of edtapas.com, which focuses on research, trends, technology, and tips for educators:
The killing of George Floyd has sent shockwaves through the world, igniting protests. The Black Lives Matter movement has become a symbol of the enduring battle for racial equality. But there are quiet battles to fight, too, and schools should lead the charge. Now is not the time for diffidence in the classroom. Teachers must incorporate race into their teaching, and schools must support them.

It's a delicate endeavor for a number of reasons. First, 80 percent of public school teachers are white while over 50 percent of the students are nonwhite. Schools are more racially segregated than ever before, so in reality, there are classrooms filled with Black students led by white teachers, while white students have very few, if any, Black teachers. The last thing Black students need is a white teacher espousing the harms of racism.

However, such discussions seldom occur, and when they do, they are usually plucked from superficial social studies units based on textbooks that treat minority experiences with random precision. Compounding this problem is the fact that social studies itself has been marginalized. Many elementary schools only teach social studies for half of the year with a scattered, topical approach that achieves little more than checking a box. Ironically, social studies has become ancient history.

I am not suggesting schools and teachers can cure racism by discussing the killing of George Floyd. What I am suggesting is that the role of race, gender, stereotypes, and power constructs should be consistently treated with a well-planned curriculum commencing in the early-childhood years and enduring into college.

So how can teachers get this important work started? The increased use of virtual learning could actually make this easier for a couple of reasons. First, teachers will be exploring websites, tools, and resources with greater frequency, and there are a lot of sources to support engagement on sensitive subjects for all age groups. Next, as students continue to develop independent learning skills, they can take deeper dives into the material. Finally, using a blend of synchronous and asynchronous tools might make it easier for students to open up.

Another big step is identifying high-quality sources. We can expect an outstanding one very soon. Judeah Reynolds is a 9-year-old child who witnessed the killing of George Floyd while she and her cousin were on their way to the candy store. Judeah's cousin, Darnella Frazier, had the courage to hit record, while Judeah has the courage to share the painful incident in a children's book titled A Walk to the Store.

Such sources can help teachers bring race into the classroom. There are also organizations that have been supporting this endeavor for years. Here are a couple that stand out.

Facing History and Ourselves. Founded in 1976 to promote education that teaches students how to be upstanders against racism, bigotry, and anti-Semitism, its curricular materials and resources are geared toward middle and high school students. They offer lesson plans, visual media, articles, and much more. They also support teachers outside of the classroom with free professional development such as workshops, webinars, and self-paced online courses.

Teaching Tolerance. Founded in 1991 as a project within the Southern Poverty Law Center with a mission to conquer hate, this outfit has grown into a full-scale source to support educators with anti-bias teaching. They offer a plethora of lesson plans, articles, activities, print material, and film kits for streaming appropriate video for various ages (all free).

Social Justice Books: A Teaching for Change Project. Evaluating literature requires careful consideration. When it comes to literature based on race, gender, culture, and identity, it's even trickier because educators must avoid tokenism and stereotypes. The Social Justice site has curated about 60 titles to make the selection process easier. In addition, they offer a short guide to help educators evaluate anti-bias literature

Transforming "anger into action" Mark Holt currently teaches 5th grade at the Beech Hill School in Hopkinton, N.H. He has been in education for 19 years:
After reading numerous headlines from the past several months, I'm filled with sadness and anger. Why do some people in our culturally diverse country still see Black and brown people as being less important? In times like these, I'm reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s quote: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." We must transform our anger into action.

As an educator, I'm bringing my positive message of unity into the physical or virtual classroom this September. One of my many goals for each new school year is to foster a sense of community and unity amongst my students. The mantra I use in my classroom is, "We're a family, and families take care of each other." I use this message to empower my students to look out for one another, in and out of the classroom. I also remind them that, like any great family, we will have our challenges and we will work through them together. I want my students to see that their voices and opinions matter just as much as mine. I will work to create an inclusive and open class community in which the students feel safe and comfortable speaking their minds.

Together as a class family, we will create the norms or rules for the year. I provide my students with opportunities to take ownership over how our classroom operates so that they will be engaged in what we are doing in the classroom. We will spend time talking about the kind of environment the students want to create. I will allow students to propose rules before we, as a democratic community, vote on them. We will then sign the document, as though it is our class constitution, and hang it in our classroom all year. As it's a living document, the students can propose changes at any time. Like all things in life, communities evolve and change, and I want the students to see the power in adapting to changing times. Empowering students to take ownership and responsibility over their learning process helps to foster a sense of care and community within the students. They want to take care of their classmates because they've chosen to do so and not because they were told to by their teacher. It's our classroom call to duty.

I use literature and current events as ways to help my students value their differences as strengths. Our first class read-aloud novel for the academic year will be Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson, which tackles important concepts including immigration, race, family dynamics, and white privilege. This will be a change for me that was brought upon by observing the state of our nation in recent months. Although I usually use a novel that introduces the concept of community in a less controversial manner, I've noticed that tiptoeing around topics considered taboo simply fosters a sense of silence and complacency. As educators, we need to teach our students how to talk about important topics dubbed "controversial" by many. I want my students to see that we will tackle imperative ideas and topics beginning on the first day of school. While the students review vital reading strategies using the text, we will also be discussing their thoughts on the big ideas introduced in the novel. I want to empower my students to form thoughtful opinions on issues that impact our country and world. By discussing these ideas within the context of the book, I can create a safe place in which students are able to cultivate their feelings and thoughts.

For change to happen, we need the next generation to be equipped with knowledge. Change makers aren't born; they are created through a culmination of their life experiences. As teachers, we must work to create a safe haven for students to tend to their garden of change in our classrooms this year.

Thanks to Keturah, Erika, Theresa, and Mark for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.
Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader. And if you missed any of the highlights from the first eight years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. The list doesn't include ones from this current year, but you can find those by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar. I am also creating a Twitter list including all contributors to this column

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Strategies for Embracing Anti-Racist Work in Our Classrooms (Opinion)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The new question-of-the-week is: What specific changes are you making in your teaching this year as a result of what you have learned from the killing of George Floyd and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests? The shooting of Jacob Blake earlier this week highlights-yet again-that those of us who have not yet made anti-racism a central part of our curriculum can wait no longer.

# data[].attributes.headline
Anti-Racist Work in Schools: Are You in for the Long Haul?

# data[].attributes.subject
Anti-Racist Work in Schools: Are You in for the Long Haul?

# data[].attributes.body
Elizabeth Kleinrock,
Teaching Tolerance

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Last year I received a consultation request from a school after two students posted pictures in blackface on social media. When I asked what time and resources they were committing to this issue, they said they had set aside 45 minutes of their upcoming staff meeting to address bias and racism. They were not interested in investing beyond that session.

Being called in reactively to support teachers and staff after a racist incident has never sat well with me. But now, as Black Lives Matter protests have swelled throughout the world, our entire country is reacting to centuries of white supremacy and violence experienced by the Black community.

As an anti-bias anti-racist (ABAR) facilitator and educator-in-progress, I've had the opportunity to partner with public, charter and independent schools across the United States and can tell you firsthand that there is no "one size fits all" approach to this work. There are, however, a number of things schools should consider as they create objectives for the short and long term.

ABAR is trending in mainstream spaces, and more schools are recognizing its importance and reaching out for resources and training. I do believe that it's better late than never, but schools must be intentional and thoughtful as they begin this life-long commitment.

While there is urgency in ABAR work, urgency cannot be prioritized over relationships or centering the voices and opinions of marginalized community members. Without careful thought and planning, schools risk alienating Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) stakeholders, reinforcing white saviorism and derailing the possibility of future efforts. Standards and skills can always be retaught, but school culture is too important to get wrong. Your north star is always centering your most marginalized and under-resourced students.

As schools and organizations plan for professional development in the weeks, months, and years ahead, consider the following thinking points and questions:

If this is the first time your school has focused on ABAR, why is it a priority now?

ABAR must begin with an honest evaluation of current practices. Recognizing how-and why-this work has been deprioritized in the past can help your school identify and plan for potential roadblocks in the work to come.

If your school has remained silent or limited work to surface-level diversity initiatives in the past, how, when and why did that happen? Remember that celebrating diversity and multiculturalism is not the same as anti-racism or dismantling white supremacy. Check out Paul Gorski's Avoiding Racial Equity Detours for examples of school practices that are often mistaken for ABAR.

How will you ensure ABAR is not just a box to check, and that no one is able to opt out?

While diversity directors or committees are important, ABAR cannot be compartmentalized within one or a few individuals. Oppressive practices exist at every level of schools, and people who work in every department and in every role have a stake in this work.

School leaders have immense power in creating a culture that values and supports ABAR. I have often heard from hesitant principals and administrators that they're concerned certain staff members of the community are resistant and unwilling. I'd ask them to remember this phrase: "What you permit, you promote." Every choice we make either upholds white supremacy or seeks to dismantle it.

To fully embrace ABAR education, schools must be willing to dive deep into their culture, policies, curriculum and the individual mindsets of all stakeholders. If you are truly dedicated to anti-racism, are you willing to let go of members of the community who are working against these goals?

How will BIPOC be centered in this work?

Consider who is directing ABAR at your school, who decides the priorities and determines if objectives are met. This work must center the voices of staff, families, caregivers and students of the global majority. Even if you have a racially and ethnically diverse staff, ABAR work is still necessary and important. Anti-Blackness and colorism are issues in every community, and these biases must be addressed.

Many schools are currently selecting books and resources for summer and fall professional development. But leaders should be careful. Particularly in predominantly white institutions, a focus on consuming and intellectualizing stories and histories of racial trauma can further perpetuate a savior mentality, inspiring pity rather than encouraging people to understand one another and work as accomplices and co-conspirators against racism. If books that center whiteness (such as Robin DiAngelo's White Fragility) are on the summer reading list, what else is being offered? There must be a balance of centering BIPOC history and narratives while also learning about culture, identity and joy.

At the end of the day, no matter how many books, podcasts, and documentaries your staff reads, an intellectualized account of racism will never outweigh the voices and lived experiences of BIPOC.

How will BIPOC be supported in this work?

There is a fine line between centering BIPOC and expecting them to do the work for others. While BIPOC should have the opportunity to lead this work, schools cannot expect or demand they expend more emotional labor in both experiencing racism, and having to educate others about it.

If you're asking BIPOC on your faculty and staff to lead ABAR training, how are you ensuring they are additionally compensated? If books and resources are being assigned that center racial trauma, what trauma-informed practices will you use with staff members of color?

How are you working to create long-lasting change in your community?

Having a person or a group that drives ABAR work forward is important (especially if these people have the power to hold the community accountable), but the goal is to embed ABAR within the culture of your school.

If this person left the position or the committee disbanded, how would you ensure all focus wouldn't disappear? ABAR is a lens that must be applied to school policies, curriculum, pedagogy, and interpersonal relationships. It is not just a teaching strategy.

Pay attention to the significant institutional support needed by those leading ABAR work. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and those who are the most active are likely to face emotional fatigue.

Despite being framed amidst the violence targeting the Black community, anti-racism work is often glamorized in the mainstream media, and some people do enter from a place of saviorism and expect recognition, which can lead to burnout for those who have been committed far before the latest media cycle.

The truth of the matter is, when you commit yourself to ABAR, you're in it for the long uphill battle. Prioritizing ABAR is not comfortable. Mistakes will be made. Parents and caregivers may complain. Some staff members may leave. It is unrealistic to expect that your school will get it right at the first try. At the end of the day, it is our job to center our students, and that means improving ourselves to set the example for the world they will inherit.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Anti-Racist Work in Schools: Are You in it for the Long Haul?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Last year I received a consultation request from a school after two students posted pictures in blackface on social media. When I asked what time and resources they were committing to this issue, they said they had set aside 45 minutes of their upcoming staff meeting to address bias and racism.

# data[].attributes.headline
10 Ways Educators Can Take Action in Pursuit of Equity

# data[].attributes.subject
10 Ways Educators Can Take Action in Pursuit of Equity

# data[].attributes.body
Jennifer Gonzalez, Cult of Pedagogy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Ways Educators Can Take Action in Pursuit of Equity | Cult of Pedagogy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Awareness of educational inequity is important, but we also need to take action. Pedro Noguera shares ten ways educators can do just that.

# data[].attributes.headline
How do you teach antiracist curriculum to the youngest students?

# data[].attributes.subject
How do you teach antiracist curriculum to the youngest students?

# data[].attributes.body
Arricka Washington, The Hechinger Report

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Get important education news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox
Ankita Ajith can recall learning about slavery, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks at her Katy, Texas, elementary school in the Houston area.

But looking back, Ajith, now a student at Northwestern University, also vividly remembers how superficial those conversations were, and how much she wishes that her predominantly white, suburban school district had given her the tools from a young age to understand America's racist past and its connection with the present.

"They taught us things that were easily digestible and sounded good," Ajith said. "It was definitely painted in the light that 'these problems are in the past,' and 'America is the land of the free' and 'everyone is equal here.' "

In July, Ajith and three of her friends testified before the Texas State Board of Education, demanding changes to the way students are taught. They are advocating for core curriculum changes in social studies - specifically American history - classes. The college students pressed the board to acknowledge the state's "deeply anti-Black, racist past as well as the oppression that continues today." To them, educators should teach significant topics like the 1950s and 1960s civil rights movement with more depth and breadth. They believe that kids, no matter what grade they are in, should learn history through an antiracist lens, not only learning about the role of white supremacy and racism in history, but doing so in a way that empowers them to pursue social justice.

And they aren't the only ones advocating the adoption of such curricula. Ever since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May spurred what may be the largest social movement in U.S. history, education leaders have started to reckon with how to comprehensively teach history with an antiracism lens. Colleges are holding professional development online events for educators on how to reimagine education with racial justice in mind. And school districts are working to expand their curricula on race.

"They taught us things that were easily digestible and sounded good. It was definitely painted in the light that 'these problems are in the past' and 'America is the land of the free' and 'everyone is equal here.' "
Ankita Ajith, student at Northwestern University and graduate of Texas public schools

As education organizations and initiatives such as Teaching Tolerance, the Zinn Education Project, Black Lives Matter at School, the Pulitzer Center's 1619 Project Curriculum and others strive to give educators the tools to teach anti-bias and antiracism, educators are grappling with how to implement these resources in early grades.
Related: Students sick of 'lip service' from universities over racism
For Katie Cryan Leary, the principal of the newly opened Magnolia Elementary in Seattle Public Schools, creating an antiracist, anti-bias school can be a messy, uncomfortable journey. That's especially true in a district that, in the 19 years she's been working there, has committed to racial equity but still struggles to serve the needs of a wide range of students.

"I still see so many issues where our walk is not matching the talk," said Leary, who is white and leads a school where, she says, 62 percent of students are white.

To her, antiracism education in elementary school starts with students' awareness of themselves, of others and of how those interactions play out. She believes that social emotional learning - giving kids the tools to manage and express their feelings - is the heart of race and equity work. Developmental psychologists have called attention to the notion that children between the ages of two and four can start showing racial biases. And by the time students are in kindergarten, research shows that they show some of the same attitudes about race as the adults in their lives. Children also grow acclimated to favoring whiteness and privileged groups.

Leary uses resources from Black Lives Matter at Schools, a national movement started by thousands of educators in Seattle in 2016 that has spread to other large school districts nationwide. For the past four years, district leaders have strongly encouraged Seattle Public School educators to teach about the Black Lives Matter movement's 13 guiding principles - such as collective value, restorative justice and the empowerment of Black families - for one week in February. Some school leaders have welcomed that opportunity, and others have not, Leary said.

"When kids come to school, we have the opportunity to create a culture of school that may be different than their home culture, and really be able to expand their racial beings as antiracists."
Katie Cryan Leary, principal, Magnolia Elementary, Seattle

Additionally, throughout the year, students are exposed to a different concept every month through daily read alouds, project-based learning and classroom meetings. To help spur conversations with students about differences, race and unfairness, kindergarten to fifth grade teachers read books by writers that touch on issues of racial inequity, such as " The Day You Begin," " Ron's Big Mission" and " New Shoes."

"It's a way that we can access information and have conversations without making the white teachers the experts...," Leary said.

However, she and her teachers have found it challenging, especially since the pandemic forced teaching online, to teach students about the police brutality and other racist violence they may see in the media. The teachers are unsure how families will respond to students having those conversations, even though they have received little to no pushback about the social justice curriculum they've been using since last year.

"In our classrooms, it's a safe space where kids know and trust and are connected to their teachers," Leary said. But that's not always the case with online discussions, "so we've struggled with that and have had conversations about it as a staff, and we need to keep having conversations."

She said that as educators, creating a safe space in any learning environment is something they must take seriously.

Chanita Coulter, a preschool teacher, with a group of students at her school.

Related: Experts answer your kids' tough questions about race and racism
"When kids come to school, we have the opportunity to create a culture of school that may be different than their home culture, and really be able to expand their racial beings as antiracist," she said. "We have the capacity to create antiracist kids at school, whether they live in an antiracist home or not. And we don't have that ability remotely. And so we're working as a start to find out how to do that."

Chanita Coulter, a preschool teacher in Charleston, South Carolina, also believes in the importance of having open discussions with young students and not shying away from current events.

In June, with Sarah Frayer, an elementary school teacher and instructional coach in Washington, D.C., Coulter started a nonprofit organization called Reflective Pages that aims to help educators build multicultural, comprehensive curriculums in schools.

"Our children, even though they are young, they are aware of what's going on. . . . I remember like even my younger students, four or five years old, they were aware of who Trayvon Martin was and what happened to him."
Chanita Coulter, a preschool teacher in Charleston and co-founder of Reflective Pages

"Our children, even though they are young, they are aware of what's going on," Coulter said. "I remember like even my younger students, maybe like four or five years old, they were aware of who Trayvon Martin was and what happened to him."

Coulter and Frayer provide educators with information about microaggressions, implicit bias, systemic racism and other barriers that can hinder students' learning. They also talk to educators about how to successfully implement a curriculum that focuses on race and antiracism, centers Black voices and highlights Black stories and achievements. One way is to pull local Black authors into classrooms to talk about black activists and scholars.

"A lot of times people hear the word 'activism' and they might have a negative connotation to it. We try to provide enlightenment in that regard," Coulter said.

In her own classroom, she and her students sent videos and wrote letters to senators about school funding and state testing. In her preschool classroom, she said her students made signs and did a walk around to protest mass shootings during a national walk out movement.

"I think that it is important that students of color actively participate in conversations that affect their families and communities," Coulter said in an email. "Students are well aware of the social issues and sometimes have a hard time expressing their feelings and opinions."
Related: Inside one school's efforts to bridge the divide between white teachers and students of color
Coulter said when she engages in conversations with her students, they are more able to name their emotions.

"I also think it is important to acknowledge that their voices matter," Coulter said. "In order to make a difference one must first be heard."

But while more schools are getting onboard with the idea of teaching antiracism, Keffrelyn Brown, a University of Texas at Austin professor and former elementary school teacher, said she doesn't know of any school that is doing this work effectively. That's not exactly surprising, she said, because society as a whole is not doing it well.

"It's one thing to bring a person in to do a talk or even send your faculty to do workshops," Brown said. "It's another thing to say that this is deeply embedded in the work that we do. It is something that we are holding ourselves accountable for. "A vast majority of schools," she added, "are not focused on antiracism - not in a superficial way, and not in a deep and substantial way either."

Some elementary school educators and consultants, like Akiea Gross, believe that substantive, holistic antiracist work within an educational setting requires educators to think beyond academic content to their own role in systemic racism.

Early educator and Woke Kindergarten founder Akiea Gross does a read aloud to their audience of "Mr. Tiger Goes Wild" by Peter Brown. In the read aloud Gross talks about respectability politics and liberation for all children, particularly those who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer and trans.

Gross, who identifies as a trans nonbinary abolitionist educator, is the founder of Woke Kindergarten, a social media community space that hosts antiracist read alouds and shares resources about antiracism and liberation for the littlest kids. Gross said that that it's problematic if educators just add antiracist curriculum.

Instead, they must start by doing some deep reflective work on the ways they've caused harm to their students and also begin the healing with families who have had bad experiences inside schools. Teachers can also work collaboratively with students to set goals and guidelines instead of simply meting out the rules.

"We are a part of the curriculum, the way that we show up, the way that we enter spaces," Gross said. Gross believes that if there is a bureaucratic chain of command in a class setting, teachers must recognize and push against keeping that certain structure.

"You can actively teach being antiracist by discussing and pointing out that hierarchy and creating more of a communal learning environment where you are creating a mutual respect between you and your kids."
Akiea Gross, education and founder of Woke Kindergarten

"You can actively teach being antiracist by discussing and pointing out that hierarchy and creating more of a communal learning environment where you are creating a mutual respect between you and your kids," Gross said.

Gross's "Woke Read Alouds" on Youtube discuss topics on antiracism that go beyond the words and pictures of the books. In the read aloud for the book "Mr. Tiger Goes Wild" by Peter Brown, about a tiger who decides to act differently than his fellow anthropomorphic animal neighbors, Gross talks about big topics like "politics" and "rules" and who made the rules for Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian people.
This story about antiracist curriculum was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.
Ankita Ajith and her three college-age friends plan to keep fighting for a curriculum centered on antiracism. Since testifying before the Texas State Board of Education in early July, the college students have spoken to the board's chair and vice-chair about revisiting and reviewing the state social studies standards. Their proposed revisions will be placed on the agenda for the board's September meeting, said Nitant Patel, a friend of Ajith's who is also involved in the campaign.

"We can't afford to overlook this anymore," Ajith said. "I want to make sure that they're not avoiding teaching difficult subjects just because they are nuanced or uncomfortable to discuss."

She believes that the change they seek is now inevitable. "It's something that will happen sooner or later."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How do you teach antiracist curriculum to the youngest students?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get important education news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox Ankita Ajith can recall learning about slavery, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks at her Katy, Texas, elementary school in the Houston area.

# data[].attributes.headline
Engaging White Students in Conversations About Race

# data[].attributes.subject
Engaging White Students in Conversations About Race

# data[].attributes.body
Andrew Simmons, Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A high school teacher shares strategies for using literature to guide discussions about race with students who would rather avoid the topic.

In February, my seniors read Toni Morrison's Beloved and were considering how a traumatic history can haunt the present. They had finished an article about George Washington's relentless pursuit of runaway slaves, and I asked if this piece of the first president's biography mattered. A few students had mumbled diplomatically: It matters a little, sort of; it doesn't detract from his legacy.

"Whiny people care," Jasper said.

"Does everyone feel that way?" I asked. A minute of silence. I knew that some students disagreed with Jasper but weren't comfortable speaking up, and I'd need to try to draw them out. The bell rang-I'd have to follow up later.

I'm used to White students, especially boys, checking out or offering resistance when race enters a literary discussion, as it does with Beloved, To Kill a Mockingbird, and There There. Some question the well-established historical record or suggest that merely talking about race sows division. Those who view racist jokes as essential free speech provoke classmates. Some White students complain that they can't relate to books written by people of color, as if any of them have been the prince of Denmark or stalked an ex on Long Island. I have often encountered White students who condemn slurs and wince at news of police killing Black people, but doubt they personally benefit from America's history of racism.

Amid June's protests, my students might have responded differently, but in February, apathetic or exhausted, their eyes glazed over. Despite having never really done so, they were tired of talking about race.

White students are 35 percent of my school population. Most of the rest, Latinx students largely, live in neighborhoods that are segregated from those of their White classmates, who often dominate both student government and class discussions. I started my teaching career in a different city, eager to help my Latinx and Black students find opportunity and power, but now, 10 years later, I believe that cracking through the silence and discomfort of White students may be a more pressing antiracist exercise.

This discourse is far from all I prioritize in my English class. But it's necessary, and through planning, frequent failure, honest reflection, and adjustments, I've settled on some strategies for using English class to improve these conversations.

Challenging the Canon

Beloved may be my favorite novel, and it treats race and history with a complexity that suits seniors. But like generations of students past, my ninth graders read To Kill a Mockingbird, which places the unjust trial and killing of an innocent Black man within one little White girl's coming-of-age story. Like many teachers, I don't have the freedom to jettison district-mandated core texts.

So my students critique the book as a vehicle for a meaningful conversation about race. Instead of presenting Atticus as a role model, I encourage students to parse his flaws. Do To Kill a Mockingbird 's lessons about racism really suffice in 2020? Students often come to the conclusion that Atticus's cuddly maxims don't assail the fundamental problem in his world or ours. And if that's the case, why do some teachers (and students) still see the book as perpetually relevant?

But, ideally, students would instead read Kindred or The Nickel Boys to participate in this conversation. I would love to bury Atticus Finch and instead share the latter's Jack Turner and Elwood Curtis, brave young Black characters resisting Jim Crow.

Reading the Book Is Not Enough

Diversifying the curriculum does not fight racism-it's unhelpful to read The Nickel Boys without excavating history, for example, or to shoehorn Kindred into an easy lesson about tolerance and forgiveness that never bends toward justice.

Teachers have to let books like these speak their full truths because many students prefer the easy lessons, sometimes indulging in delusional interpretations of texts for comfort. For example, Marina, a White girl, would not accept that Beloved 's vain abolitionist Mr. Bodwin all but re-enslaves free Black people through an exploitative economic arrangement. I was glad to upset her.

Sometimes we need to foster discussions that force the issue. Half a class of ninth graders insisted that, for trying (and failing) to exclude White kids from her church congregation, To Kill a Mockingbird 's Lula is as racist as bigots who vote and serve on juries. The ensuing debate led many to see racism as the product of power as well as prejudice.

Launching an Inquiry

Instead of force-feeding an opinion to students, I sometimes assign an inquiry after we read Beloved. For example, I've had student panels research the long-standing impact of race on housing development, health care, education, and criminal justice in their own county, and then formally present findings to the rest of class. This way, students own the search, even if they're initially unconvinced of the premise.

Teachers can invite school administrators or see if the media studies class can film the presentations. Make the work public, so what students discover and share can educate others.

Letting Students Write About Themselves (and Pretend Not To)

Sometimes, cautious students write most honestly about an uncomfortable topic when they can remain anonymous, or when they can use fictitious characters to reflect authentic experiences.

When we read There There, my students discuss how author Tommy Orange uses first-person narrators to capture an urban Indian identity ignored by pop culture and mainstream history. Last year, after finishing the book, each student contributed a single chapter featuring a first-person narrator to a book that served as a polyphonic portrait of their high school environment. I asked them to create characters to reflect authentic though overlooked experiences. I wanted them to think about whose experiences are discussed and understood least in the school.

Unsurprisingly, when we turned to the writing exercise, many students-emboldened by anonymity-wrote vignettes detailing personal experiences with racism. No one knew for sure who was responsible for each chapter of the photocopied publication, which we distributed to students and teachers, but many students learned something about their world, including the extent to which their peers confront prejudice.

Taking Steps Forward

I've been inspired by my former students taking to the streets in impassioned protest. Their anger is a healthy response to recent events. I did not understand racism's reach and breadth when I attended mostly diverse public schools in Kentucky. I try to give White kids the education I needed-a jump-start for a lifelong process of action, listening, reflection, and evolution.

In June, Paula, class of 2019, wrote to thank me for preparing her for the reckoning she was having with family and friends. Even more comforting was an Instagram story from Nick-a Jasper from another year. He hadn't posted anything in two years, but when he finally did, it was not a party pic or beach vista, but an earnest missive urging his college classmates to support Black businesses.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Engaging White Students in Conversations About Race

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A high school teacher shares strategies for using literature to guide discussions about race with students who would rather avoid the topic. In February, my seniors read Toni Morrison's Beloved and were considering how a traumatic history can haunt the present.

# data[].attributes.body
Thank you, Beth Pfannl

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The 1619 Project Curriculum in Lesson Plan Grouping - The 1619 Project, inaugurated with a special issue of The New York Times Magazine, challenges us to reframe U.S. history by marking the year when the first enslaved Africans arrived on Virginia soil as our nation’s foundational date. Here you wil…

# data[].attributes.headline
6 Steps for Creating Authentic Conversations That Center Race

# data[].attributes.subject
6 Steps for Creating Authentic Conversations That Center Race

# data[].attributes.body
Natasha Harrison, CommunityBuild Ventures
*Thank you, Megan Holbrook Kuemmerlin

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Co-Authored by Neith Sankofa
Since the tragic lynchings of Ahmaud Arberry , George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , and, most recently in Atlanta, Rayshard Brooks , there has been a heightened awareness of racism and white supremacy, and its impact on the well-being of Black, Indigenous and other People of Color. As a consistent voice for racial equity and Healing Justice, we have received inquiries from organizations about facilitating conversations that center racial equity. These inquiries are almost always fueled by a realization that 'we need to have a session' (checkbox focus) versus mapping out a thoughtful learning journey to help their organization confront their internal systemic racism in order to shift to a new paradigm that disrupts institutional racism. We continuously educate these organizations that centering racial equity requires a long term intentional commitment since we have been steeped in a culture of white supremacy for 400 years. Any conversations or initiatives that seek to help participants understand, embrace and embody racial equity and justice requires a prerequisite 'unmasking process' to allow participants to show up fully and share their authentic selves and experiences.

CommunityBuild Ventures supports communities in unmasking using our Brave Space Building™ protocol*. Brave Space Building™ is a 6-step process that is structured to allow participants to be their most authentic selves and lean more deeply into conversations that center racial equity. It creates a supportive "container" where participants feel connected to each other, the work ahead, and themselves. We have witnessed the powerful impact that this framework creates for and with organizations across diverse spectrums. We believe that Brave Space Building™ is a necessary framework to create a foundation for transformational work.

Brave Space Building™ Protocol for Centering Racial Equity

Coming into a new team or any group of people in a meeting can be difficult for everyone. Beginning any engagement with an invitation for each person to share the gratitude that is present in their lives helps a new, growing, or well established team bond and serves as an invitation to the group to operate from a place of curiosity, empathy, and trust.

Setting and living your intentions allows you to focus on who you are in the moment, to recognize and live your values, and to raise your emotional energy, which in turn raises your physical energy. Creating individual and group intentions guide the process and progress of the work. Intentions provide a road map and reminder for how you want to show up to live out each day. They concretize your purpose, and provide inspiration, grounding, and motivation along the journey.

Some emotions present an extra challenge when we encounter them in environments that have been shaped by ideals of professionalism that often negate the necessity and wisdom of human emotional response... Becoming more aware of the presence of emotions is essential self-care, self-worth and communal equity work. Identifying your feelings, and recognizing how they can assist in navigating towards solutions positions you to better understand triggers and learn to manage and articulate them more effectively.

Assumptions are used for centering or grounding around the approach to the work of racial equity. They are an intentional call-out of the inherent biases that are present within all individuals who have been exposed to a white supremacist culture. They are all taken as facts, which are brought to light in order to further participants' abilities to show up fully, willing to not only see other's potential for growth, but their own.

Community agreements provide a common framework for how people should work together as they take part in transformational action. Developing community agreements is a powerful strategy for coalescing a group into a team.

Shared language refers to people developing understanding amongst themselves based on language (e.g. spoken, contextual) to help them communicate more effectively. Developing a shared language is an ongoing process that requires intention and time, and results in deeper understanding and more effective solutions.
*This protocol is most powerful and effective when used within an ongoing professional learning community and facilitated by skilled facilitators.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Co-Authored by Neith Sankofa Since the tragic lynchings of Ahmaud Arberry, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and, most recently in Atlanta, Rayshard Brooks, there has been a heightened awareness of racism and white supremacy, and its impact on the well-being of [...]

# data[].attributes.headline
Building Student Understanding Across Racial Differences

# data[].attributes.subject
Building Student Understanding Across Racial Differences

# data[].attributes.body
Melissa Collins, Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Culturally Responsive Teaching

A partnership between an all-black class in Memphis, Tennessee, and an all-white class in rural New Jersey has helped students bridge racial and cultural divides.

Scott Laumann / The iSpot

Can you imagine a friendship that developed between Emma, a black second-grade student who attended a large urban school in Memphis, Tennessee, and Cassidy, a white third-grade student in a rural school in New Jersey? These two girls came from different backgrounds and lived in communities where they had little to no interactions with any other races or cultures. Based on a project I helped organize, they were paired as buddies and were provided opportunities to communicate one-on-one, becoming fast friends. Without knowing it, the friendship they developed-and still maintain-helped chip away at the racial and cultural barriers that continue to divide our society.
Courtesy of Melissa Collins
For many years, I grappled with how to create racially diverse classroom experiences for my students. I want my students to experience what I did during my childhood living in the very same neighborhood. My father chose this community for our family because of its access to the best schools, teachers, and resources in Memphis. But when I was young, my community looked very different than it does today-I did not have many neighbors who looked like me; nearly everyone was white. Because of the area's changing demographics, my students now have the opposite experience: They typically have little to no interactions with people of other races-especially people who are white. Recognizing how limited exposure to people of different races can contribute to racism and bias, I've sought ways to bridge the distance so that students like Emma and Cassidy learn to understand and appreciate others.

With the protests raging around the country right now, it is more apparent than ever that there needs to be a better understanding of racism and what it means in America. This starts in our classrooms and in our homes when children are young. As teachers, we need to work harder to ensure that our students make connections with people of other races. I believe that teaching our children about differences will help empower the next generation of dreamers and doers, and they will be the cure to end racism. I've tried to bridge those gaps in my classroom by connecting my students with the local community and leveraging technology to connect them with the world at large.

Fostering Cross-Cultural Connections
Courtesy of Melissa Collins
Though technology can be isolating, teachers can also use tech tools to connect classrooms and foster relationships between students. For the past three years, I have used a free online platform called Empatico to partner my second-grade class with another class in a different state. The platform also features lessons that help students develop social and emotional skills like communication and empathy.

After realizing that two New Jersey co-teachers, Michael Dunlea and Stacey Delaney, taught a class of all white students (and my Tennessee class had all black students), we recognized that we had an amazing opportunity to partner and provide our classes with a safe space to ask questions, show their creativity, and demonstrate understanding toward others.

Early on, we spent some time discussing the definitions of compassion, empathy, and respect, and students took time exhibiting these traits in discussions with their peers as practice. Then, we organized dual-class lessons through FaceTime; our students also exchanged letters and gifts; and simultaneously, they read the same books-like biographies of famous black leaders and one on Ruby Bridges-to compare insights. The positive relationship that developed between our classes was so strong that I decided to visit New Jersey in person several times, and Michael and Stacey surprised us once at the Civil Rights Museum.

Connecting With the Local Community

Taking the classroom experiences with our partner class as a foundation, I sought out field experiences and community speakers to help my students connect classroom lessons to larger issues and concepts. Every summer, I go to Little Rock Central High School (the first integrated high school in Arkansas, where the Little Rock Nine attended) to reaffirm to myself why I teach. During one visit, I befriended park ranger Toni and asked her to speak to my class and our partner class in New Jersey. On a Zoom video call, Toni discussed the Little Rock Nine, the civil rights movement, and segregation. Through this, the students developed a deeper understanding of the injustices and inequalities that the black race has experienced.

Broadening World Views

To encourage students to expand their understanding of race and difference even further, I collaborated with educator Jennifer Williams, a global educator and author of Teach Boldly, to connect with other educators from other countries such as China, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. Through these connections, I'm able to broaden my classroom lessons with a global context and give my students more knowledge of how they can contribute to building a better world.
Courtesy of Melissa Collins
My class and our New Jersey partner class did a unit together on festivals around the world, where they identified commonalities and differences. My students also joined other students in the first-ever global "Peace Sign Project." Students around the globe created signs, read books and articles about peace, and led a peace march at their schools or communities. Then my students led the first-ever children's march at the National Civil Rights Museum on what would have been Dr. King's 90th birthday. With the relationship with their New Jersey friends as a foundation, my students learned to impact change in the world by taking a stand on issues that matter.

It's now been three years since Michael, Stacey, and I first partnered together, and we've continued the relationship with each new class. Through these impactful experiences we've had together, my students have shown both academic and social and emotional growth. They want to engage in more positive discourse-with each other and with people who are different. They ask probing questions to seek understanding from peers, and they aren't afraid to talk about race and build friendships across racial differences. I've heard the same from Michael and Stacey.

I will never forget the day when one of my students asked me if racism had ended. I asked her why she thought racism had ended. She said, "I have white friends in New Jersey. They love and care about me." I wanted her to have hope, so I responded, "Racism has not ended, but it can end with you."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Building Student Understanding Across Racial Differences

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Culturally Responsive Teaching A partnership between an all-black class in Memphis, Tennessee, and an all-white class in rural New Jersey has helped students bridge racial and cultural divides. Scott Laumann / The iSpot Can you imagine a friendship that developed between Emma, a black second-grade student who attended a large urban school in Memphis, Tennessee, and Cassidy, a white third-grade student in a rural school in New Jersey?

# data[].attributes.headline
Teaching Black History in Culturally Responsive Ways

# data[].attributes.subject
Teaching Black History in Culturally Responsive Ways

# data[].attributes.body
Rann, Miller Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As Black History Month kicked off, I was reflecting on my time as a student. My experience all those years ago was similar to that of most Black children today: mostly White teachers teaching Black history primarily in February.

I was told of Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass. I heard very little of Malcolm X, the FBI's campaign against civil rights leaders, the Rainbow Coalition put together by the Black Panther Party's Fred Hampton, or Hampton's assassination. I learned about the struggles of my enslaved ancestors, but not about Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, or Nat Turner.

I was taught about the marches and firehoses in Alabama, but I had to teach myself about the acts of terrorism committed against Black people in Rosewood, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Wilmington, North Carolina.

Today, teachers continue that tradition, telling students about Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé, and LeBron James, as well as King, Tubman, Douglass, and other inspirational figures. These folks are to be honored for their accomplishments-but we should not ignore lessons that explore the impact of racism in the Black experience. It's imperative that teachers not reinforce a milquetoast version of Black history that is anti-Black because of its erasure of painful truths.

No matter what subject you teach, there are ways you can infuse Black history into your daily lessons in a way that is prophetic and purposeful.

Black History Is American History

Infuse Black history into the curriculum year-round: Tom Joyner, the recently retired syndicated radio host, used the phrase "Black history 365 days a year" to mean that Black history isn't a gimmick meant for one month out of the year, with a student assembly or a potluck dinner with traditional Black foods. Black history is American history. Students should learn throughout the year and throughout all disciplines about the accomplishments, experiences, and perspectives of Black people.

How can teachers infuse Black history into their teaching? Here are some simple examples for core content areas:

English: Provide students with texts-poetry and fiction, and nonfiction as well-written by Black people. Teach students about the Africanisms in American English when discussing or teaching grammar.

Mathematics and science: Refer students to famous Black scientists and mathematicians throughout your course. Discuss how Black people showed an understanding of agricultural science in how they used soil in both West Africa and South Carolina to grow rice. Also, you can study the mathematical patterns of African art, and reference the rich history of math in sub-Saharan Africa in the areas of geometry, graphs, and numerical systems-you can engage students by playing African games like mancala that have a strong math component.

Social studies: Incorporate primary and secondary source documents by or about Black people into student reading lists. Create an assignment in which students interview Black history scholars to discuss the Black experience in America throughout a social studies course.

Use texts by Black authors, in every discipline: In history class, I learned from textbooks written by White scholars. I read the works of Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and William Shakespeare in English class, but never Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, or Toni Morrison. According to a recent report, more than eight of every 10 books that New York City students are likely to see in class from preschool to eighth grade are written by White authors. Students should be introduced to texts by Black authors that speak to Black experiences, Black perspectives, and Black accomplishments. These authors remind children and adults that Black excellence is not confined to athletics and entertainment. How can we promote the academic excellence of Black children without introducing them to Black intellectuals-individuals they can see themselves someday becoming?

Teach students about important Black figures-especially local ones: Teaching about Obama and King is a good start, but you can introduce students to hidden figures as you work through your content during the school year.

If you're a middle school science teacher and your students are interested in cultivating a community food garden, teach them about scientists like George Washington Carver, who developed methods to prevent soil depletion. If you're an elementary teacher teaching students how to tell time, introduce them to Benjamin Banneker, who created the first American clock. Teaching students about important people is a great thing-even better is doing it in the context of your lessons, rather than in a set-aside month.

And if you teach students about the history of slavery in America, remember to include two topics in particular: the economics of slavery, and acts of resistance and rebellion by Black people. The enslavement of Africans built this nation's economic foundation, and the entire nation benefited, so resistance and rebellion were met with brute force. Nevertheless, enslaved Africans and their enslaved descendants resisted through sabotage, running away, and outright rebellion and revolt- hundreds of revolts happened during African enslavement. Communities of formerly enslaved Black people along the East Coast fought to maintain their freedom and to free other enslaved people.

One task of teachers in the classroom is to acknowledge and honor students' humanity-and that means acknowledging and honoring Black humanity. That starts with acknowledging the good, the bad, and the ugly of our history as a nation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching Black History in Culturally Responsive Ways

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Black history is American history and should be taught throughout the year across the curriculum-not confined to a single month.

# data[].attributes.headline
What Antiracists Teachers Do Differently: They view the success of black students as central to the success of their own teaching.

# data[].attributes.subject
What Antiracists Teachers Do Differently: They view the success of black students as central to the success of their own teaching.

# data[].attributes.body
Pirette McKamey, The Atlantic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
They view the success of black students as central to the success of their own teaching.

Editor's Note: In 1988, a teacher most commonly had 15 years of experience. In recent years, that number is closer to just three years leading a classroom. The "On Teaching" series focuses on the wisdom of veteran teachers.
Ask black students who their favorite teacher is, and they will joyfully tell you. Ask them what it is about their favorite teacher, and most will say some version of this: They know how to work with me. So much is in that statement. It means that these students want to work, that they see their teachers as partners in the learning process, and that they know the teacher-student relationship is one in which they both have power. In other words, black students know that they bring intellect to the classroom, and they know when they are seen-and not seen.

As the principal of San Francisco's Mission High School and an anti-racist educator for more than 30 years, I have witnessed countless black students thrive in classrooms where teachers see them accurately and show that they are happy to have them there. In these classes, students choose to sit in the front of the class, take careful notes, shoot their hands up in discussions, and ask unexpected questions that cause the teacher and other classmates to stop and think. Given the chance, they email, text, and call the teachers who believe in them. In short, these students are everything their families and community members have raised and supported them to be.

I have seen some of these very same students walk into another teacher's classroom, go to the last row of desks, and put their head down. I have seen them sit frozen in their seat, staring at an assignment-when earlier I had heard them make jokes, talk excitedly about the content of their history class, celebrate solving a vexing algebra equation, or shake a test tube with authority, waiting for a result. Their report cards often reveal this disparity in classroom experiences: A's and B's in classes where they feel valued and C's, D's, or even F's in classes where they don't.

When black students' academic strengths are overlooked, black students are marginalized. They are kept out of advanced courses, given bad grades, and sent to the dean's office. Over the years, the power that they initially bring to school is siphoned off by educators at every level of the educational system who do not respect, and in some cases do not wish to respect, the intellectual contributions of black students.

Anti-racist teachers take black students seriously. They create a curriculum with black students in mind, and they carefully read students' work to understand what they are expressing. This might sound fairly standard, but making black students feel valued goes beyond general "good teaching." It requires educators to view the success of black students as central to the success of their own teaching. This is a paradigm shift: Instead of only asking black students who are not doing well in class to start identifying with school, we also ask teachers whose black students are not doing well in their classes to start identifying with those students.

I spent the majority of my career in the classroom, and I loved it because-to do it well-it required that I call on all aspects of my humanity. Standing in front of my black students, I knew that it was my responsibility to invite them into the classroom and then to see, push, and protect them once they were there. Over the years, collaborating with other anti-racist educators, I co-developed an approach that was successful-and it showed in the students' attendance, grades, and quality of work.

We read articles and books, and we attend workshops centered around black pedagogy. That helps us examine cultural differences in discourse styles, so we can better understand black students' analytical approaches in essays. We learn how to integrate oral language into our curriculum, such as adding a debate unit or a poetry-recitation assignment, and to provide ample opportunities for students to work together. And we learn that nothing goes without saying and that praise and direction should be plentiful. In essence, we do what works for black students, which also works for all students.

Educators who are committed to black students use evidence in their own classrooms to find ways to improve. They analyze the assignments handed in, identifying ways in which their teaching reached-and didn't reach-all of their students. They recognize the brilliance of a black student's contribution to a class discussion and seize on it. They disaggregate data such as grades and attendance by ethnicity, look for patterns, and problematize their own practice-rather than assume that their students weren't motivated or sufficiently prepared to engage with challenging material. They ask themselves: Why did Taylor get a C on the final when he earned an A or a B on all of his other assignments, many of them equally demanding? Why is Vince silent in his group? What inspired Hile to write multiple drafts of her essay, each time asking for more detailed feedback? They seek support from colleagues who are effective teachers for all of their students, including black students, because they know that the changes they make to their teaching practice will have an impact on their students' achievement. All of this makes them better educators.

Teachers who do not value black students will shift the discussion away from their own practice when they see that black students are not succeeding in their classes. They will create bonds that eventually turn into factions with fellow educators who are also unwilling to change their approach.

To fight against systemic racism means to buck norms. Educators at every level must be willing to be uncomfortable in their struggle for black students, recognizing students' power and feeding it by honoring their many contributions to our schools. Teachers need to insist on using their own power to consistently reveal and examine their practice, and seek input from black stakeholders; they must invite black parents to the table, listen to their concerns and ideas, and act on them. Principals must clearly and consistently communicate the anti-racist vision for their school, create professional-development opportunities for staff, recognize teachers who successfully teach all of their students, and intervene when they see problems. District-level administrators must more firmly root their anti-racist messaging in black students' school experiences, making expectations for educators clear. And school-board members need to listen to educators who have shown efficacy in educating black students. They must enact policies that hold us all accountable to our black families. We must make demands of ourselves and work together in our communities.

The only measure of our anti-racist teaching will be the academic success of all of our students, including our black students.
This article is part of our project "On Teaching," which is supported by grants from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Panta Rhea Foundation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Anti-racist Teachers Do Differently

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
They view the success of black students as central to the success of their own teaching. Editor's Note: In 1988, a teacher most commonly had 15 years of experience. In recent years, that number is closer to just three years leading a classroom. The "On Teaching" series focuses on the wisdom of veteran teachers.

# data[].attributes.headline
Engaging with Students in Conversations About Race

# data[].attributes.subject
Engaging with Students in Conversations About Race

# data[].attributes.body
Larry Ferlazzo, Education Week

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
(This is the 12th post in a series that has appeared over the past 10 months. You can see all of them here.)
The question-of-the-week is:
What are the best ways to respond to educators who say they "don't see race" when they teach?
One would hope that recent events will reduce the number of teachers who take the position that they "don't see race," but I think it's a safe bet to say that many will continue that way of thinking. Though the responses in this post were written prior to the death of George Floyd, the educators' advice is certainly still relevant.

Krystle Cobran , Dr. Mara Lee Grayson, and Dr. Felicia Darling "wrap up" this 12-part series.
When we're afraid we'll say the wrong thing
Krystle Cobran creates conversation about race that opens the doors of connection. Her work begins with listening-to you. You can drop Krystle a note and purchase The Brave Educator: Honest Conversations about Navigating Race in the Classroom by visiting krystlecobran.com:

Teaching that connects doesn't start with having all the answers. About anything. Including how to navigate conversations about race. But the reality is that many teachers feel pressure to know how to effectively navigate conversations about race in the classroom without ever having learnt how to do it. This pressure is real, and one of the ways humans tend to react to pressure is by getting defensive and making a quick escape.

Getting defensive is an understandable reaction, but when we shut down conversations about race in the classroom, we aren't just avoiding a potentially awkward moment. We're denying ourselves the opportunity to connect with the everyday realities our students live. Every student in the classroom is affected by race, regardless of how that student identifies. Every student. It's a painful thought to consider, but the reality is that every person in the classroom is affected by race-including teachers.

Which gets us just a little bit closer to what's lurking at the root of the statement " I don't see race" in the classroom context. This is about a fear of saying the wrong thing. A fear of inflicting more pain or causing accidental harm by diving into a conversation we feel ill-prepared to navigate ourselves.

When we teach from a place of fear, it's difficult for us to meet our students where they are. It becomes challenging for us to connect with the stories, experiences, and perspectives our students bring to the table. And as we cling ever more closely to what we think we know, the trust we've built begins to erode, and our ability to meet our students' needs decreases.

Feeling fear when conversations about race come up in the classroom isn't the problem. Reacting to that fear by dismissing our students' lived experiences is.

We need to engage our with students. Create shared understanding with our students. Build clear pipelines of communication with our students. And in order to do any of these things, we have to be willing to wrestle with the reality that race is much more than an abstract concept-it's a reality that both teachers and students live daily.

So instead of dismissing out of fear, engage with listening. Try replacing " I don't see race" with:

I want to learn from you. Tell me more about how you feel. (And then pause to intentionally listen with the goal of connecting, not judging/dismissing.)

Or

Your voice is important to me. I'd like to do some research on ______________ [insert student question here] so that we can dive deeper. Can we revisit this conversation on ______________ [insert specific class meeting day and time here]? (And then make a physical note of your student's question so that you can carve out time to educate yourself and return to the conversation a bit more prepared.)

And if neither of these options is a good fit, remember this: Conversations about race are conversations about real human pain. Dismissing unfamiliar perspectives because we aren't sure how to cope with the pain of race separates us from our students and can shut down learning. Choose to engage. Choose to discover. Resist the urge to dismiss.

Three actions teachers can take Dr. Mara Lee Grayson is an assistant professor of English at California State University, Dominguez Hills, whose work explores race rhetorics and equitable composition instruction. She is the author of the book Teaching Racial Literacy: Reflective Practices for Critical Writing. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Teaching English in the Two-Year College, English Education, English Journal, The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning, St. John's University Humanities Review, and numerous edited collections. She is currently completing her second book:
Many white people in the United States have been taught, implicitly or directly, not to talk about race. Though race scholars now know better, at one point, colorblindness was framed as something to strive for, especially if you were white. I suspect that a lot of teachers who say they don't see race mean that they don't discriminate based upon race, but what they're really saying is that they don't acknowledge the distinct lived experiences of the students in their classrooms. Race is a social construct that has real, material effects; teachers who pretend not to see race are ignoring its impact on students' lives.

The majority of teachers in the U.S. are white; the majority of students are not. White teachers who "don't see race" are likely to base their pedagogies and practices on their own experiences and beliefs, which are informed by their positionalities as white people in a white hegemonic society. In other words, if we don't see race, we risk applying universally these situated-white ways of teaching and knowing through our instruction. This perpetuates the notion that whiteness is the norm and further marginalizes students whose experiences and ways of knowing are not grounded in whiteness.

So what can teachers do instead?

Bring students' experiences into the classroom. Invite students to share their languages, literacies, and ways of knowing in the classroom. Don't push and don't put students on the spot-forcing students to share can be a major violation, especially for students who feel marginalized. Instead, build opportunities for students to use their own discourses and existing funds of knowledge in your classroom. Assigning a personal narrative encourages students to make connections between the classroom and their lives outside of it. (Bonus: This helps you get to know your students better.) A Think-Pair-Share about a "controversial" topic can highlight the differences among students' beliefs and perspectives and help students explore where those differences (and similarities) might originate. Older students can do hands-on qualitative research in their own communities. These are just a few examples. Pedagogical approaches to honoring student experience will differ depending upon the class subject, the grade level of the students, the resources available, and other contextual factors.

Talk about race explicitly. Research shows that very young children are already aware of race, and pedagogies to encourage racial literacy have been shown to be effective as early as 1st grade. However, having so-called "courageous conversations" isn't enough if those conversations perpetuate inequity. Academic protocol tends to dictate the flow of classroom discussion, but the norms of that protocol (such as hand-raising and dispassionate, logical verbal contributions) don't do justice to the complexity of race talk and often wind up shutting down students of color. So, let students, particularly students of color, talk about race in the ways that make sense for them. Acknowledge emotions when they arise. Invite students to interrogate where those emotions come from. Share a list of readings and other resources available to help students engage in productive race talk and self-reflection.

Learn with your students. As a racial literacy educator, I believe that we must continue to learn, reflect upon our practice, and revise our curricula. For those of us who are white, if we believe ourselves to be nonracist, we must explore the implicit biases and assumptions we bring to the classroom. There are amazing resources out there, such as in-school and online implicit-bias trainings. Finally, to move beyond simplistic solutions like pretending to not see color, we must take on an anti-racist stance that challenges the systems that maintain racism. Notice what's happening in your school: Who benefits from the structures and policies put in place? Who is oppressed or marginalized by them? It can be difficult to do this work alone, so find allies and accomplices on campus or join a regional or national professional network. Think about this as group work-some projects are so big that they require a lot of hands on deck. Working with others toward anti-racist education is a far more inclusive and equitable endeavor than simply pretending race and racism don't exist, and this sort of work helps to model for students ways that they too can work to effect change.

Six questions
Dr. Felicia Darling is a first-generation college student who has taught math in grades 7-14 for 30 years. She leads workshops for K-14 educators and is the author of Teachin' It! Breakout Moves That Break Down Barriers for Community College Students:

A 7 th grade class of 35 students in Northern California might have 16 Hispanic students, nine White students, five African American students, three Asian students, one Pacific Islander student, and one Native American student. "Not seeing race" in this classroom is problematic for three reasons. First, ignoring students' ethnicity/race is ignoring an integral part of their overall identity and heritage that is likely a source of pride and personal power. Second, rendering race invisible is an act of oppression for students from ethnicities/races whose personal narratives may include their roles in the U.S. history of colonialization and discrimination. Third, teachers miss opportunities to build upon students' unique cultural perspectives to teach all students.

Ethnicity/race is not just what we can see on the outside. It cannot be separated from less obvious characteristics of cultural identity like family values, core beliefs and assumptions, attitudes about learning, prior knowledge about the subject matter, concepts of justice, sense of humor, and codes of behavior. To overlook what we see on the outside discounts what is happening on the inside and overwrites the funds of knowledge that students bring to class. We want to illuminate, not overshadow, students' assets. We want to help students draw from their prior experiences to co-construct knowledge with their peers.

Perhaps, the following series of six questions can help a teacher who espouses that "they don't see race" realize how important it is to build upon students' self-concepts around ethnicity/race instead of ignoring their ethnicity/race.

1. Can you tell me a little bit about who you are? Which identities are most important to you?" (e.g., ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, class, language, beliefs).

2. What are three core values or customs related to your identity that would not be immediately evident to others upon meeting you? (e.g., I am a survivor of sexual assault; I am Christian; I lived in foster care).

3. What are some aspects of your identity or your narrative that make you feel powerful and might be assets when learning? (e.g., I inherited my work ethic from my German-immigrant grandmother; I come from a long line of entrepreneurs).

4. What are some aspects of your identity that might make you feel less powerful and might be considered challenges when learning? (e.g., I did not go to a college-prep high school; I am a first-generation college student; I had a speech issue when I began school; I take a long time to write).

5. Do you think that a Latinx student might be proud of their ethnic/racial identity? What do you think would motivate this student more: for their teacher to ignore or to acknowledge their heritage about which they feel pride? Why?

6. Do you think that it would motivate or demotivate an African American student to disregard the reality of their daily struggle to navigate a system that does not treat them fairly? Why?

Hopefully, considering these six questions will help a teacher who espouses colorblindness to realize that this ideology is not harmless.

Thanks to Krystle, Mara, and Felicia for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.
Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader. And if you missed any of the highlights from the first eight years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. The list doesn't include ones from this current year, but you can find those by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Engaging With Students in Conversations About Race (Opinion)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
(This is the 12th post in a series that has appeared over the past 10 months. You can see all of them here.) The question-of-the-week is: What are the best ways to respond to educators who say they "don't see race" when they teach?

# data[].attributes.headline
Black Lives Matter: An Open Letter to the AISB Community

# data[].attributes.subject
Black Lives Matter: An Open Letter to the AISB Community

# data[].attributes.body
Joel Jr Llaban @JoelJrLLABAN

*Thank you, Sharon Lawler-Sudell

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
'The children are watching' and they have spoken. We have to listen and learn. "If reading that made you feel uncomfortable, good. Use that uncomfortability to fuel your proactivity". Thank you for teaching us, Omotoyosi Ariyo. #intAELOC @GlobalKdsl @DivCollab @CISEducation https://t.co/QtNV5Wb4Hm

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
'The children are watching' and they have spoken. We have to listen and learn. "If reading that made you feel uncomfortable, good. Use that uncomfortability to fuel your proactivity". Thank you for teaching us, Omotoyosi Ariyo. #intAELOC @GlobalKdsl @DivCollab @CISEducation https://t.co/QtNV5Wb4Hm

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.referenced_tweets[].text
A must read: A first-person "open letter" to the international teaching community about how we can #dobetter. It's a long one, but worth every word.  https://t.co/oTGcZ0Rllz #BlackLivesMatter #Antiracist #Antiracism #blackvoicesheard #BlackVoice https://t.co/bdvX9SMpTN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
'The children are watching' and they have spoken. We have to listen and learn. "If reading that made you feel uncomfortable, good. Use that uncomfortability to fuel your proactivity". Thank you for teaching us, Omotoyosi Ariyo. #intAELOC @GlobalKdsl @DivCollab @CISEducation https://t.co/QtNV5Wb4Hm
— Joel Jr Llaban (@JoelJrLLABAN) June 15, 2020

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
'The children are watching' and they have spoken. We have to listen and learn. "If reading that made you feel uncomfortable, good. Use that uncomfortability to fuel your proactivity". Thank you for teaching us, Omotoyosi Ariyo. #intAELOC @GlobalKdsl @DivCollab @CISEducation https://t.co/QtNV5Wb4Hm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.includes.tweets[].text
A must read: A first-person "open letter" to the international teaching community about how we can #dobetter. It's a long one, but worth every word.  https://t.co/oTGcZ0Rllz #BlackLivesMatter #Antiracist #Antiracism #blackvoicesheard #BlackVoice https://t.co/bdvX9SMpTN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
'The children are watching' and they have spoken. We have to listen and learn. "If reading that made you feel uncomfortable, good. Use that uncomfortability to fuel your proactivity". Thank you for teaching us, Omotoyosi Ariyo. #intAELOC @GlobalKdsl @DivCollab @CISEducation https://t.co/QtNV5Wb4Hm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
'The children are watching' and they have spoken. We have to listen and learn. "If reading that made you feel uncomfortable, good. Use that uncomfortability to fuel your proactivity". Thank you for teaching us, Omotoyosi Ariyo. #intAELOC @GlobalKdsl @DivCollab @CISEducation https://t.co/QtNV5Wb4Hm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.referenced_tweets[].text
A must read: A first-person "open letter" to the international teaching community about how we can #dobetter. It's a long one, but worth every word.  https://t.co/oTGcZ0Rllz #BlackLivesMatter #Antiracist #Antiracism #blackvoicesheard #BlackVoice https://t.co/bdvX9SMpTN

# data[].attributes.body
Project Implicit, Harvard University *Thank you, Liz Duffy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Preliminary Information

On the next page you'll be asked to select an Implicit Association Test (IAT) from a list of possible topics . We will also ask you (optionally) to report your attitudes or beliefs about these topics and provide some information about yourself.

We ask these questions because the IAT can be more valuable if you also describe your own self-understanding of the attitude or stereotype that the IAT measures. We would also like to compare differences between people and groups.

On the IAT, you may find it easier to pair certain attributes with one group of people compared to another. Your IAT results may depart from your personal beliefs.

Note: This site is designed for adults, aged 18 or older.

Data Privacy: Data exchanged with this site are protected by SSL encryption. Project Implicit uses the same secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS) that banks use to securely transfer credit card information. This provides strong security for data transfer to and from our website. IP addresses are routinely recorded, but are completely confidential. For research purposes, data without directly identifying information is made publicly available. You can find more information on our Data Privacy page.

Important disclaimer: In reporting to you results of any IAT test that you take, we will mention possible interpretations that have a basis in research done (at the University of Washington, University of Virginia, Harvard University, and Yale University) with these tests. However, these Universities, as well as the individual researchers who have contributed to this site, make no claim for the validity of these suggested interpretations. If you are unprepared to encounter interpretations that you might find objectionable, please do not proceed further. You may prefer to examine general information about the IAT before deciding whether or not to proceed.

If you have questions about the study, please contact Project Implicit at questions@projectimplicit.net. To obtain more information about the study, ask questions about the research procedures, express concerns about your participation, or report illness, injury or other problems, please contact:

Tonya R. Moon, Ph.D.
Chair, Institutional Review Board for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
One Morton Dr Suite 500
University of Virginia, P.O. Box 800392
Charlottesville, VA 22908-0392
Email: irbsbshelp@virginia.edu
Website: https://research.virginia.edu/irb-sbs
Website for Research Participants: https://research.virginia.edu/research-participants

I am aware of the possibility of encountering interpretations of my IAT test performance with which I may not agree. Knowing this, I wish to proceed I am aware of the possibility of encountering interpretations of my IAT test performance with which I may not agree. Knowing this, I wish to proceed using a touchscreen OR using a keyboard.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On the next page you'll be asked to select an Implicit Association Test (IAT) from a list of possible topics . We will also ask you (optionally) to report your attitudes or beliefs about these topics and provide some information about yourself.

# data[].attributes.headline
National Museum of African American History and Culture Releases “Talking About Race” Web Portal

# data[].attributes.subject
National Museum of African American History and Culture Releases “Talking About Race” Web Portal

# data[].attributes.body
Portal Helps People Explore Issues Of Race, Racism And Racial Identity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
National Museum of African American History and Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Research shows that many people feel they do not have the information needed to discuss race in a way that is candid, safe and respectful of other viewpoints and experiences.

"The portal offers a wealth of resources to inform and guide discussions-videos, role-playing exercises, targeted questions and more, said Crew." "We hope that people will use this site to become more comfortable about engaging in honest dialogue and self-reflection."

Talking About Race builds upon decades of work by the museum's educators. It is the result of extensive research, studies, consultations, and educational resources from these fields: history, education, psychology and human development. It includes published research from leading experts, activists, historians, and thought leaders on race, equity, and inclusion, including Brené Brown, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, Robin DiAngelo, Julie Olsen Edwards, Jerry Kang, Ibram X Kendi, Enid Lee, Audre Lorde, Beverly Daniel Tatum, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Tim Wise.

Phase one of the portal features eight foundational subjects including:

Being Anti-Racist: a conscious decision to make frequent, consistent, equitable choices daily.

Bias: the inclination or prejudice toward or against something or someone.

Community Building: connecting and engaging with others doing anti-racism work and exploring issues of race.

Historical Foundations of Race: how race, white privilege, and anti-blackness are woven into the very fabric of American society.

Race and Racial Identity: how societies use race to establish and justify systems of power, privilege, disenfranchisement, and oppression.

Self-Care: caring for one's mental, emotional, and physical health to sustain the work of dismantling racism.

Social Identities and Systems of Oppression: systems built around the ideology that some groups are superior to others.

Whiteness: an ideology that reinforces power at the expense of others.

Explore Talking About Race at nmaahc.si.edu/talkingaboutrace. The portal is free and does not require a registration or sign-up to use. Talking About Race is generously supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies.
Download Images for Media Use Social Media Toolkit
About the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Since opening September 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed more than 7 million visitors. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000 square-foot museum is the nation's largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. For more information about the museum, visit, follow @NMAAHC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000.

# # #

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
National Museum of African American History and Culture Releases "Talking About Race" Web Portal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture today launched Talking About Race, a new online portal designed to help individuals, families, and communities talk about racism, racial identity and the way these forces shape every aspect of society, from the economy and politics to the broader American culture.

# data[].attributes.body
Educator Innovator.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
NWP Radio, in partnership with the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield and Penguin Random House Books, has launched a special series called "The Write Time" where writing teachers from across the NWP Network interview young-adult and children's authors about their books, their composing processes, and writers' craft.
Here's a list of our featured guests. Click a name to jump to their video.
Past Episodes

Author Gene Luen Yang along with Educators Abu Bility and William King

We were so fortunate to have the one and only Gene Luen Yang with us to discuss his new graphic novel, Dragon Hoops. He was joined by Bryan Ripley Crandall, CWP-Fairfield, Mark Crandall, Founder of Hoops4Hope, and teachers Abu Bility and William King.

Author Nic Stone and Educator Kim Herzog

For this episode, our guests include Nic Stone, an Atlanta native and Spelman College graduate, and Connecticut educator Kim Herzog, a member of CWP-Fairfield. Nic Stone's debut novel for young adults, Dear Martin, and her debut middle-grade novel, Clean Getaway, were both New York Times bestsellers. In this episode, Nic Stone and Kim Herzog are joined by Kristin Shultz, Penguin Random House, and hosts Tanya Baker from the National Writing Project and Bryan Ripley Crandall from CWP-Fairfield.

Author Matt de la Peña and Educator Dr. Tracey Flores

Matt de la Peña is a #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning author. He has penned six critically acclaimed YA novels, including Mexican WhiteBoy and The Living, which was a Pura Belpré Author Honor Book. Matt's picture book Love was a #1 New York Times bestseller, and Last Stop on Market Street was awarded a Newbery Medal. Matt lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Dr. Tracey T. Flores is an assistant professor of Language and Literacy at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Flores is a former classroom teacher, working for eight years alongside culturally and linguistically diverse students, families, and communities in K-8 schools throughout Glendale and Phoenix, Arizona. Her research focuses on Latina mothers' and daughters' language and literacy practices, the teaching of young writers in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms, and family and community literacies.

Author Erika Sánchez and Educator Janelle Q. Bence

National Writing Project teacher-leader Janelle Q. Bence interviews New York Times Best-selling author Erika Sánchez in our special NWP Radio series, The Write Time. Sánchez is the author of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and a recent recipient of the 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library Foundation and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry.

Author Jeff Zentner and Educator Susan James

In this episode of The Write Time we visit with Jeff Zentner, author of The Serpent King, Goodbye Days, and Rayne and Delilah's Midnite Matinee. Jeff is the recipient of the William C. Morris Award and his work has been selected as an ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults.

Jeff is interviewed by Dr. Susan Densmore-James, an assoiciate professor at the University of West Florida, the director of the Emerald Coast Writing Project at UWF, and is known as The Book Dealer for her work with literacy and Young Adult Literature.

Co-Founder of Project LIT Jarred Amato and Educator Sean Astle

In this episode of The Write Time, Jarred Amato the co-founder of Project LIT is interviewed by Connecticut English teacher Sean Astle. Jarred himself is a high school English teacher in Nashville, TN and Sean Astle is an English teacher in Connecticut where he is studying how young adult literature can be used to improve the literacy practices of all readers and writers.

Authors Marie Lu and Rose Brock with Educator Amanda Haugen

Marie Lu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites series as well as the blockbuster Legend series. She has also been an artist in the video game industry, but is now a full-time author living in Los Angeles.

Rose Brock is an assistant professor at Sam Houston State University and a co-founder of the national literacy initiative, Guys Listen. She is also the editor of Hope Nation: Young Adult Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration and the author of Young Adult Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide.

Amanda Haugen is a high school ELA teacher in Pensacola, Florida and a teacher-consultant with the Emerald Coast Writing Project.

Author Laurie Halse Anderson and Educator Rebecca Marsick

In this episode of The Write Time we are honored to have Laurie Halse Anderson join us to discuss writing, learning, and life. She is the author of Speak, Prom, Twisted, Catalyst, Wintergirls, The Impossible Knife of Memory, and more.

Laurie is interviewed by NWP teacher-leader Rebecca Marsick who has taught elementary, middle, and high school, and is currently a Secondary Literacy Coach for Westport Public Schools.

Author Torrey Maldonado and Educator Rosanne Orta

Torrey Maldonado is the author of the critically acclaimed books What Lane?, Tight, and Secret Saturdays. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY where he still lives and teaches today.

Rosanne Orta lives in Arizona and has taught high school English for 12 years and is an NWP teacher-leader.

Author Adib Khorram and Educator Aram Kabodian

For this episode of The Write Time, we have the pleasure of visiting with award-winning author Adib Khorram. Adib is the author of Darius The Great is Not Okay and his next book, Darius The Great Deserves Better, will be released August 25, 2020.

Leading the discussion will be Aram Kabodian, a longtime educator, the 2016 MCTE Middle School Teacher of the Year, and a Red Cedar Writing Project teacher-leader.

Author Erin Stewart and Educator Esther Theodore

For this episode of The Write Time, we visit with author Erin Stewart. Erin uses her background in journalism to research and write fiction based on real life and her debut novel is Scars Like Wings.

Leading the conversation is Esther Theodore, an English Language Teacher at Stamford High in Connecticut and a teacher-leader with CWP-Fairfield. Esther is originally from Haiti and believes that every individual carries with them a story that enriches the educational journey, stretching it beyond the classroom.

Author Candice Iloh and Educator Sharonica Nelson

As part of a special back-to-school series of The Write Time, we visited with three debut Penguin Random House authors. For the first episode we visited with author Candice Iloh and educator Sharonica Nelson led the discussion.

Candice Iloh is a first generation Nigerian-American author and dancer based in Philadelphia, PA. Iloh has performed poetry and spoken word around the country and has served as a program director and workshop facilitator with Voices UnBroken, and as a teaching artist with Split This Rock, poetryN.O.W., and The American Poetry Museum. Throughout her work, Iloh has remained engaged with the communities she works and lives in by mentoring young people creatively within public school classrooms, athletic programs, and writing workshops.

Author Ger Duany and Educator William King

As part of a special back-to-school series of The Write Time, we visited with three debut Penguin Random House authors. For our second episode we visit with author Ger Duany and educator William King leads the discussion.

Ger Duany is a survivor of the tragic exodus of an estimated 20,000 Sudanese children, the "Lost boys of Sudan," and has been appointed as UN Goodwill Ambassador. Born in the town of Akobo, Ger was caught up in Sudan's north-south civil war and was forcefully recruited as a child soldier. At the age of 14, he managed to escape to neighbouring Ethiopia and was eventually resettled to the United States from the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. In 2014, UNHCR helped Ger reunite with his mother and other family members in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp. He is also a model and actor.

Author Kim Johnson and Educator Synthia Shelby

As part of a special back-to-school series of The Write Time, we visited with three debut Penguin Random House authors. For our third and final episode of this mini-series, we visited with author Kim Johnson and educator Synthia Shelby leads the discussion.

Kim Johnson held leadership positions in social justice organizations as a teen. She's now a college administrator who maintains civic engagement throughout the community while also mentoring Black student activists and leaders. This Is My America is her debut novel. It explores racial injustice against innocent Black men who are criminally sentenced and the families left behind to pick up the pieces. She holds degrees from the University of Oregon and the University of Maryland, College Park. Kim lives her best life in Oregon with her husband and two kids.

Author Jerry Craft and Student/Actor Dereje Tarrant

In this episode of The Write Time, we visit with author/illustrator Jerry Craft and eighth-grade student, Dereje Tarrant.

Dereje's favorite subjects include creative writing, Latin, art, and biology. He is also a professional actor and enjoys playing soccer, doing hip-hop dance, practicing piano, spray-painting murals, or working at his latest craft-DJ-ing.

Jerry Craft is the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal winning author of the graphic novel, . His second graphic novel, , was published on October 6, 2020. Craft is also the creator of Mama's Boyz, an award-winning comic strip which won the African American Literary Award five times. He is a cofounder of the Schomburg Center's Annual Black Comic Book Festival. He received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts.

Authors Jacob Kramer and K-Fai Steele along with Educator Sheryl Block

Jacob Kramer grew up in Providence, RI and studied film-making and writing at Harvard. Like Noodlephant, he loves hunting for mushrooms, eating noodles, and organizing with friends in pursuit of justice.

K-Fai Steele is an author-illustrator who grew up in a house built in the 1700s with a printing press her father bought from a magician. She illustrated Okapi Tale and Noodlephant, and wrote and illustrated A Normal Pig.

Sheryl Block was a 4th grade and special education teacher, and currently serves as the Coordinator of Professional Learning with the Louisville Writing Project in Kentucky.

Author Candace Fleming and Educator Megan Rodney

Candace Fleming awarded herself the Newbery Medal in fifth grade after scraping the gold sticker off the class copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond and pasting it onto her first novel-a ten-page, ten-chapter mystery called Who Done It? She's been collecting awards (her own, not Elizabeth George Speare's) ever since.

Today, Candace is the versatile and acclaimed author of more than forty books for children and young adults, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize honored The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of the Russian Empire; Boston Globe/Horn Book Award-winning biography, The Lincolns; the bestselling picture book, Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!; the Sibert-Award-winning Giant Squid; and the beloved Boxes for Katje. She contributed the chapter on Katharine of Aragon to Fatal Throne.

Candace is interviewed by Ohio Writing Project (OWP) teacher-leader Megan Rodney. Megan is a former second- and third-grade teacher, and is currently the Elementary PD Lead with OWP.

Author Lamar Giles and Educator Kearstin Jacobs

In this episode of The Write Time we visit with award-winning author Lamar Giles and middle-school educator Kearstin Jacobs. Lamar writes for teens and adults across multiple genres, with work appearing on many "Best Of" lists every year. He is the author of the acclaimed novels Fake ID, Endangered, Overturned, Spin, The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, Not So Pure and Simple, and The Last Mirror on the Left as well as numerous pieces of short fiction. He is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books and resides in Virginia with his wife.

Author Gholdy Muhammad and Educator Christopher Rogers

This episode of The Write Time features educator and author Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad. Dr. Muhammad is an Associate Professor of Language and Literacy at Georgia State University and is the author of the best-selling book, Cultivating Genius: An Equity Model for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. She works with teachers and young people across the United States and South Africa supporting best practices in culturally responsive instruction.

Dr. Muhammad is interviewed by Christopher Rogers, a Ph.D student within the Reading/Writing/Literacy program at PennGSE. Chris also serves as Public Programs Director for the Paul Robeson House and Museum and serves as Curriculum Co-Chair for National Black Lives Matter at School.

Author Kwame Alexander and Educator Tyler Jones

Kwame Alexander's newest novel Becoming Muhammad Ali, co-authored with the best-selling novelist, James Patterson, is about the childhood of Cassius Clay, and therefore set in Louisville, Kentucky.

This episode of The Write Time features Tyler Jones, a teacher-consultant with the Louisville Writing Project, interviewing Kwame about this knockout novel.

Author Ann E. Burg with Educator Amy Bouch

Ann E. Burg worked as an English teacher for many years before becoming a full-time writer. Flooded, Requiem for Johnstown is her fourth verse novel published by Scholastic Press. Her books have received numerous awards and commendations, including most recently, the Bank Street College Claudia Lewis Award.

Ann is interviewed by Amy Bouch, a reading-obsessed 8th grade English teacher at Chartiers Valley Middle School near Pittsburgh. Amy is a Western Pennsylvania Writing Project (WPWP) teacher-leader and the Vice President of the Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (WPCTE).

Author Matt de la Peña and Educator Aeriale Johnson

Matt de la Peña is the first author to make his second appearance on The Write Time! Matt is a #1 New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning author. He has penned six critically acclaimed YA novels, including Mexican WhiteBoy and The Living, which was a Pura Belpré Author Honor Book. Matt's picture book Love was a #1 New York Times bestseller, and Last Stop on Market Street was awarded a Newbery Medal. Matt lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Aeriale Johnson is a Reggio-inspired, abolitionist teacher of third graders at Washington Elementary School, a school bursting with the energy of multiculturalism and multilingualism in downtown San Jose, CA. Aeriale is dedicated to antiracism and works every day of her life to disrupt oppressive systems and promote a more just and equitable world wherein all folx can thrive.

Author Chris Crutcher and Educator Stephenie Eriksson

Chris Crutcher 's years as a teacher, then director, of a K-12 alternative school in Oakland, California through the nineteen-seventies, and his subsequent twenty-odd years as a therapist specializing in child abuse and neglect, inform his thirteen novels and two collections of short stories. Chris has received a number of coveted awards, from his high school designation as "Most Likely to Plagiarize" to the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award. His favorites are his two Intellectual Freedom awards, one from the National Council for Teachers of English and the other from the National Coalition Against Censorship. Five of Crutcher's books appeared on an American Library Association list of the 100 Best Books for Teens of the Twentieth Century (1999 to 2000).

Chris is interviewed by Stephenie Eriksson, a National Board Certified Teacher, a teacher-consultant with the Ohio Writing Project, and a past-president of the Ohio Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts. For over 22 years, Stephenie has taught readers and writers in Blanchester, Ohio. She started her career teaching seventh and eighth grade and currently teaches sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Author Joseph Bruchac and Educator Caitlin Johnson

Joseph Bruchac is a Nulhegan Abenaki citizen and a leader among his people. He is the author of more than 120 books for children and adults, including his best-selling series, Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children.

Joseph is interviewed by Dr. Caitlin Johnson, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Dr. Johnson is an English teacher at Dakota High School in Fargo, North Dakota.

Author Abdi Nor Iftin and Educator/Author Kate Kennedy

Abdi Nor Iftin has been featured on various radio and TV stations sharing his life story of growing up in a country torn by civial war and immigrating to the United States in 2014. His new book Call Me American was released in 2018 and is a finalist for New England's Bookseller's Association book awards.

Abdi is interviewed by author and educator Kate Kennedy. Kate taught writing at Portland High School, was the director of the Southern Maine Writing Project, and is the author of Skin, A Memoir and End Over End.

Author Rachel Ignotofsky and Educator Soñia Galaviz

Join the National Writing Project's The Write Time with New York Times Best Selling author and illustrator Rachel Ignotofsky. Rachel will be interviewed by Soñia Galaviz a 5th-grade teacher and leader with the Boise State Writing Project.

Authors Kwame Mbalia, Varian Johnson, Julian Randall, and Educator Cosby Hunt

Join the National Writing Project's The Write Time with Kwame Mbalia, editor of Black Boy Joy, two additional contributors Varian Johnson and Julian Randall, and Washington, DC area teacher, Cosby Hunt.

Black Boy Joy, released on August 3, 2021 is a book that celebrates the excellence of young Black males, their happiness, their voices, and their stories. We are excited to discuss the project with them on this episode.

Author Felicia Rose and Educator Tonya Perry

Felicia Rose Chavez is an award-winning educator with an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Iowa. She is author of The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom and co-editor of The BreakBeat Poets Volume 4: LatiNEXT with Willie Perdomo and Jose Olivarez. Felicia's teaching career began in Chicago, where she served as Program Director to Young Chicago Authors and founded GirlSpeak, a feminist webzine for high school students.

Dr. Tonya Perry is a Professor and Director of the Red Mountain Writing Project. In 2000-2001, she was named Alabama Teacher of the Year and further awarded National Teacher of the Year Finalist. In 2012, she was named by colleagues and students the recipient of the UAB Teaching Excellence Award. On a national level, she serves as a member of the Research on Women in Education executive board affiliated with AERA, director of the NCTE Cultivating New Voices program, a member of the Beloved Community in the National Writing Project's Write Now Teacher Studio, and a former National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Executive Board Member.

Author Varian Johnson and Educator Kim Tate

Varian Johnson is the author of several novels for children and young adults, including The Parker Inheritance, which won both Coretta Scott King Author Honor and Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor awards; The Great Greene Heist, an ALA Notable Children's book and Kirkus Reviews Best Book; and the graphic novel , illustrated by Shannon Wright, an NPR Best Book. Varian was born in Florence, South Carolina, and attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received a BS in Civil Engineering. He later received an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is honored to now be a member of the faculty. Varian lives outside of Austin, TX with his family.

Kim Tate is a fifth-grade dual language teacher at International Prep Academy in Champaign, Illinois, where she is a member of her school improvement leadership team, as well as co-chair of her school's equity committee. In addition to being a children's fiction enthusiast, Kim is a 2021-2022 Teach Plus Illinois Policy Fellow and an NWP Panda Fellow. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Millikin University, where she received her B.S. in Elementary Education. She is currently completing her MEd in Education Policy, Organization & Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Author Carmen Oliver and Ranger Lessard

Carmen Oliver grew up in Manitoba, Canada, surrounded by lakes and prairie grass where she built tree forts, caught tadpoles, and sailed on homemade rafts. She is the author of the picture book series Bears Make the Best Buddies (Reading, Math, Writing, and Science) as well as the nonfiction picture book biography A Voice for the Spirit Bears: How One Boy Inspired Millions to Save a Rare Animal, a Junior Library Guild spring 2019 pick. She's also the author of the forthcoming picture books The Twilight Library and The Favio Chavez Story. Carmen's work has been shortlisted for the Rainforest of Reading Award, The Writers' League of Texas Awards and the CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards for Early Literacy. In 2014, she founded the Booking Biz, a boutique style agency that brings award-winning children's authors and illustrators to schools, libraries, and special events. When she's not writing, she loves gardening, cheering on her kids from the sidelines and blue-sky days. Carmen lives in Round Rock, TX with her family.

Kristin Lessard has worked for the National Park Service since 2008, serving in varied professional roles across multiple disciplines. In her current position, Kristin oversees the park's visitor service operations and engagement initiatives, which include history and fine art education programming for approximately 40,000 visitors a year, as well as dynamic youth and volunteer programs. Kristin graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management and has extensive training in public programming and 21st-century visitor engagement techniques.

Write Out (#writeout) is a free two-week event, led by the National Writing Project and the National Park Service. The event is organized as a series of online activities where educators, students, and the public are invited to explore national parks and other public spaces to connect and learn through place-based writing and sharing.

The theme of this year's event is "Palettes, Storyboards, and Cadences" and will run from October 10-24, 2021 (which includes the National Day on Writing on October 20).

Author-Illustrator K-Fai Steele and Educator Heather Locke

K-Fai Steele is an author-illustrator who grew up in a house built in the 1700s with a printing press her father bought from a magician. She wrote and illustrated A Normal Pig and her latest book is All Eyes on Ozzy! She was a James Marshall Fellow at the University of Connecticut, a Brown Handler Writer in Residence at the San Francisco Public Library, and an Ezra Jack Keats/Kerlan Memorial Fellow at the University of Minnesota. Born in Charlton, Massachusetts, K-Fai now lives in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Heather Locke was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has been teaching for six years and currently teaches a fantastic group of second graders. As a kid, Heather had an amazing fifth-grade teacher who recognized her strengths and helped her grow. In high school, her volleyball coach and history teacher supported her through a difficult time. It is because of them that she achieved her childhood dream of supporting children through education.

Author Tiffany D. Jackson and Educator Delicia Greene

Tiffany D. Jackson is the New York Times Bestselling author of YA novels including the Coretta Scott King- John Steptoe New Talent Award-winning Monday's Not Coming, the NAACP Image Award-nominated , Let Me Hear A Rhyme, , and her latest titles , White Smoke, and Santa in the City. She received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University, her master of arts in media studies from the New School, and has over a decade in TV/Film experience. The Brooklyn native is a lover of naps, cookie dough, and beaches, currently residing in the borough she loves, most likely multitasking.

Dr. Delicia Greene is an assistant professor in the Department of Literacy Teaching and Learning in the School of Education at the University at Albany, SUNY. She also holds an affiliate appointment in the Department of Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. Her work enhances teaching and learning in the urban secondary literacy contexts. Dr. Greene's research is at the intersection of digital literacies, Black girlhood studies, rhetorical studies, urban literacies, young-adult literature, and teacher education, where she examines (1) Black girls' literacy and language practices in out-of-school digital spaces and (2) teaching strategies designed to bridge Black girls' out-of-school and in-school literacy and language practices.

Author Laura Purdie Salas and Educator Lisa Lapina

Former teacher Laura Purdie Salas believes reading small picture books and poems can have a huge impact on your life. She has written more than 130 books for kids, including Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons (Kirkus Best Books and Parents Magazine Best Books of the Year), the Can Be... series (Bank Street Best Books, IRA Teachers' Choice), and Bookspeak!: Poems About Books (Minnesota Book Award, NCTE Notable). Laura shares inspiration and practical tips with educators about poetry, nonfiction, and more.

Lisa Lapina is currently teaching first grade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She attended Bloomsburg University where she earned a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education in 2011. Following BU, Lisa attended the University of Pennsylvania graduating in 2013 with a master's degree in Reading, Writing, and Literacy. She moved to Maryland in 2013 and taught first grade for five years. She moved back to Pennsylvania in 2018 and taught first grade in Upper Darby, PA before moving to The School District of Philadelphia in 2020. She taught kindergarten in 2020 and looped with her students to first grade in 2021. It's been a joy for her to spend a second year with this class. Lisa is grateful for all of the ways that the National Writing Project has positively influenced her career as an educator!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Educator Innovator and its partners share the goal of creating more powerful and connected learning for youth through bringing together learning and leadership opportunities for teachers, youth workers, mentors, librarians, and museum educators that are open, re-mixable, and typically free or low-cost.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why #BlackLivesMatter in Your Classroom Too

# data[].attributes.subject
Why #BlackLivesMatter in Your Classroom Too

# data[].attributes.body
Cornelius Minor

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I have a simple job. It has two easy mandates.

1. Love children with good teaching.

2. Love their teachers by supporting them with good stuff to teach with.

I work in classrooms all over the world. When there are pieces of your heart in far flung corners of the globe, a powerful kind of empathy grows. When communities hurt, I hurt.

When Trayvon Martin was murdered in Florida, I thought of the children I serve there. I thought of the books they like and the jokes they tell me when I get to town. I remembered his school and his teachers. I thought of his community and especially of his family that has had to find light in the traumatic void his absence creates. On some mornings, when I am particularly sensitive or tired, I can see his classroom. His empty desk haunts my dreams.

When the same thing happened with Mike Brown and Tamir Rice, a significant part of me broke. These names are not headlines or hashtags to me. These were children who read the books my colleagues and I suggested and wrote the essays we asked them to write. These are children who trusted us with their futures. Our system betrayed that trust.

I've worked in schools my entire career. The death of a student or family member is not a new occurrence to me. It is painful every single time. But I heal.

These recent wounds, however, are kept fresh not just by the regularity of these murders, but that they are carried out by agents of the state or their proxies and that they happen almost exclusively to black and brown children, to their siblings, to their mothers and to their fathers.

When educators talk about racism our conversation is often limited to individual acts of personal bias. As long as we don't know any mean or intolerant people, we are complacent in our thinking that these problems are not ours to contend with. Such a stance ignores the systemic complexities of how race is lived in America, on its streets and in our classrooms - and even when there are no people of color present.

Becoming more systemically aware means understanding the kinds of racism that shape our communities, schools, and classrooms, and where we stand in relation to those social forces.

Most people are aware of individual racism. If we choose to talk about race, it is what we spend most of our time talking about, but few understand how it works. There are two kinds of individual racism. The first kind of individual racism is internalized racism. These are all the conscious and subconscious racial biases, prejudices, and blind spots that we all have within ourselves as individuals.

The second kind of individual racism is interpersonal racism. This is what happens when we act out the biases we internalize on others. Most of us are sensitive enough to avoid acting out our internalized racism, but as humans, our biases, prejudices and blind spots are most likely to emerge when we are tired, stressed, late, scared or feel threatened. As educators we are tired quite regularly and stressed daily, so the work of avoiding interpersonal racism is real and significant, but it is not all.

There are also two kinds of systemic racism. The first kind - institutional racism - is the collection of racist policies and discriminatory practices in schools, government agencies, and workplaces that routinely produces unjust outcomes for people of color. These words may be new to us, but as teachers we are intimately familiar with this kind of racism. This is the "achievement gap." This is the testing industrial complex. This is school discipline.

Let's consider this: if there were an activity at school that resulted in the mass failure of kids with green eyes, we would not criminalize the kids with green eyes. We would ask, "What is it about this activity that excludes kids with green eyes?" and we would change the activity. Are we, as members of the education community, willing to do this for black boys who are suspended at rates that are exponentially more in comparison to their peers? What could this look like? If sitting in a desk all day listening to lectures leads to mass suspensions for a specific subset of kids, I need to get with my team and change the activity. To engage in this imaginative work - even if it is messy - is antiracist. It affirms that black lives do matter.

The second kind of systemic racism - structural racism - is the unjust patterns and practices that play out across societal institutions. It is the reality that those suspended black boys miss out on valuable instructional time and consequently miss out on opportunities that lead to college. It is the reality that this boy's earning potential over a lifetime is now a paltry percentage of his college educated peers. It is the knowledge that this reduced earning diminishes quality of life. To be antiracist is to know that all of these things are connected and to know that many of them start in school even when we express no interpersonal racism.

All of our students matter, but in a society characterized by its dogged refusal to treat all kids and their families equally, it is our moral imperative to affirm that black lives matter. If outcomes continue to be bleak for large groups of people, it diminishes the quality of all our lives. When there is massive disenfranchisement fueled by widespread failure and incarceration, the safety of all our communities is compromised.

In our search for solutions, people utter platitudes disguised as answers - we should love one another, I don't see color or race, let's talk more - and all of those things are lovely and important starts, but they alone will not change the systems that routinely produce unjust outcomes. To continue with business as usual, to do nothing, to be "neutral" is a passive declaration of racism because the system that we are most intimately connected with - school - will continue to produce unjust outcomes for people of color. To be antiracist is to be actively involved with the disruption of these systems.

What is our influence, as educators?

What can we do? We cannot reconstruct the world to reflect our views, but we are in a unique position to take action in our classrooms. We can start to disrupt the status quo by asking ourselves questions about our practice, community and curriculum. When I'm working in teams with other teachers, here are some initial questions we use to imagine what our disruption can look like.

1. Safety. In order for students to learn, they need to feel safe. How can I make sure that my classroom is a place where children feel safe and protected? Can I ensure the sustained management of the room while communicating respect (without cultivating fear, embarrassment or teacher dependence)?

2. Choice. Children read more when they feel capable and motivated. How can I create access to reading material that is high interest and appropriately challenges kids? How can I create consistent opportunities to do work that has both meaning and consequence?

3. Voice. When students have a voice, they feel empowered. When so much of childhood is about staying quiet and listening to adults, how can we give students a platform to talk, to write, to share what is important to them? How can we help them be heard by the constituencies that matter the most to them? Who are those people, can we get them to the classroom, and how can we communicate with them?

4. Growth. Learning is not an identical process for all kids; we cannot treat it as if it is. Where are my students now? Honestly. Where can they be by the end of the week? What kind of teaching and practice will it take for them to get there? How can I best facilitate progress - small groups, out of classroom activities, labs, centers, discussions, home visits? How can I measure progress? What tools might kids need in addition to what I have planned so that they may succeed? Do all kids need that tool?

5. Flexibility. Children and communities are changing all the time. What do we need to read to be more responsive to our kids and communities? Who do we need to learn from? What is the best way to share that learning with other teachers? How can we put that learning into action? Day to day, what can this kind of professional growth look like for us?

There is no right answer; rather, it's the questions that help us think about what actions or changes might lead to better outcomes for all of our students, particularly those who are underserved by traditional schooling. Being an advocate for black lives does not mean that I am an advocate against any other lives. When we make the conscious decision to address persisting injustices, this broadens access to justice for everyone.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why #BlackLivesMatter in Your Classroom Too

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I work in classrooms all over the world. When there are pieces of your heart in far flung corners of the globe, a powerful kind of empathy grows. When communities hurt, I hurt. When Trayvon Martin...

# data[].attributes.body
The Tutu Teacher

# data[].attributes.headline
15 Classroom Resources for Discussing Racism, Policing, and Protest

# data[].attributes.subject
15 Classroom Resources for Discussing Racism, Policing, and Protest

# data[].attributes.body
Sarah Schwartz, Education Week

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As nationwide protests against police brutality continue, teachers in their virtual classrooms are once again searching for ways to help their students process the killings of black people in police custody in the United States.

Speaking with Education Week on Monday, teachers said that they and their colleagues have a responsibility to address these protests, which erupted when George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.

"Teachers cannot be silent during this time," said Patrick Harris, a 6th and 7th grade English and social studies teacher at the Detroit Achievement Academy. "Teachers have to take a stand. Students are absorbing this, [and] they're going to ask themselves later on in life or even now, 'What was my teacher doing during this time?'"

Talking with students about these events, as they experience them, is top priority right now, said Abdul Wright, who teaches 8th grade language arts in North Minneapolis. "I have to find a way to make meaning of this in a way that creates a better society for them," he said.

Some teachers whose classes have already ended for the school year are reaching back out to students, particularly their black students, giving them space to talk about their emotions and ask questions.

Other teachers in schools still in session are seeking materials and resources to teach about this moment, such aslesson plans that engage students in conversations about racism, policing, and protest.

On Monday, Chicago Public Schools released "Say Their Names," a collection of lessons and materials designed "to help foster productive conversations about race and civil disobedience."

The toolkit links to other organizations' resources on supporting black students' mental and emotional health, discussing the Black Lives Matter movement, and talking about anti-black racism with non-black students. And it encourages teachers to educate themselves on racism in the U.S. before broaching these topics with students.

In California, theLos Angeles Unified School District posted a collection of resources for teachers, for talking about race with children and addressing trauma. The superintendent of education in the state, Tony Thurmond, said the California Department of Education will also be releasing online materials and trainings.

For teachers looking for more classroom resources-for themselves and their students-Education Week has compiled the following list:

Resources about George Floyd's death and the current protests:

The Anti-Defamation League has created a short lesson on Floyd's death and police killings of black people, which includes a reading, discussion questions, and action steps for students aged 11 and up.

Resources for talking about race, racism, and Black Lives Matter:

In addition to addressing race and racism in lesson plans, experts and advocates have urged teachers to build a diverse classroom library with protagonists who look like their students.

The group Embrace Race compiled a list of 31 children's books that address race, racism, and activism. And the nonprofit Teaching for Change put together a list of social justice books for teens.

Joe Truss, the principal of Visitacion Middle School in San Francisco Unified and a consultant on racial equity in schools, has curated a list of books for teachers who want to engage in anti-racist work.

Starting these classroom conversations can be uncomfortable and challenging. But for black teachers, talking about police brutality and anti-black racism can be particularly emotionally draining. The Practice Freedom Project, founded by Atlanta educator Tamara Pearson, is hosting virtual meditations and reflections for black educators.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 Classroom Resources for Discussing Racism, Policing, and Protest

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As nationwide protests against police brutality continue, teachers in their virtual classrooms are once again searching for ways to help their students process the killings of black people in police custody in the United States.

# data[].attributes.headline
Becoming Upended: Teaching and Learning about Race and Racism with Young Children and Their Families

# data[].attributes.subject
Becoming Upended: Teaching and Learning about Race and Racism with Young Children and Their Families

# data[].attributes.body
NAEYC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
At the beginning of the year in Ms. Verwayne's kindergarten class, the children are working on an All About Me project. They begin by drawing pictures of themselves based on observations of their reflections in a mirror. Next, the teacher provides them with sentence starters asking them to describe their hair color and texture, their skin color, and their eye color. In this racially and ethnically diverse class, the children learn a variety of vocabulary words they can use to describe these differences.

On the playground after school, some of the parents chat about the project. One White mom, Ellie, tells the other parents that the project made her feel a little uncomfortable. She explains, "Since this is the beginning of the year, shouldn't the kids be doing things that help them see what they have in common, rather than emphasizing their differences?"

Many parents and teachers of young children share Ellie's concern that children should be shielded from learning explicitly about race and racial differences. Adults often worry that introducing these topics too early could be harmful (Husband 2010). Early childhood educators who wish to make space for learning about race and racism in their classrooms may feel unprepared to approach these complex issues (Vittrup 2016). Shaped by their own experiences with issues of race and racism, parents and teachers may hold differing views regarding the appropriateness of teaching about this topic in the early childhood classroom.

Research demonstrates that children's awareness of racial differences and the impact of racism begins quite early (Tatum 2003; Winkler 2009). Multiple studies document the ways that young children take notice of racial differences and note that as early as preschool, children may begin excluding their peers of different races from play and other activities (Winkler 2009). Many argue that creating safe spaces for children to explore these topics is more important than ever, given the current political and cultural climate, where these issues are highly visible (Pitts 2016; Harvey 2017; Poon 2017). As such, parents and teachers have an obligation to teach and learn with children about these critical and complex issues (Delpit 2012; Derman-Sparks, LeeKeenan, & Nimmo 2015; Ramsey 2015). This article documents how one kindergarten teacher, Diandra Verwayne (the second author), worked with the parents in her classroom to grow together in their understandings of the role we all must play in talking with young children about race and racism. Additionally, this piece offers curricular and pedagogical resources for adults who are committed to engaging with young children in this crucial work.

Learning about race and unlearning racism

In her seminal research and writing on this topic, Beverly Daniel Tatum (a former psychology professor and president of Spelman College) has written extensively about the ways in which the unjust structure of racial hierarchy in American society is normalized and transmitted to children from birth (Tatum 2003). In discussing how messages about race-based privilege and oppression are internalized, Tatum provides a powerful metaphor. She explains that in the same way residents who live in highly polluted areas cannot avoid becoming "smog breathers," Americans who are immersed in the structures and practices of white supremacy unwittingly become "racism breathers" (6). Many of us may not realize the degree to which these toxic beliefs shape our perceptions and experiences of the world. Unless we have opportunities to unlearn racism, these messages become absorbed and have consequences.

Schools, in collaboration with families, have an important role to play in fostering young children's positive racial identities.

More recently scholars have documented the negative impact that being subjected to racism has on young children's academic success, as Lisa Delpit (2012) conveys in her aptly titled book chapter, "There Is No Achievement Gap at Birth." These consequences vary depending on our levels of privilege and oppression, which intersect across our diverse identities. Early childhood educators can support the unlearning of racism-and minimize later breathing in of racism-by intentionally teaching about race and related issues. Schools, in collaboration with families, have an important role to play in fostering young children's positive racial identities. Teachers who intentionally plan curricula that affirm children's racial identities have seen the benefits this produces in supporting children's growth and learning across many domains of development (Ladson-Billings 2009; Wright, Counsell, & Tate 2015).

There is often confusion about the difference between racially based bias and racism. Racism is a system of oppression that results from a combination of prejudice and power. This combination produces institutional structures and social practices that deny equity to people based on race. There is a common misconception that biases or prejudices that some people of color hold against White people constitutes "reverse racism." Anyone can hold a bias against people of another race, but only some races are subject to oppressive structures and practices as a result of that bias. To illustrate, consider a comparison to sexism. Some women are biased against men, but this is not "reverse sexism"; only men's biases against women have produced the conditions in which women are subjected to far more sexual harassment and sexual violence than men (Breiding et al. 2014). Similarly, racism has created structures and practices that deny equity and justice to people of color, including, for example, great disparities by race in family wealth. One of the most reliable ways to accumulate and pass on family wealth is through home ownership. Until recently, many Black Americans-including those with high incomes-were unable to buy houses because of redlining, a practice by which banks refused to offer mortgages in predominately Black neighborhoods. This is a key factor explaining why median wealth for White families in the US is about $134,000, while the median wealth for Black families is about $11,000 (Jones 2017). This disparity in family wealth accumulated over several generations and will likely take several more generations to address; meanwhile, it continues to have broad implications for access to opportunity, such as parents' ability to pay their children's college tuition.

For all children to understand that the effects of racism are not the fault of people of color, we need to address these issues early in children's lives. We begin by fostering the positive development of every child's racial identity. This work must be paired with opportunities for young children to learn where and how injustice and inequality operate in our society. When children are armed with this knowledge and these skills, they can begin to disrupt these systems and work toward building a more equitable society for all of us.

Lessons Learned

When planning to implement a curriculum that addresses issues of race and racism, consider the following:

Identify colleagues who are also committed to a racial justice curriculum and work together. Alternatively, seek out communities online to support your teaching practice. Remember, you're not alone!

Anticipate the kinds of concerns or misconceptions that children and families might have, and prepare in advance some strategies for responding.

Recall experiences that have expanded your own thinking about these issues, and consider sharing the story of how your perspective has grown and changed.

Make yourself available, either in person or over the phone, to communicate with families about their perspectives on the curriculum. Email communication can often amplify disagreements, so try to keep communication face to face, if possible.

Model a stance of respectful openness. Even if you disagree, strive to set a tone that maximizes the possibilities for considering different viewpoints.

Recognize that we-children, families, and colleagues- are all on a journey of growth with respect to these issues. Draw upon the ways that you scaffold children's learning in other areas and apply these skills when supporting others' growth.

One teacher's work

Ms. Verwayne teaches kindergarten at a racially and economically diverse public school. Born in Guyana, she moved to the United States at the age of 6 and recalls that when she entered school, she was made to feel like an outsider because of cultural differences. She reported, "When I was in elementary school, I felt like I had to hide my culture so that I could be accepted by the masses. I don't want that to happen within my classroom. I want my kids to be able to recognize who they are." Ms. Verwayne is committed to affirming children's racial and cultural identities throughout the year.

In her planned curriculum, Ms. Verwayne begins by offering learning experiences that allow children to observe and celebrate their unique identities. She also acknowledges the need for teachers to reflect on potential questions and concerns in order to prepare (as much as possible) for unplanned teachable moments. While she knows that some adults may resist addressing topics like identity, race, and racism with young children, she remains committed to the idea that these issues are an essential part of the early childhood curriculum. Musing about this tension, she shared the questions she asks herself as she designs curriculum:

If I do talk about race, will it offend anyone? How do you talk about it in a way that doesn't offend people? . . . I think a lot of teachers will just choose not to address it because if you don't address it, you're not offending anybody. . . . I think this is the problem that we have in our country. . . . We never have an honest, open discussion about race ever.

Considering the current climate in America, where racism and racially motivated violence are visible to adults and children, Ms. Verwayne feels the stakes are too high to ignore this topic in her classroom.

Responding to parents' anxiety

Because Ms. Verwayne is committed to openly and collaboratively addressing these topics, she believes it is important to discuss families' concerns. For this article, two parents whose children were enrolled in Ms. Verwayne's kindergarten classroom were interviewed by Kirsten Cole (the first author) about the curriculum. Fabiola is a Haitian American mother of two. Ellie is a White mother of two. Both mothers' first-born children were in Ms. Verwayne's class.

After moving to the United States at the beginning of kindergarten, Fabiola was frequently the target of racial epithets and other acts of racism. Fabiola described the painful consequences of having internalized these oppressive messages, in large part because as a child she did not have the opportunity to process these experiences with her parents or teachers. As a parent, Fabiola has prioritized giving her children many opportunities to celebrate their racial identity and making space for their questions about race and racism. Nonetheless, Fabiola recognizes the potential for some families, particularly White parents, to feel uncomfortable with such a curriculum. She explained,

I think the teachers have to be prepared to deal with the parents and manage the anxiety of the parents. Because I think instructionally and educationally teachers know that it's important. . . . I strongly believe that the kids can tolerate it. It's the parents that are the hardest to convince.

Given the tendency of some adults to avoid these topics, Fabiola was pleased to discover that Ms. Verwayne made learning about race an integral part of the curriculum.

Ellie, in contrast, expressed some initial resistance to having her daughter participate in open discussions of racial differences. Ellie grew up in the Midwest in mostly racially homogenous environments. As is the experience for many White children, Ellie recalled that race was never discussed. Echoing the "colorblind" view that many White families espouse, Ellie recounted, "I don't think I thought about it much. I always thought, 'Everybody's wonderful. Everybody's the same.'" When her daughter began to attend public school, Ellie and some of the other White parents discussed their concerns about Ms. Verwayne's curriculum. Ellie recalled,

In kindergarten they did a worksheet for social studies about identity. The worksheet asked them to note their physical traits: eye color, skin color, hair color, hair texture, things like that. That was the first time anything like this had come up. I was thinking, "What is this? This is ridiculous. There's no reason that 5-year-olds should be doing this sort of exercise. This is futile. Why should my kid be having to say that she's White?"

In recalling how she felt at the time of this incident, Ellie articulated a stance many White people are raised to adopt: claiming to not see color is the most equitable way to approach teaching and learning about race.

Especially in recent years, many scholars have questioned the presumed benefits of the colorblind approach (Pollock 2005; Husband 2012). As society is not equitable and racial bias does exist, the colorblind approach denies children the validity of their experiences of the world. Because the impact of racial bias is visible, not allowing children to process this injustice is confusing, and it denies them the opportunity to see themselves as agents of change to resist injustice. Colorblindness fails to acknowledge the impact of racism on all people and, further, does not push White people to do the important work of reckoning with the legacy of white supremacy in our lives (Derman-Sparks, Ramsey, & Edwards 2006; DiAngelo 2012).

Ms. Verwayne has a practice of encouraging families to meet with her during weekly parent engagement time. At one such meeting, she asked if anyone had any questions about the curriculum. Ellie responded, "Actually, there was a worksheet that came home, and I don't think this is a useful thing. I think it's really hurtful, because it makes them identify things they haven't even realized about each other." Ms. Verwayne recalled being surprised by Ellie's reaction to the assignment, but she was grateful to have the opportunity to open a dialogue about their different views. She explained, "I needed to understand where that parent was coming from, and that parent needed to understand where I was coming from." For her part, Ellie had the opportunity to hear both Ms. Verwayne's intentions and also other parents' perspectives on the curriculum. Ellie recalled,

Fabiola responded, "Well, as a Black woman, we take a lot of pride in who we are and we want to talk about it a lot." As soon as she said that I realized, "Oh, of course. You're proud of your race. And I am not."

Ellie's reflection on this experience revealed another tension the colorblind view often masks. In naming the root of her discomfort, Ellie illuminated one of many challenges teachers face when doing this work in schools. The false premise of colorblindness is often deployed to obscure the discomfort White people have with confronting ongoing and historical racial oppression and injustice (Harvey 2017). As Fabiola noted in a later interview, "I think it's really detrimental to tell children they don't see what they're seeing and they're not feeling what they just felt-that they can't trust their eyes and they can't trust their gut."

While Ellie had entered the conversation seeking to maintain the colorblind view, she suddenly realized that not speaking about race with children does not protect them. Having had the opportunity to see the issue from another perspective, Ellie reported being transformed. Reflecting on this incident in a later interview, she recalled,

It was just totally eye-opening. It upended me. Ever since then I just thought, there are so many parents of both Black and White kids and kids of every race that need to have those conversations about these differences, and that the differences are good. I realized that it has to be talked about.

This transformation-this "upending"-would not have been possible had Ms. Verwayne not opened this potentially challenging dialogue with families.

Particularly in early childhood, it is essential to build trusting and respectful relationships with families. Not all families will be receptive to a curriculum that addresses these issues, nor will all families be as open to being transformed in their thinking, as Ellie was. Ellie remarked, "What I really appreciate about Ms. Verwayne is her openness and respect for different viewpoints. Whenever I have had a concern, she has always been willing to talk and listen to my position with great interest and care." For early childhood teachers seeking to do the critical work of teaching about race and racism, it is important to be prepared to address parents' myriad responses, including being ready and willing to create space for conversations many of us have been taught to avoid. While some families may never be open to a new way of thinking, teachers who model this openness will set the tone for approaching disagreements respectfully. As Fabiola noted, the hesitation that many White parents have stems from adults' issues rather than any difficulty children may have in exploring the topic (DiAngelo 2012). She mused,

It's not a scary thing. It may be uncomfortable, but it's a good thing to be having this conversation at this stage. And it was fine. We pass on these anxieties to our kids. The more anxious we are in talking about it, the more anxious they feel. They think that there's something wrong with what they're saying.

It may be surprising that children are ready for us to facilitate these learning opportunities. As parents and teachers, it is critical that we make ourselves ready for planned and unplanned opportunities to learn about race and racism.

Following children's leads

As with the curriculum that sparked the previous discussions, teaching and learning about race should begin with children's observations. Children notice differences and need to feel safe and supported in asking questions about what they notice. Fabiola explained that her daughter's learning about race "has been very child directed. . . . If she asks a question, more times than not it's just an observation of something. So I acknowledge the fact that she's absolutely right. She's noticing differences." Ms. Verwayne concurred; she likes to follow children's leads and design projects, activities, and read-alouds that emerge from their questions and concerns. She emphasized that children's innate sense of justice and fairness creates opportunities for them to wrestle with these questions. She explained, "Their questions mean that they're seeking an answer about this topic. And they have a lot of curiosity and wondering, and they need a way to figure out that answer." As with other inquiry-based learning experiences, a curriculum that emerges from the children's process of making sense of the world often yields the most engaging opportunities for learning.

While some of children's observations and questions about racial differences may be straightforward, at times children echo harmful biases they have heard elsewhere. Ms. Verwayne recalled an afternoon when her class returned from lunch in a state of distress. One of her students, an African American girl, had told another child, "I don't like White people." At the time, the nightly news was full of reporting about police brutality against African Americans, so Ms. Verwayne suspected that the child was repeating something she had overheard an adult say. Though math was on the schedule for the afternoon, Ms. Verwayne asked the children to join her in a circle on the rug. Drawing upon strategies she had learned in Responsive Classroom workshops, she reminded the children of their classroom norms that create space for each child's voice. She reminded the children to use accountable talk grounded in their experiences and to listen to each other with care. As they shared their feelings about what had happened at lunch, Ms. Verwayne prompted them to reflect on the sense of community and friendship they had cultivated together in class. They concluded that, while some people of any race may "not always be nice," we cannot draw conclusions about a whole race based on the actions of individuals.

Planning for learning through children's literature

For parents and teachers wishing to open a dialogue about racial identity and racism, children's literature provides an excellent starting point. Well-written children's literature allows children to identify with and develop empathy for characters, particularly those that may be different from themselves. Stocking the classroom library with children's books that represent a diversity of experiences is essential. Providing books that allow children to see themselves in the pages offers the kind of high-interest materials that support children's early literacy (Klefstad & Martinez 2013). Especially when children are beginning to do the challenging work of learning to read, it is important for them to be able to select books that allow them to feel a connection to the content. If children do not see their lives and interests reflected in the books in your library, they may feel that reading is not for them.

Stocking Your Library with Equitable and Inclusive Children's Titles

For teachers seeking to foster an appreciation of difference and empathy, it is especially important to have a classroom library that represents a range of characters and experiences. Great children's books allow us to get inside the protagonists' experiences. Fortunately, excellent resources exist to guide teachers and families in creating such libraries (see "Stocking Your Library with Equitable and Inclusive Children's Titles" above). The classroom library can offer a child-friendly opening to learn about important histories and to celebrate the accomplishments of seminal figures in the fight for racial equality. However, be sure to provide a balance and to also include books that represent diverse characters engaged in ordinary, everyday experiences.

Once you develop a classroom library that addresses issues of race and racism from many perspectives, prepare yourself to respond to children's questions as they arise. Ms. Verwayne recalled that when reading about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., her children wanted to know more. When the book addressed the topic of segregation, they asked, "But why would people do that?!?" Ms. Verwayne was glad that she had anticipated these questions and was able to provide context by talking about Jim Crow and how it institutionalized racial bias and made it the law of the land.

Developing strategies for responding to teachable moments

In addition to planning a curriculum that addresses issues of race and racism, Ms. Verwayne described how she often needed to think on her feet in responding to children's natural curiosity about race and difference. Many teachers may have a desire to address these topics but feel unprepared to respond when the issues arise in their classrooms. Teachers need resources and support to develop the tools to do this work skillfully and thoughtfully. Ms. Verwayne argued that this includes trusting teachers to think on their feet and to ground their responses in the deep knowledge they have of their classroom communities. She noted,

Some people definitely do not want to discuss issues of race and difference at all. They think it's best to sweep it under the rug and just act like it doesn't exist. That's the safest space to be in. But is it the right space to be in, knowing the times that we're in? I think we need to give teachers the leeway to be unconventional and try different ways to address this.

In an era when many educational reforms have argued for standardization and "teacher proofing" the curriculum, the work of responding to complex issues requires that we give teachers the training and time to reflect on and discuss them, and also trust teachers to write their own script when teachable moments arise.

As described earlier, Ms. Verwayne uses protocols and practices offered by the Responsive Classroom to facilitate a complex conversation about racial bias. By developing these routines, Ms. Verwayne asks the children to join her in taking ownership of creating the kind of classroom in which they all feel included. These pedagogical strategies are supported by the content of her social studies curriculum, which explores the meaning of community.

A number of organizations have created forums for the exchange of social justice curriculum ideas (see "Preparing for and Responding to Teachable Moments" below). Responding to teachable moments is never one size fits all; but resources that provide candid and thoughtful sharing of teacher knowledge can provide teachers with models of practices and strategies. Even pedagogical models that do not explicitly address race and racism, such as the practices offered by the Responsive Classroom, can be adapted to create a framework for talking about race in the classroom. Whatever the approach, we must acknowledge the need to offer these kinds of curricular and pedagogical strategies to teachers throughout their professional development experiences.

Preparing for and Responding to Teachable Moments

Committing to teaching for equity and justice

This article, along with the suggested resources, provides a starting point for teachers and families seeking to do the important work of supporting young children's learning and understanding about race and racism. As Ms. Verwayne's experiences illustrate, this work is both challenging and essential. Concluding her reflections on her own experiences with Ms. Verwayne's kindergarten, Ellie emphasized, "In a school where you don't have the kind of diversity we have, it might be even more important." As we prepare young children to be members of the human family, we must offer them opportunities to celebrate all aspects of their identities and to resist bias and oppression. In the field of early childhood education, we spend much of our time and energy nurturing children's capacity for kindness and respect. Helping children see the role they have to play in fostering equality and inclusion through racial justice is a critical piece of this project.

References

Breiding, M.J., S.G. Smith, K.C. Basile, M.L. Walters, J. Chen, & M.T. Merrick. 2014. "Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization-National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, United States, 2011." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Surveillance Summaries 63 (8): 1-18. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6308a1.htm.

Delpit, L. 2012. "Multiplication Is for White People": Raising Expectations for Other People's Children. New York: The New Press.

Derman-Sparks, L., D. LeeKeenan, & J. Nimmo. 2015. Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change. New York: Teachers College Press; Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Derman-Sparks, L., P.G. Ramsey, & J.O. Edwards. 2006. What If All the Kids Are White? Anti-Bias Multicultural Education with Young Children and Families. New York: Teachers College Press.

DiAngelo, R. 2012. "What Makes Racism So Hard for Whites to See?" Chap. 10 in What Does It Mean to Be White? Developing White Racial Literacy, 167-89. New York: Peter Lang.

Harvey, J. 2017. "Are We Raising Racists?" Opinion, New York Times, March 14. www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/opinion/are-we-raising-racists.html.

Husband, T. 2010. "He's Too Young to Learn About That Stuff: Anti-Racist Pedagogy and Early Childhood Social Studies." Social Studies Research and Practice 5(2): 61-75.

Husband, T. 2012. "'I Don't See Color': Challenging Assumptions about Discussing Race with Young Children." Early Childhood Education Journal 39 (6): 365-71.

Jones, J. "The Racial Wealth Gap: How African-Americans Have Been Shortchanged Out of the Materials to Build Wealth." Working Economics Blog, Economic Policy Institute, February 13, 2017. www.epi.org/blog/the-racial-wealth-gap-how-african-americans-have-been-s....

Klefstad, J.M., & K.C. Martinez. 2013. "Promoting Young Children's Cultural Awareness and Appreciation Through Multicultural Books." Young Children 68 (5): 74-81.

Ladson-Billings, G. 2009. The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Pitts, J. 2016. "Don't Say Nothing." Teaching Tolerance,no. 54. www.tolerance.org/magazine/tt54-fall-2016/feature/dont-say-nothing.

Pollock, M. 2005. Colormute: Race Talk Dilemmas in an American School. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Poon, O. 2017. "Our Schools Need to Teach a Fourth 'R': Racial Literacy." Rewire. https://rewire.news/article/2017/03/01/schools-need-teach-fourth-r-racial-literacy/.

Ramsey, P.G. 2015. Teaching and Learning in a Diverse World: Multicultural Education for Young Children. 4th ed. New York: Teachers College Press.

Tatum, B.D. 2003. "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race. Rev. ed. New York: Basic Books.

Vittrup, B. 2016. "Early Childhood Teachers' Approaches to Multicultural Education and Perceived Barriers to Disseminating Anti-Bias Messages." Multicultural Education 23 (3-4): 37-41.

Winkler, E.N. 2009. "Children Are Not Colorblind: How Young Children Learn Race." PACE: Practical Approaches for Continuing Education 3 (3): 1-8.

Wright, B.L., S.L. Counsell, & S.L. Tate. 2015. "'We're Many Members, but One Body': Fostering a Healthy Self-Identity and Agency in African American Boys." Young Children 70(3): 24-31.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Becoming Upended: Teaching and Learning about Race and Racism with Young Children and Their Families

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At the beginning of the year in Ms. Verwayne's kindergarten class, the children are working on an All About Me project. They begin by drawing pictures of themselves based on observations of their reflections in a mirror. Next, the teacher provides them with sentence starters asking them to describe their hair color and texture, their skin color, and their eye color.

# data[].attributes.body
Teaching Tolerance

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
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, m…

# data[].attributes.headline
How Indigenous, Black and POC Educators Envision a Better School Experience

# data[].attributes.subject
How Indigenous, Black and POC Educators Envision a Better School Experience

# data[].attributes.body
KQED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When organizing the series, Ebarvia and Parker asked contributors to pick a date and left the choice of what to write about open. During a month when the U.S. coronavirus death toll passed 100,000 , with disproportionate impact on Black and brown communities, and when the and harassment of Black men and women dominated non-COVID news, they said their project had to be able to hold both pain and joy. In a post addressed directly to Black joy , second-grade teacher Aeriale N. Johnson pointed to how this duality has long been necessary for marginalized communities:

"That a people could rail againstthe horrors of chattel slaveryfor centuries,spend every moment since emancipationfighting for our humanityand have you remain,unspeakable,in our heartsis nothing short of a miraculous

gift from the ancestors."

And it's the joy that motivates the cofounders of #31DaysIBPOC. Parker said what she loves most about the posts, along with the retweets and comments they generate, is the chance to celebrate IBPOC educators. "We've always known they're excellent," she said. "It's nice that other people can know that, too."

With that recognition, Parker and Ebarvia hope the series will challenge teachers to reflect and to adopt anti-racist and culturally responsive practices . They also hope education leaders will ask families what they need from education during the pandemic and how their assets can be leveraged to transform schools. "Especially at this time, I think that there is a need to recenter education on a ethos of community and collectivism and organizing around those principles that has not traditionally been the mode of operation of most American schools which function on individualism and competition," said Ebarvia.

"You have to show people what it could look like to be different," said Parker. "[#31DaysIBPOC] is what is created just by asking people. And so, more people can do this."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Indigenous, Black and POC Educators Envision a Better School Experience - MindShift

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When organizing the series, Ebarvia and Parker asked contributors to pick a date and left the choice of what to write about open. During a month when the U.S. coronavirus death toll passed 100,000 , with disproportionate impact on Black and brown communities, and when the and harassment of Black men and women dominated non-COVID news, they said their project had to be able to hold both pain and joy.

# data[].attributes.body
Teaching for Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In support of the Movement for Black Lives, we share this collection of teaching ideas and resources. The Movement for Black Lives challenges the ongoing murders of African Americans by the police and the long history of institutionalized racism. This resource collection was originally published in August of 2014, after the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. See additional resources compiled for the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. Updated February 2018.
By Julian Hipkins III

As the new school year begins, first and foremost on our minds and in our hearts will be the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Teachers may be faced with students' anger, frustration, sadness, confusion, and questions. Some students will wonder how this could happen in the United States. For others, unfortunately, police brutality and intimidation are all too familiar.

Here are a few ideas and resources for the classroom to help middle and high school students think critically about the events in Ferguson, New York, Cleveland, North Charleston, Baltimore, Hempstead, Minneapolis, Baton Rouge, Tulsa, Baton Rouge, Charlotte, and across the U.S. and ways they can be proactive in their own communities. For elementary students, see Teaching About Trayvon Martin with Young Children.

Police Brutality

The Black Panther Party's 1966 platform, known as the ten-point program, included the demand: "#7. We want an immediate end to police brutality and murder of Black people, other people of color, and all oppressed people inside the United States." The issue of police brutality in communities of color has a long history and the Panther platform gives an example of how to turn grievances into a clear set of goals for meaningful change. The lesson "'What We Want, What We Believe': Teaching with the Black Panthers' Ten Point Program" by Rethinking Schools editor Wayne Au introduces students to this history and invites them to create their own list of demands. You may also want to have students review and compare the demands of the 1963 March on Washington, the Young Lords Party, and the Movement for Black Lives.

Here is a 2001 article by the Black Radical Congress about the history of police brutality and popular resistance in the U.S.

History of Racism

An exploration of U. S. history can help students understand how racism, while not natural, has always played a key role in this country (predating 1776) and how it became embedded in all of our institutions, including the criminal justice system. " The Color Line" is a lesson by Rethinking Schools editor Bill Bigelow (available from the Zinn Education Project) on the origins of racism in the United States and who benefits. Students hopefully will see that if racism is learned and reinforced by laws, it can also be unlearned and dismantled. (Below are images of three people who dedicated their lives to exposing and challenging institutional racism: Medgar Evers, Ella Baker, and Ida B. Wells. )

International Human Rights

Upon his return from Mecca in 1964, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X) stated that he wanted to bring charges against the United States for its treatment of African-Americans. He believed that it was "impossible for the United States government to solve the race problem" and the only way to get the United States to change its racist ways was to bring international pressure. He made the clear distinction between civil rights and human rights.

In an earlier example, on October 23, 1947, the NAACP sent to the U.N. a document titled " An Appeal to the World," in which the NAACP asked the U.N. to redress human rights violations the United States committed against its African-American citizens. W.E.B. Du Bois, who drafted the NAACP petition with other leading lawyers and scholars, intended to focus attention on the U.S.'s systematic denial of human rights to its African American citizens. They presented in the petition facts about lynching, segregation, and the gross inequalities in education, housing, health care, and voting rights. DuBois stated,

It is not Russia that threatens the United States so much as Mississippi...[I]nternal injustice done to one's brothers is far more dangerous than the aggression of strangers from abroad. [Read more at the University of Chicago Library News.]

Indeed, the U.S. government is quick to condemn human rights violations in other countries, but seldom expects to be accountable to the world for actions within its own borders. A lesson by the Stanford University Liberation Curriculum Project engages students in a discussion about the human rights violations perpetrated against African Americans during the 1950s and 1960s - and can serve as a springboard for looking at human rights today.

On November 11, 2014, Michael Brown's parents testified at a United Nations Committee Against Torture session in Geneva, Switzerland about the killing of their son. Brown's father stated, "I would like to see the United States make a commitment to address racial discrimination in a comprehensive and coordinated manner."

Another lesson that highlights this American exceptionalism is " Whose Terrorism?" by Bill Bigelow of Rethinking Schools. (Posted on the Zinn Education Project website).

Militarization of the Police

In The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Michelle Alexander describes the militarization of the police, foreshadowing the heavy weaponry used by police in Ferguson. In the section titled "Waging War" in Chapter 2, Alexander states,

The transformation from "community policing" to "military policing," began in 1981, when President Reagan persuaded Congress to pass the Military Cooperation with Law Enforcement Act, which encouraged the military to give local, state, and federal police access to military bases, intelligence, research, weaponry, and other equipment for drug interdiction.

That legislation carved a huge exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, the Civil War-era law prohibiting the use of military force for policing.

Students and teachers can read this chapter to explore how many police departments "seek and destroy" in some neighborhoods while they "protect and serve" in others.

Students can consider the meaning of "protect and serve," and the history and purpose of policing, as described in this WHUT video interview with Tim Jenkins.

Student Fear and Resilience

One of the toughest challenges for teachers and counselors is to create a safe space for students in an unsafe world.

New York teaching-artist Renée Watson uses poetry to help her students deal with the very real fear for their own safety and to play a role in exposing the violence.

In The Murder of Sean Bell: From Pain to Poetry(Rethinking Schools) she describes this process,

"I'm afraid that one day I'll be shot by the cops for no reason," a 7th-grade student blurted out in our class discussion. My teaching partner and I had asked students to call out their hopes and fears. "What do you hope for your community? What is it about your community that makes you afraid?" we asked.

I wrote their answers on chart paper and by the end of the discussion, our class list included better schools, more parks, peace, and safer neighborhoods. Our list also included violence, drugs, bullying, and police brutality. (Continue reading article and lesson.)

Six years later, Watson wrote Happening Yesterday, Happened Tomorrow: Teaching the ongoing murders of black men " (Rethinking Schools). The article, with a detailed description of her poetry lesson, begins,

There is a history in our country of white men killing unarmed black boys and men with little to no consequence. I taught the murders of Sean Bell and Amadou Diallo, using Willie Perdomo's "Forty-One Bullets off Broadway" as the model poem ('From Pain to Poetry,' fall 2008).

But then there was Trayvon Martin, then Jordan Davis, then Michael Brown, and the list keeps growing. (Continue reading article and lesson.)

Housing Inequality

African-Americans have often been the victims of housing discrimination in Ferguson and countless other towns and cities across the country. The discrimination has occurred through laws and sometimes violence.

This violence has a long history. For example in 1921, a mob of deputized whites looted and burned to the ground a black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This included the destruction of 40 square blocks of 1,265 African American homes, including hospitals, schools, and churches, and 150 businesses. By the time the terror ended, 300 African-Americans had been killed. Here is an article and lesson for high school classrooms called " Burning Tulsa: The Legacy of Black Dispossession."

In " The Making of Ferguson," Sherrilyn Ifill and Richard Rothstein show that government actions - such as racially explicit zoning, public housing segregation, and federal requirements for white-only suburbs systematically segregated African Americans - and set the stage for the conditions in Ferguson.

In The Case for Reparations, Ta-Nehisi Coates addresses laws such as restrictive covenants in the section titled Making the Second Ghetto. The tactics used to bar African-American from communities are outlined highlighting housing discrimination in Chicago during and following World War II.

Teaching Ourselves

As educators, a key place to begin is with our own knowledge of what is happening today. We need to understand that this violence is not new and that is it systemic. More important than the readings we share with students is the reading we do ourselves to prepare. Here are a few recommendations:

For news with a historic context, we recommend listening to the Democracy Now! daily broadcast and referencing their archives.

Additional Resources
Resources for teachers for the Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Schools
Lessons, readings, books, and more.

Ongoing News and Interviews

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching #BlackLivesMatter - Teaching for Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In support of the Movement for Black Lives, we share this collection of teaching ideas and resources. The Movement for Black Lives challenges the ongoing murders of African Americans by the police and the long history of institutionalized racism. This resource collection was originally published in August of 2014, after the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

# data[].attributes.body
Mobile Basic

# data[].attributes.headline
Women at the Peace Table Yields Better Results: Why is it still so rare?

# data[].attributes.subject
Women at the Peace Table Yields Better Results: Why is it still so rare?

# data[].attributes.body
*Racism is one reason   Alexandra E. Petri, The New York Times

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Female peace builders and female-led organizations are often the ones running toward the problem while everyone else is running away, says the author Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini.

Send any friend a story
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.

Give this article Give this article Give this article

A rally to support the Doha peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, in Herat, Afghanistan, last month. Credit... Jalil Rezayee/EPA, via Shutterstock

- Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, the In Her Words is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. author of "Women Building Peace: What They Do, Why It Matters"
Study after study after study has shown that having women at the peace table results in better outcomes. But it's still a rare sight.

According to the U.N., in 31 major peace processes between 1992 and 2011, women made up only 9 percent of negotiators. A 2018 study published in the journal of International Interactions found that of the 82 peace agreements it looked at between 1989 and 2011, women made up less than 20 percent of the signatories across six peace processes in Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Guatemala, Northern Ireland, Papua New Guinea and Liberia.

Why is it so uncommon? What's holding women back? How do we change precedent?

As the Afghan peace talks opened last month in Doha, with just four women ( up from three, but still down from the original five) on the 21-person Afghan delegation and no women on the Taliban side, In Her Words spoke with Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, the author of "Women Building Peace: What They Do, Why It Matters."

For more than two decades, Ms. Naraghi-Anderlini has been working at the intersection of women, security and peace. She is a founder and the executive director of the International Civil Society Action Network ( ICAN), a nonprofit that supports and promotes women in peacemaking and peace processes in war-torn countries. For Ms. Naraghi-Anderlini, the work is personal, too: She left her native Iran as a 10-year-old in December 1978, just before the revolution, unable to return for the next seven years.

Female peace builders and female-led organizations committed to nonviolence and pro-peace talks are often the ones running toward the problem while everyone else is running away, she noted, so getting them to the table is essential.

Our conversation is condensed and edited for clarity.
What motivates women to take part in peace processes?
If the women aren't at the table themselves, their issues are negotiated away. And it's not only women's issues around what women's safety and security means, but also women's perspective on what matters. Are we going to talk about police reform? Are we going to talk about the future of education in our country? Or are we just going to talk about which guy will have the Ministry of Finance and which guy should have the Ministry of Defense? There are different nuances in the perspectives that women peace builders bring.
What risks do women peace builders - who are among the first to push for peace talks but are still marginalized within the process - face that are unique to their gender?

With women, in particular, there's a lot of misogyny and maligning. As a peace builder, some of your biggest assets are your integrity, ethics and morality. People attack that, and very often with women it's sexualized, with different parties saying things like "She's a whore" or calling women "prostitutes." The threat of sexual violence is very high, and the actual perpetration of sexual violence can be high. Also, the threats against their families are huge.
You were a leading advocate of a historic U.N. resolution that called to get more women involved in peacemaking processes. Why did this have to be written into a formal resolution?
In the 1990s, we saw that when you brought women together from different places where there were wars and they started talking, there was a similarity of experience around inclusion, around agency, and around how women's bodies were being used or attacked.

The reality on the ground was that women were being affected, but they were absent from the discussions at a global level.

The U.N. Security Council is ultimately the most important global body that we have where issues of peace and security are discussed, so women wanted recognition in that space. When women are involved in a substantive way, the outcomes are not only good for women, but they're also good for society.

But at the moment, there is no punitive measure for not implementing these commitments. There's no incentive. Those involved very often will say, "Culturally, the parties to the negotiations won't have women there."

Our argument is "Why isn't the U.N. standing by its values?" Or, if the international donors and others are saying they care about this, then what are they specifically doing to make sure that these voices are there?

You've discussed how "substantively" including women tends to result in a more durable peace. What does substantial inclusion mean to you?
Very often, even if there's pressure, the parties involved in peace talks will shove one woman here and one woman there. For example, with the Afghan talks, the government delegation was named with five women on it and ended up having only three women. [Editor's Note: It is now four women.] That is not sufficient. In general, it becomes this question of quality: Are the women political party hacks, or are they genuinely connected to wider movements?

Two women sat among those with Abdullah Abdullah, center, chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, during talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, in September. Credit... Hussein Sayed/Associated Press

Global foreign policy and other world leaders co-signed an open letter calling for women's meaningful participation in the Afghan peace talks currently underway in Doha. Within reason, how would you set up the peace talks differently?
These talks are just the beginning. As the process goes on, there should be more pressure and a willingness on the government side to have more women present, not only the women who are there now.

It's also necessary to bring in voices from the ground up - from across Afghanistan's different provinces - to speak to the Taliban, the government and the international facilitators. Bring in the voices of Taliban widows. Bring the voices of young women and men. What's the future they want?

People think about these types of negotiations as very rational and intellectual. No. They're existential. They are psychosocial and emotional as well. Everybody's traumatized. You've had 40 years of war. Bringing that human face and that vision of what a future could look like for everybody is important.

Tell us some success stories of women being part of peace negotiations.
In the late '90s, Northern Ireland had a separate women's delegation, the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, at the table, negotiating on equal footing. In Liberia in 2003, it was women who mobilized, pressed for the peace talks to take place and challenged the warring parties. The peace agreement was finally signed, and women kept up the pressure for Liberia finally having a period of some stability. We know from the Philippines, if we have women-led groups monitoring the cease-fires, they are much more successful because they can see the problems, they can be preventive and people can trust them. More recently, we saw the importance of women's participation in Colombia's peace agreement, the text of which is one of the most inclusive and comprehensive agreements. The challenge there now is implementation.

We have examples of successes, but the issue is that from an international community standpoint, we're not building on the good practices.
Despite the progress, why does women's exclusion from peace processes remain the norm?
Traditionally, peace processes tend to be like a football game where there are just two sides taking part. It's a flawed model, because so much of society is affected but not represented. The U.N. system and our diplomatic structures are still constrained in how they recognize civil society, and peace builders, who are majority women, are still not widely recognized. You can get individual bureaucrats or envoys in these processes who, despite all the research showing that women have a positive impact, think their involvement is of secondary importance or say things like, "Women will rock the boat." They question and dismiss what the women in these societies know, and prefer to go down a traditional path, even though the exclusive peace processes don't work. So there's this triple whammy of sexism, racism and systemic flaws in how peace processes are designed, how mediation teams play politics and how they are pressured by states and armed groups.
Central to your work is bringing women to the table as full and equal partners, but it's not easy. What empowers you to keep pushing forward?
The women I work with. Peace builders are creative, and they're optimistic - they're driven by hope. I'm always in awe of how they carry on despite everything that they face.

When I started this work 25 years ago, there were women stepping up in Rwanda, Guatemala, Israel, Palestine, and one could have argued those were special cases. But over the years as I've done this, I've always been struck that when conflict or violence erupts - every society has these women in them that emerge on the front lines. It's very lonely work. It's very dangerous work. Not everybody runs to the problem. On the one hand, what these women are saying and doing is extraordinary and unique in their setting. On the other hand, there's something incredibly universal about it. Introducing them to a global community of women doing this work - a place where they can feel at home; that's what keeps me going.

/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Women at the Peace Table Yields Better Results. Why Is It Still So Rare? (Published 2020)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Female peace builders and female-led organizations are often the ones running toward the problem while everyone else is running away, says the author Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Female peace builders and female-led organizations are often the ones running toward the problem while everyone else is running away, says the author Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini.

Send any friend a story
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.

Give this article Give this article Give this article

A rally to support the Doha peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, in Herat, Afghanistan, last month. Credit... Jalil Rezayee/EPA, via Shutterstock

- Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, the In Her Words is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. author of "Women Building Peace: What They Do, Why It Matters"
Study after study after study has shown that having women at the peace table results in better outcomes. But it's still a rare sight.

According to the U.N., in 31 major peace processes between 1992 and 2011, women made up only 9 percent of negotiators. A 2018 study published in the journal of International Interactions found that of the 82 peace agreements it looked at between 1989 and 2011, women made up less than 20 percent of the signatories across six peace processes in Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Guatemala, Northern Ireland, Papua New Guinea and Liberia.

Why is it so uncommon? What's holding women back? How do we change precedent?

As the Afghan peace talks opened last month in Doha, with just four women ( up from three, but still down from the original five) on the 21-person Afghan delegation and no women on the Taliban side, In Her Words spoke with Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, the author of "Women Building Peace: What They Do, Why It Matters."

For more than two decades, Ms. Naraghi-Anderlini has been working at the intersection of women, security and peace. She is a founder and the executive director of the International Civil Society Action Network ( ICAN), a nonprofit that supports and promotes women in peacemaking and peace processes in war-torn countries. For Ms. Naraghi-Anderlini, the work is personal, too: She left her native Iran as a 10-year-old in December 1978, just before the revolution, unable to return for the next seven years.

Female peace builders and female-led organizations committed to nonviolence and pro-peace talks are often the ones running toward the problem while everyone else is running away, she noted, so getting them to the table is essential.

Our conversation is condensed and edited for clarity.
What motivates women to take part in peace processes?
If the women aren't at the table themselves, their issues are negotiated away. And it's not only women's issues around what women's safety and security means, but also women's perspective on what matters. Are we going to talk about police reform? Are we going to talk about the future of education in our country? Or are we just going to talk about which guy will have the Ministry of Finance and which guy should have the Ministry of Defense? There are different nuances in the perspectives that women peace builders bring.
What risks do women peace builders - who are among the first to push for peace talks but are still marginalized within the process - face that are unique to their gender?

With women, in particular, there's a lot of misogyny and maligning. As a peace builder, some of your biggest assets are your integrity, ethics and morality. People attack that, and very often with women it's sexualized, with different parties saying things like "She's a whore" or calling women "prostitutes." The threat of sexual violence is very high, and the actual perpetration of sexual violence can be high. Also, the threats against their families are huge.
You were a leading advocate of a historic U.N. resolution that called to get more women involved in peacemaking processes. Why did this have to be written into a formal resolution?
In the 1990s, we saw that when you brought women together from different places where there were wars and they started talking, there was a similarity of experience around inclusion, around agency, and around how women's bodies were being used or attacked.

The reality on the ground was that women were being affected, but they were absent from the discussions at a global level.

The U.N. Security Council is ultimately the most important global body that we have where issues of peace and security are discussed, so women wanted recognition in that space. When women are involved in a substantive way, the outcomes are not only good for women, but they're also good for society.

But at the moment, there is no punitive measure for not implementing these commitments. There's no incentive. Those involved very often will say, "Culturally, the parties to the negotiations won't have women there."

Our argument is "Why isn't the U.N. standing by its values?" Or, if the international donors and others are saying they care about this, then what are they specifically doing to make sure that these voices are there?

You've discussed how "substantively" including women tends to result in a more durable peace. What does substantial inclusion mean to you?
Very often, even if there's pressure, the parties involved in peace talks will shove one woman here and one woman there. For example, with the Afghan talks, the government delegation was named with five women on it and ended up having only three women. [Editor's Note: It is now four women.] That is not sufficient. In general, it becomes this question of quality: Are the women political party hacks, or are they genuinely connected to wider movements?

Two women sat among those with Abdullah Abdullah, center, chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, during talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, in September. Credit... Hussein Sayed/Associated Press

Global foreign policy and other world leaders co-signed an open letter calling for women's meaningful participation in the Afghan peace talks currently underway in Doha. Within reason, how would you set up the peace talks differently?
These talks are just the beginning. As the process goes on, there should be more pressure and a willingness on the government side to have more women present, not only the women who are there now.

It's also necessary to bring in voices from the ground up - from across Afghanistan's different provinces - to speak to the Taliban, the government and the international facilitators. Bring in the voices of Taliban widows. Bring the voices of young women and men. What's the future they want?

People think about these types of negotiations as very rational and intellectual. No. They're existential. They are psychosocial and emotional as well. Everybody's traumatized. You've had 40 years of war. Bringing that human face and that vision of what a future could look like for everybody is important.

Tell us some success stories of women being part of peace negotiations.
In the late '90s, Northern Ireland had a separate women's delegation, the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, at the table, negotiating on equal footing. In Liberia in 2003, it was women who mobilized, pressed for the peace talks to take place and challenged the warring parties. The peace agreement was finally signed, and women kept up the pressure for Liberia finally having a period of some stability. We know from the Philippines, if we have women-led groups monitoring the cease-fires, they are much more successful because they can see the problems, they can be preventive and people can trust them. More recently, we saw the importance of women's participation in Colombia's peace agreement, the text of which is one of the most inclusive and comprehensive agreements. The challenge there now is implementation.

We have examples of successes, but the issue is that from an international community standpoint, we're not building on the good practices.
Despite the progress, why does women's exclusion from peace processes remain the norm?
Traditionally, peace processes tend to be like a football game where there are just two sides taking part. It's a flawed model, because so much of society is affected but not represented. The U.N. system and our diplomatic structures are still constrained in how they recognize civil society, and peace builders, who are majority women, are still not widely recognized. You can get individual bureaucrats or envoys in these processes who, despite all the research showing that women have a positive impact, think their involvement is of secondary importance or say things like, "Women will rock the boat." They question and dismiss what the women in these societies know, and prefer to go down a traditional path, even though the exclusive peace processes don't work. So there's this triple whammy of sexism, racism and systemic flaws in how peace processes are designed, how mediation teams play politics and how they are pressured by states and armed groups.
Central to your work is bringing women to the table as full and equal partners, but it's not easy. What empowers you to keep pushing forward?
The women I work with. Peace builders are creative, and they're optimistic - they're driven by hope. I'm always in awe of how they carry on despite everything that they face.

When I started this work 25 years ago, there were women stepping up in Rwanda, Guatemala, Israel, Palestine, and one could have argued those were special cases. But over the years as I've done this, I've always been struck that when conflict or violence erupts - every society has these women in them that emerge on the front lines. It's very lonely work. It's very dangerous work. Not everybody runs to the problem. On the one hand, what these women are saying and doing is extraordinary and unique in their setting. On the other hand, there's something incredibly universal about it. Introducing them to a global community of women doing this work - a place where they can feel at home; that's what keeps me going.

/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Women at the Peace Table Yields Better Results. Why Is It Still So Rare? (Published 2020)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Female peace builders and female-led organizations are often the ones running toward the problem while everyone else is running away, says the author Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.

# data[].attributes.headline
Want More Diverse Senior Leadership? Sponsor Junior Talent

# data[].attributes.subject
Want More Diverse Senior Leadership? Sponsor Junior Talent

# data[].attributes.body
Herminia Ibarra and Nana von Bernurth, Harvard Business Review

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
With renewed corporate attention to racial equity - and a growing body of evidence showing that diversity programs don't work, especially for Black employees - many companies are turning to a different approach for diversifying their pipelines to the top: sponsorship.

As Herminia described it in a recent article on increasing gender diversity at senior levels, sponsorship is a "helping relationship in which senior, powerful people use their personal clout to talk up, advocate for, and place a more junior person in a key role." Sponsors not only give feedback and advice, they also use their influence with other senior executives to advocate for your promotion and to ensure that you're visible to key decision-makers. Mentors share their knowledge, perspective, and experience, whereas sponsors wield their power on behalf of their protégés. This crucial difference makes sponsorship a valuable tool for actively promoting employees from underrepresented groups into senior positions, stretch assignments, and mission- critical roles.

Sponsorship efforts only work, however, if they are designed with care - pairing sponsors and protégés in ways that align with goals, training them on the impact of difference in career developmental relationships, and iterating on what they learn through experience. How you approach a sponsorship initiative can make all the difference between one that fails and one that achieves results, so take the time to get it right.

Know what you want and need.

Although most HR leaders understand the distinction between mentorship and sponsorship, when they enlist sponsors for employees from underrepresented groups, they often make choices that are more in line with enlisting mentors.

In one organization we worked with, for example, leaders aimed to increase sponsorship for their employees of color. But they worried that top executives would be over-solicited by their mid-level and early-career protégés, and so wondered if they would be better off simply defining a sponsor as "somebody who is senior to you." That's not good enough, though, because it can let senior executives off the hook. When it comes to promotion decisions, managers need position power in order to play a true sponsor role - which is to say, they need to be in the "room where it happens." To that end, we recommended selecting sponsors who are more senior than protégés' direct bosses.

Another organization we worked with wanted to provide sponsorship for women working at the two levels below the top leadership team. Three women who served as non-executive directors of the company wanted to help with the effort, and the CEO was eager to bring them in as sponsors. But when we all discussed the aims of the sponsorship program, we realized that these women, as company outsiders, would not be able to navigate political waters on behalf of their protégés or advocate for their promotion - both key sponsor roles. So we recommended to the CEO that they instead be enlisted as mentors, reserving the sponsor role for insiders - in this case, members of the executive committee.

This example also highlights an important point: Yes, sponsors are crucial, but enlisting them should not preclude protégés from building a broad and diverse network of helping relationships that can and should extend to peers and people outside their organization.

Consider how to best pair sponsors and protégés.

To be able to play the sponsor role, managers have to want to spend their hard-won political capital on their protégés - but they're only likely to feel that way if they've had sufficient exposure to their work and developed some chemistry. Thoughtful matchmaking on this front is important, and two key questions often arise here. Both involve trade-offs.

First, should sponsors and protégés be in the same business unit, function, or direct line?

It's complicated. To champion protégés with conviction, sponsors need to know how they perform and what they can deliver. Naturally, that's much easier if sponsors belong to the same unit as their protégés. But organizations often have multiple priorities to juggle in their matchmaking efforts. Many want to increase their protégés' visibility within the organization as a whole, for example, or to avoid intra-departmental politics. Others seek to provide role models for high potentials who are members of underrepresented race and ethnicity groups. Often that leads them to designate sponsors who work outside of their protégés' reporting lines.

In one organization we worked with, a number of the designated sponsors were located in different businesses and geographies than their protégés, a racially and ethnically diverse group - and this made it difficult for them to see and therefore vouch for their work. The HR leaders tried to reassure the sponsors by explaining that the protégés had been already vetted as high potential, and by encouraging the sponsors to reach out to the protégés' line managers. But, not surprisingly, even managers who are willing to sponsor and connect the participants are sometimes reluctant to put their hard-won political capital on the line for someone whose performance they themselves haven't scrutinized and evaluated.

Second, should sponsors and protégés be matched to be as similar as possible?

Ideally, yes. Having a similar background can help people click initially. This can be particularly helpful to up-and-coming juniors from underrepresented groups, who, naturally, want advice from seniors who have faced some of the same dilemmas and challenges as they have.

For example, research shows that employees who differ from the majority in religion, gender, sexual orientation, and/or socio-economic background often hide important parts of themselves at work for fear of negative consequences. A study by Patricia Faison Hewlin, at McGill University, found that Black employees often create "facades of conformity," suppressing their personal values, views, and attributes in order to do what they think is needed to fit in their organizations, and, as a result, feel deeply inauthentic. Likewise, a Center for Talent Innovation study found that a majority of Latinx executives modify their appearance, body language, and communication style in an effort to increase credibility at work, which also gives rise to feelings of inauthenticity.

Having sponsors who have experienced similar dilemmas helps a lot. But high-level executives from underrepresented groups are often in in short supply - far too short to sponsor all of the talented protégés below them. Not only that, the risk to their reputation from sponsoring can be much greater, because they're more likely to be seen as partisans if they choose to sponsor protégés of the same race, gender, or ethnicity. So matching for similarity has both advantages and limits.

Even without good matches for similarity, however, sponsorship has shown demonstrable benefits. A study conducted by David Smith and Brad Johnson at the U.S. Naval Academy and War College, for example, found that when women are sponsored by men, they make more money, get more promotions and have better career outcomes - not because men are better sponsors but because they have more power.

Train both sponsors and protégés to manage "like me" bias.

In human relationships, likes attract. Research has shown consistently that we are most likely to feel chemistry and build relationships with people who are most like us - in demographics, identity, and life experiences. That adds complexity to cross-race and cross-gender sponsorship relationships.

For one thing, when we code another person as "not like me," what we hear from them is less likely to resonate as true, valuable, or comprehensible, and we are less likely to give them the benefit of the doubt. In this situation, it is easy for protégés to feel that their sponsor's advice doesn't "fit" or make sense for them, and, when they don't act on it, sponsors, can easily feel that their protégés aren't receptive to their feedback.

To avoid these relationship tripwires, it's important that both sponsors and protégés understand the key role of identity and identification in learning from others. Herminia's research shows that when people acquire certain intangible leadership skills, such as how to exude gravitas or how to influence without authority, they do it by observing how successful people do it and then emulating them. But that's only one part of what they do. As they observe, they also ask two important questions: "Would what that person is doing work for me?" and "Do I want to be like them?" When the answer to either of those questions is "Maybe not," the natural role-modeling process falls apart, and people face authenticity dilemmas that can hold them back from accepting feedback and heeding feedback that might otherwise be helpful.

Although questions like these can arise for anyone, they are exacerbated for people from underrepresented groups, who, because of the "not like me" problem, are more apt to find the behaviors and personality styles that serve as indicators of potential in traditional corporate cultures unappealing or unnatural. It's easy to feel your sense of authenticity compromised if you feel you have to go against your own nature to conform to tacit leadership requirements.

Would-be sponsors need to keep this set of challenges in mind. Even if protégés know and respect potential executive sponsors, they will not necessarily see all of them as people whose leadership styles they want to emulate.

But you can still be a great sponsor even if your protégés don't want to be just like you "when they grow up." You can provide stretch opportunities and advocate for them in promotion meetings, and you can connect them with other executives who might be more suitable role models. In doing all of this, it's critical that you recognize the authenticity dilemma that your protégés might be struggling with. Don't mistake their struggles on that front for a lack of confidence or commitment.

Learn and iterate with experience.

Some sponsor relationships last for decades and evolve in ways that are mutually beneficial, both personally and professionally; others never take off, or run their course after a short time. Likewise, some sponsorship initiatives sustainably increase the flow of protégés into senior roles; others devolve into little more than "tick-the-box" exercises.

We've found that few organizations get it right from the outset. Because of that, a mindset of learning and iteration is vital. A good example of how this can help came when one of the organizations mentioned above realized that it had a natural experiment it could learn from: One of its corporate sponsorship initiatives allowed protégés to select their own sponsors, and another relied on HR to handle the pairing. The leaders responsible for each of the programs are now comparing notes, in an effort to inform choices for next year's iteration. That kind of communication and collaboration can be enormously productive.

Finding ways to capture the experience and questions that arise for both sponsors and protégés as they get to know each other is also vital. For example, as a part of an executive-education program in which Herminia provides training for both groups, we learned that sponsors tend to get stuck in the middle range of the "sponsorship spectrum" (see Figure 1), which Herminia presented in her article on women and sponsorship last year. In that middle range, they're comfortable having strategic conversations and making network connections for their protégés (roles "2" and "3" on the spectrum) but not with providing high-visibility opportunities or advocacy (roles "4" and "5").

When we asked what it would take for them to feel comfortable moving up a notch, several said they wanted to see participants express more confidence. This led to a rich discussion about whether confidence should be earned or given, and about how evaluators mistakenly use expressions of confidence as a proxy for competence, particularly when assessing women - a discussion that was built into the next iteration of the training.

* * *

As the sense of urgency grows for better diversity, racial equity and inclusion outcomes, companies are being challenged to figure out what works. A robust approach to sponsorship, while far from being a magic bullet, offers a tangible roadmap toward real progress.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Want More Diverse Senior Leadership? Sponsor Junior Talent.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sponsorship is emerging as a valuable tool for increasing diversity in an organization's senior ranks. The authors define sponsorship as "a helping relationship in which seHernior, powerful people use their personal clout to talk up, advocate for, and place a more junior person in a key role."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
With renewed corporate attention to racial equity - and a growing body of evidence showing that diversity programs don't work, especially for Black employees - many companies are turning to a different approach for diversifying their pipelines to the top: sponsorship.

As Herminia described it in a recent article on increasing gender diversity at senior levels, sponsorship is a "helping relationship in which senior, powerful people use their personal clout to talk up, advocate for, and place a more junior person in a key role." Sponsors not only give feedback and advice, they also use their influence with other senior executives to advocate for your promotion and to ensure that you're visible to key decision-makers. Mentors share their knowledge, perspective, and experience, whereas sponsors wield their power on behalf of their protégés. This crucial difference makes sponsorship a valuable tool for actively promoting employees from underrepresented groups into senior positions, stretch assignments, and mission- critical roles.

Sponsorship efforts only work, however, if they are designed with care - pairing sponsors and protégés in ways that align with goals, training them on the impact of difference in career developmental relationships, and iterating on what they learn through experience. How you approach a sponsorship initiative can make all the difference between one that fails and one that achieves results, so take the time to get it right.

Know what you want and need.

Although most HR leaders understand the distinction between mentorship and sponsorship, when they enlist sponsors for employees from underrepresented groups, they often make choices that are more in line with enlisting mentors.

In one organization we worked with, for example, leaders aimed to increase sponsorship for their employees of color. But they worried that top executives would be over-solicited by their mid-level and early-career protégés, and so wondered if they would be better off simply defining a sponsor as "somebody who is senior to you." That's not good enough, though, because it can let senior executives off the hook. When it comes to promotion decisions, managers need position power in order to play a true sponsor role - which is to say, they need to be in the "room where it happens." To that end, we recommended selecting sponsors who are more senior than protégés' direct bosses.

Another organization we worked with wanted to provide sponsorship for women working at the two levels below the top leadership team. Three women who served as non-executive directors of the company wanted to help with the effort, and the CEO was eager to bring them in as sponsors. But when we all discussed the aims of the sponsorship program, we realized that these women, as company outsiders, would not be able to navigate political waters on behalf of their protégés or advocate for their promotion - both key sponsor roles. So we recommended to the CEO that they instead be enlisted as mentors, reserving the sponsor role for insiders - in this case, members of the executive committee.

This example also highlights an important point: Yes, sponsors are crucial, but enlisting them should not preclude protégés from building a broad and diverse network of helping relationships that can and should extend to peers and people outside their organization.

Consider how to best pair sponsors and protégés.

To be able to play the sponsor role, managers have to want to spend their hard-won political capital on their protégés - but they're only likely to feel that way if they've had sufficient exposure to their work and developed some chemistry. Thoughtful matchmaking on this front is important, and two key questions often arise here. Both involve trade-offs.

First, should sponsors and protégés be in the same business unit, function, or direct line?

It's complicated. To champion protégés with conviction, sponsors need to know how they perform and what they can deliver. Naturally, that's much easier if sponsors belong to the same unit as their protégés. But organizations often have multiple priorities to juggle in their matchmaking efforts. Many want to increase their protégés' visibility within the organization as a whole, for example, or to avoid intra-departmental politics. Others seek to provide role models for high potentials who are members of underrepresented race and ethnicity groups. Often that leads them to designate sponsors who work outside of their protégés' reporting lines.

In one organization we worked with, a number of the designated sponsors were located in different businesses and geographies than their protégés, a racially and ethnically diverse group - and this made it difficult for them to see and therefore vouch for their work. The HR leaders tried to reassure the sponsors by explaining that the protégés had been already vetted as high potential, and by encouraging the sponsors to reach out to the protégés' line managers. But, not surprisingly, even managers who are willing to sponsor and connect the participants are sometimes reluctant to put their hard-won political capital on the line for someone whose performance they themselves haven't scrutinized and evaluated.

Second, should sponsors and protégés be matched to be as similar as possible?

Ideally, yes. Having a similar background can help people click initially. This can be particularly helpful to up-and-coming juniors from underrepresented groups, who, naturally, want advice from seniors who have faced some of the same dilemmas and challenges as they have.

For example, research shows that employees who differ from the majority in religion, gender, sexual orientation, and/or socio-economic background often hide important parts of themselves at work for fear of negative consequences. A study by Patricia Faison Hewlin, at McGill University, found that Black employees often create "facades of conformity," suppressing their personal values, views, and attributes in order to do what they think is needed to fit in their organizations, and, as a result, feel deeply inauthentic. Likewise, a Center for Talent Innovation study found that a majority of Latinx executives modify their appearance, body language, and communication style in an effort to increase credibility at work, which also gives rise to feelings of inauthenticity.

Having sponsors who have experienced similar dilemmas helps a lot. But high-level executives from underrepresented groups are often in in short supply - far too short to sponsor all of the talented protégés below them. Not only that, the risk to their reputation from sponsoring can be much greater, because they're more likely to be seen as partisans if they choose to sponsor protégés of the same race, gender, or ethnicity. So matching for similarity has both advantages and limits.

Even without good matches for similarity, however, sponsorship has shown demonstrable benefits. A study conducted by David Smith and Brad Johnson at the U.S. Naval Academy and War College, for example, found that when women are sponsored by men, they make more money, get more promotions and have better career outcomes - not because men are better sponsors but because they have more power.

Train both sponsors and protégés to manage "like me" bias.

In human relationships, likes attract. Research has shown consistently that we are most likely to feel chemistry and build relationships with people who are most like us - in demographics, identity, and life experiences. That adds complexity to cross-race and cross-gender sponsorship relationships.

For one thing, when we code another person as "not like me," what we hear from them is less likely to resonate as true, valuable, or comprehensible, and we are less likely to give them the benefit of the doubt. In this situation, it is easy for protégés to feel that their sponsor's advice doesn't "fit" or make sense for them, and, when they don't act on it, sponsors, can easily feel that their protégés aren't receptive to their feedback.

To avoid these relationship tripwires, it's important that both sponsors and protégés understand the key role of identity and identification in learning from others. Herminia's research shows that when people acquire certain intangible leadership skills, such as how to exude gravitas or how to influence without authority, they do it by observing how successful people do it and then emulating them. But that's only one part of what they do. As they observe, they also ask two important questions: "Would what that person is doing work for me?" and "Do I want to be like them?" When the answer to either of those questions is "Maybe not," the natural role-modeling process falls apart, and people face authenticity dilemmas that can hold them back from accepting feedback and heeding feedback that might otherwise be helpful.

Although questions like these can arise for anyone, they are exacerbated for people from underrepresented groups, who, because of the "not like me" problem, are more apt to find the behaviors and personality styles that serve as indicators of potential in traditional corporate cultures unappealing or unnatural. It's easy to feel your sense of authenticity compromised if you feel you have to go against your own nature to conform to tacit leadership requirements.

Would-be sponsors need to keep this set of challenges in mind. Even if protégés know and respect potential executive sponsors, they will not necessarily see all of them as people whose leadership styles they want to emulate.

But you can still be a great sponsor even if your protégés don't want to be just like you "when they grow up." You can provide stretch opportunities and advocate for them in promotion meetings, and you can connect them with other executives who might be more suitable role models. In doing all of this, it's critical that you recognize the authenticity dilemma that your protégés might be struggling with. Don't mistake their struggles on that front for a lack of confidence or commitment.

Learn and iterate with experience.

Some sponsor relationships last for decades and evolve in ways that are mutually beneficial, both personally and professionally; others never take off, or run their course after a short time. Likewise, some sponsorship initiatives sustainably increase the flow of protégés into senior roles; others devolve into little more than "tick-the-box" exercises.

We've found that few organizations get it right from the outset. Because of that, a mindset of learning and iteration is vital. A good example of how this can help came when one of the organizations mentioned above realized that it had a natural experiment it could learn from: One of its corporate sponsorship initiatives allowed protégés to select their own sponsors, and another relied on HR to handle the pairing. The leaders responsible for each of the programs are now comparing notes, in an effort to inform choices for next year's iteration. That kind of communication and collaboration can be enormously productive.

Finding ways to capture the experience and questions that arise for both sponsors and protégés as they get to know each other is also vital. For example, as a part of an executive-education program in which Herminia provides training for both groups, we learned that sponsors tend to get stuck in the middle range of the "sponsorship spectrum" (see Figure 1), which Herminia presented in her article on women and sponsorship last year. In that middle range, they're comfortable having strategic conversations and making network connections for their protégés (roles "2" and "3" on the spectrum) but not with providing high-visibility opportunities or advocacy (roles "4" and "5").

When we asked what it would take for them to feel comfortable moving up a notch, several said they wanted to see participants express more confidence. This led to a rich discussion about whether confidence should be earned or given, and about how evaluators mistakenly use expressions of confidence as a proxy for competence, particularly when assessing women - a discussion that was built into the next iteration of the training.

* * *

As the sense of urgency grows for better diversity, racial equity and inclusion outcomes, companies are being challenged to figure out what works. A robust approach to sponsorship, while far from being a magic bullet, offers a tangible roadmap toward real progress.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Want More Diverse Senior Leadership? Sponsor Junior Talent.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sponsorship is emerging as a valuable tool for increasing diversity in an organization's senior ranks. The authors define sponsorship as "a helping relationship in which seHernior, powerful people use their personal clout to talk up, advocate for, and place a more junior person in a key role."

# data[].attributes.headline
Cultivating the Courage to Listen and the Ability to Hear

# data[].attributes.subject
Cultivating the Courage to Listen and the Ability to Hear

# data[].attributes.body
Alexa P. Schmid & Pamela Pappas, TIE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In its effort to embody and teach diversity, ISK staff grapple with questions such as, whose history are we telling, and what books should we be teaching? (ISK). ________________________________________________________________________ In the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, our school community started to grapple with some questions around diversity-diversity in the curriculum, diversity in our staffing, how we support our diverse student population, and how we support professional learning related to cultural proficiency for our community members. International School Kenya (ISK) is a North American-curriculum school catering to diplomats and other expatriates located in Nairobi, Kenya. Our students comprise over 65 nationalities, including Kenyans, and all the other facets that make up a diverse community: gender, religion, political views, race, cultural practices, sexual orientation, etc. As we started to dive into the work, we realized that we had more questions than answers, and so we formed an ad hoc Diversity Working Group (DWG) led by our Middle School Principal, Alexa Schmid, and our Communications Manager, Pamela Pappas, for the 2018-19 school year consisting of faculty, administrative staff, parents, and students. As a school administration, we determined the purpose of the group to be exploring and examining diversity at ISK, with expected outcomes being to learn, reflect, explore, and propose ways that ISK can deepen and strengthen our practices related to diversity. We have used The Appreciative Inquiry Approach (Cooperrider & Srivastva 1987), a strengths-based method of exploring and examining diversity at ISK. We have conducted this exploration through four areas of focus: 1. Global Citizenship and Curriculum: Ensure an evolving curriculum that deepens our understandings of cultures around the world while dispelling some of the myths associated with them. 2. Expand Cultural Proficiency & Sensitivity: Continue to build community through professional learning opportunities that expand our cultural proficiency. 3. Diverse Community: Reflect on how best to support our diverse student body. 4. Diverse Staffing: Continue to seek opportunities to diversify staff while maintaining our standards for exceptional educators who embrace our mission, vision, and educational aims. Global Citizenship & Curriculum At ISK, we aim to be intentional about our curriculum development, and this is one area where we believe we have some things to celebrate, but also continued room for growth. "Culturally responsive instruction resides firmly within a pluralist vision of society, recognizing that the cultures of different ethnic groups provide content worthy of inclusion in the curriculum" (Au 2009). For example, many of our math teachers pull from Engage NY resources that are aligned with the Common Core Math standards. However, our faculty are always looking for ways to adjust the story problems to make them more relevant and to have a stronger context for our students living in East Africa. When doing science labs, our teachers look for local and relevant data in Kenya. For example, Grade 8 students take a field trip walk to a nearby stream to collect water samples for analysis and study. Our elementary students explore different aspects of Kenyan history and government, and this also ties into the week-long Kenya InterCultural trips that students enjoy. This study continues into middle and high school, as students take Kenyan Studies class and an African Drumming class in Grade 6. Units on Kenya are also taught in World Civilizations classes offered to Grades 9 and 10. We are still grappling with questions such as: Whose history are we telling? What books do we select in our English classes and why? "Culturally responsive teachers help students to understand that knowledge has moral and political elements and consequences, which obligate them to take social action to promote freedom, equality, and justice for everyone" (Gay 2002). How are we ensuring that our students develop a spirit of service, global mindedness, and social justice? In what ways are we helping them to think critically about inequities, and empowering them to find solutions? Our mission charges us: "ISK inspires and nurtures passion, creativity, and ambition in pursuit of a better world" ("Mission, Vision & Educational Aims, International School of Kenya," n.d.). Expand Cultural Proficiency & Sensitivity We are committed to ensuring that ISK is a place where everyone loves to come to school. That means that people need to feel safe, and implies that there should be a foundation of trust, openness, and transparency. To support this work, we have had Dr. Fran Prolman visit us two years in a row to conduct a Transforming Schools Workshop with faculty and staff (Prolman 2017). During each of these visits, she has also supported us with meaningful exercises to explore stereotypes, reflect about where we are on the cultural proficiency spectrum, and consider the ways in which we intentionally think about facets of diversity within our curriculum. This has led ISK's leadership team to continue to implement these ideas in faculty meetings, to organize various community building exercises that help us to build trust, as well as to develop our empathy and understanding of the diversity within our community. To develop cultural proficiency in our students, our high school has started a new advisory program this year seeking, as stated in the High School Handbook, "to foster positive relationships, communication, trust, global mindedness, and the skills necessary to have a successful school transition into and out of ISK." In addition to social-emotional support and development, teachers are seeking opportunities to help students consider alternative perspectives, celebrate our rich diversity, and increase in empathy and cultural sensitivity. Our middle school also has an advisory program, and we have additionally looked for ways to incorporate cultural proficiency training into our student leadership seminars and biweekly assemblies. Diverse Community To explore the ways that we support our diverse student population, we hosted a Student Panel. Students recounted some upsetting stories about the discrimination, prejudice, and bullying they have experienced in their lives, and it spurred us to action, looking for further ways to create a culture of respect and inclusion. One step involved bringing focused conversations into our advisory program. Another included watching videos about Othering and Belonging (Santa Fe School, n.d.) in assembly and sparking conversation among students. A few students were inspired by this message and the idea of continuing to ensure that ISK is a safe place for all; as a result, we have created a Student Climate Committee with the purpose of increasing awareness about topics such as LGBTQ and bullying, as well as increasing a sense of inclusion and belonging. This event took place in October-Bullying Prevention Month-which encouraged us to continue looking for opportunities to provide a supportive and accepting environment for all members of our community. Diverse Staffing ISK currently has a faculty of 130+ from 18 different nationalities who bring a vast array of experiences and knowledge to our community. We value diversity and want to ensure that we are looking in the right places for candidates who have the training and qualities that align with our mission, vision, and educational aims. Among the questions we are asking ourselves: What is our ultimate goal related to diversity in our staffing? For example, do we want a certain ratio of male teachers in elementary school? Do we want a certain percentage of our faculty to be people of color? What about representation from the other continents or ethnicities? To what extent should our faculty mirror our student population? While we are exploring these questions, we are hoping to reflect on our values as a school and continually search for teaching candidates who have a strong connection with our vision and will also support our diverse community, through their attributes and their cultural proficiency. Looking to the Future While the work has been uncertain or challenging at times, with conflicting views from various community members and wrenching stories from students, we believe in it. We are inspired to continue these important conversations in our community, as we think with intentionality about how diversity aligns with our school's mission, vision, and values. "This working group is an amazing opportunity to see beyond our personal narratives and share our experiences in a respectful and inclusive environment," stated a member of the Diversity Working Group. "Moving forward, as an elementary school parent and high school teacher, it is my hope that this group will acknowledge as many diverse voices as possible to create and nurture a common positive sense of belonging to the ISK community." Alexa P. Schmid is the Middle School Principal at the International School of Kenya. She is currently working on her Doctor of Education degree from Plymouth State University, and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia. Pamela Pappas is Communications Manager at the International School of Kenya.

MORE FROM

FEATURED ARTICLES

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cultivating the Courage to Listen and the Ability to Hear | The International Educator (TIE Online)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In its effort to embody and teach diversity, ISK staff grapple with questions such as, whose history are we telling, and what books should we be teaching? (ISK).

# data[].attributes.body
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership

# data[].attributes.headline
An Antiracist Roadmap for Discussing Tough Topics in Our Classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
An Antiracist Roadmap for Discussing Tough Topics in Our Classroom

# data[].attributes.body
Rann Miller, Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Culturally Responsive Teaching

This long-term strategy for guiding conversations on topics like racism requires prep work to ensure that the classroom is truly inclusive of all students.

Stígur Már Karlsson / Heimsmyndir / iStock

Discussions about racism and how to proactively address it are happening among White educators, and that's a good thing. There's no perfect formula for becoming an antiracist teacher, but on the Damascus road toward antiracism, the first thing is to understand the terms racism and antiracism.

Dr. Ibram Kendi, founder of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University and author of the book How to Be an Antiracist, defines racism as the "marriage of racist policies and racist ideas that produces and normalizes racial inequities." Antiracism is the opposite-measures that eliminate racial inequity on the basis that racist policies are the cause of racial inequities.

For Kendi, you cannot identify yourself as "not racist" absent identifying yourself as an antiracist-being an antiracist is the only alternative to being a racist. Simply being neutral isn't enough for Kendi: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that "the hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral during times of great moral conflict."

Exploring These Definitions in Action

With these terms defined, you can explore how racism plays out within society, the community where you live and work, and your school. Racism is designed to maintain White supremacy, which Dr. Crystal Fleming defines as the social, political and economic dominance of people socially defined as "White."

Some people define racism as something within a person's heart rather than policies and ideas that shape the experiences of racial groups, but Fleming says that White supremacy is maintained from one generation to another through socialization, the process through which our families, peer groups, and social environments shape our behaviors, beliefs, and identities. For Fleming, it's not what's in your heart that matters because we live in a racist society and racism is all around us.

Teachers seeking be antiracist can next explore the connections between how racism in society informs racism within their school and how racism within their school helps to maintain racism within communities-and how these things maintain White supremacy.

Exploring racism in real time to understand how it works is critical to the ability to speak on it. This only happens, however, when terms are clearly defined.

Is your method or philosophy of teaching student-centered-accounting for your students' strengths, needs, culture, and experiences, in addition to what they learn and how they learn it? Or is it teacher- or administrator-centered-focused only on students achieving benchmarks in a one-size-fits-all approach? Concern for what and how students learn is important, but a benchmark is incomplete when it is centered only on the display of a learned skill rather than on a display of the skill and its acquiring under an equitable set of circumstances. If you're not factoring in how a student's history of experiences and culture informs their classroom experience and performance, you're doing a disservice to the student.

Does your teaching utilize culture and community as a foundation for collaboratively building new knowledge, using core content knowledge for the purpose of building skills like critical thinking and problem solving in order to empower students and strengthen communities? Or is your teaching limited to lecturing, memorization, or reading aloud, whereby you talk and identify what students need to know and your students are to listen and obey? That may seem archaic, but I've seen teachers who continue to teach this way. Even if teachers use engaging techniques that make learning fun, education must involve a greater purpose rather than simply conveying information. Learning the game of basketball may be fun, but it is without purpose if I never play the game-we must likewise encourage students to see a purpose in their schoolwork.

Are you utilizing resources such as texts, artifacts, images, documents, and stories that are reflective of the racial and ethnic demographics of your classroom, school, community, and society at large in order to affirm the identity, history, and humanity of your students? Or are your resources limited to items that reflect a Eurocentric framing of intelligence, history, beauty, and humanity?

Assessing Your Classroom

Having defined key terms and examined them in action, the next step is to determine whether your classroom-instruction, assessment, content resources, and discipline management-is a racist or antiracist classroom. To determine that, you must ask yourself some key questions:

Establishing a Classroom Centered on Community

Organize desks in a circle and provide yourself a seat in that circle. This creates a community among your students and brings you in as part of that community.

Introduce debating rules and facilitate organized debates. This framing normalizes discourse procedure whereby procedure becomes culture.

Ask your students to address each other by their last name-Mr. Smith, Ms. Jones-and you do the same. This reminds all within your community that everyone is of value and worthy of respect. This was a norm of my classroom culture at all times, not just during debates.

Prime students for discussions with questions for which they must read and do research to get informed prior to the discussion, establishing that facts and evidence must inform interests and passion-driven opinions.

Never excommunicate anyone from the circle or community. Always reprove in love, then rectify or remedy the violation and restore the student. This establishes your community as one not of punishment but justice.

When I taught, I frequently engaged my students in conversations about racism, police brutality, and income inequality. I did this with students from grades 7 through 12. To do that, we established a community in which we established and protected our sacred space as one of shared ideas, transparency, intimacy, respect of truth and all voices.

For tough discussions, we would use these norms:

As I mentioned earlier, there's no perfect formula for becoming an antiracist teacher. Nevertheless, these action items are critical to becoming the person you hope to be and the teacher all students desperately need.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
An Antiracist Roadmap for Discussing Tough Topics in Class

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This long-term strategy for guiding conversations on topics like racism requires prep work to ensure that the classroom is truly inclusive of all students.

# data[].attributes.body
Adaptive Schools

# data[].attributes.body
Jennifer Eberhardt

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How racial bias works -- and how to disrupt it

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our brains create categories to make sense of the world, recognize patterns and make quick decisions. But this ability to categorize also exacts a heavy toll in the form of unconscious bias. In this powerful talk, psychologist Jennifer L. Eberhardt explores how our biases unfairly target Black people at all levels of society -- from schools and social media to policing and criminal justice -- and discusses how creating points of friction can help us actively interrupt and address this troubling problem.

# data[].attributes.headline
Dr. Gholdy Muhammed Discusses Black Lives Matter

# data[].attributes.subject
Dr. Gholdy Muhammed Discusses Black Lives Matter

# data[].attributes.body
Author of Cultivating Genius,
Scholastic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this Q&A, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, author of Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy, describes a path forward to help educators weave equity, anti-racism, anti-oppression, cultural responsiveness and the Black Lives Matter movement into pedagogy. Read the full interview below.
Q: The murder of George Floyd and the urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement are top of mind for us and for everyone right now. What have you been hearing from the educators you work with about how this is affecting them? How has this impacted you and your work?
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad: I'm hearing more urgency from educators to put the work around equity, anti-racism, and cultural responsiveness at the center and at the top. Throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries in the United States, educators, scholars, and researchers said this work needed to be urgent, but Black lives continue to be taken. I think the pandemic and the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have made folks see this differently, and it has come into their hearts and minds as more of an urgent topic. So we have to think about authentic anti-racist practices.

I'm hearing that educators are trying to do more equitable work, and trying to rethink their pedagogy and curricula. For example, people are now creating Ethnic Studies courses and U.S. Black History courses for their high schools. So I'm seeing a shift in thinking, in curricula, and in the goals we set out for learning.

This is what my book Cultivating Genius is all about. I have been asked to speak a lot more about these topics. And when I do, I'm not just speaking to the hearts and minds of educators, but also to their hands. I'm asking them to consider: How does this look in leadership practices, pedagogy, and when designing curricula and lesson plans?
Q: What can teachers and administrators do right now to address issues of police violence, protests, and social justice with their students who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and their white students?
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad: The first thing I will say is what you should not do, which is be silent on what's happening or ignore it. It is very dangerous and harmful to pretend that racism doesn't happen or that it hasn't happened. And unfortunately, I see that a lot.

I once had a teacher tell me, "I don't see racism and racial injustice in my school, so why should I teach about it?" I said, "Do you see it in society?" And the teacher responded, "If I do or if I don't, it doesn't matter. It doesn't make its way into the school." And that's just not true. This happened to be the same week that there were racist and anti-Semitic drawings found on the school's walls. And even when it was right there is front of the teacher, it was still not "there" to her.

Often in our minds, if we're not deeply affected by something, if the people who are having the violence forced upon their lives don't look like us, or we don't connect to their lives, we ignore it. We pretend that it's not there and keep teaching in ways that make us comfortable. So what teachers and administrators can do right now is disrupt the norms, disrupt the things that they may have typically done to not bring it up, and really think about how their leadership practices and teaching practices are enabling identity development and learning the truth about people of color. This includes teaching about people of color and teaching about people who are in support of Black lives. In regards to my Historically Responsive Literacy Framework, educators can ask themselves how skills are enabling this teaching. Educators can ask themselves what new knowledge they are teaching, and how they are teaching their students to disrupt and understand oppression. These things need to happen.

For example, I tell principals all the time that they can disrupt their staff meetings. Play music, highlight a teacher, or highlight a person of color. Let them know that this is authentically embedded into your leadership.

What is problematic is when we tokenize Black Lives Matter by putting it as a spark question at the top of our agenda or lesson plan, and then we don't address it any more. For example, "How has the death of George Floyd affected you?" That's a powerful question. But we can't just ask it and have that be it. We have to weave it into the fabric and the culture of our schools and our classrooms.

What teachers and administrators need to do right now is not ignore it. Bring in texts, teach about it. Your staff meeting is like a classroom. Teach Black Lives Matter to your teachers. Teach them the history of it. Ask them questions. Create a space where they can analyze, where they can feel, where they can think about their pedagogy and different ways forward. And teachers can then bring this into their math, science, social studies, and ELA curricula. You can't just pretend that it's not there.
Q: How do we ensure that this work is sustainable in the classroom?
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad: True sustainability happens when we change the systems and structures of education in the United States. Sometimes I take three-mile morning walks around my neighborhood, and I think about my whole plan for restructuring the education system in the United States. I wholeheartedly believe that we need learning standards, or what I call in Cultivating Genius learning pursuits, that are equitable, more excellent, and more complete. They should speak to the goals of identity and criticality just as much as they speak to goals of skills and intellectualism, because these learning standards and pursuits are going to inform the curricula that publishing companies write, teacher evaluations, and the state tests. For true sustainability, these different areas of our education system need to be transformed.

Now, while we have the system we have, of course we can still do this work. For true sustainability in the classroom today, with what we have, it starts with leadership. The leadership has to support our teachers. You have to say Black Lives Matter, and that has to be part of your leadership vision. Even beyond rhetoric, you have to support teachers, and show them what this type of teaching looks like. Model it. Get them from point A to point B. It's all about leadership.

Then I would say, for the work to be sustainable, we have to put the right materials in front of teachers to support them in the teaching of this. I'm always a teacher. As someone who writes curricula and teaches students on a regular basis, it takes a long time for me to find materials to teach with. And they're there. I can find them with research. But for it to really be sustainable, let's give teachers the supports and resources through reimaged professional learning opportunities, through materials, and through modeling.
Q: In your book Cultivating Genius, you share a four-part equity framework for historically responsive literacy instruction that is rooted in Black excellence: identity development, skill development, intellectual development, and criticality. How does this historical blueprint connect to teaching the history being made today?
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad: It's funny-I heard one of the teachers who supports this work call it the Historical Black Print!

The needs we've had historically are the same needs we have today. This starts from the time of the New England Primer, the first textbook for elementary school students to teach them reading in the 1600s. In the 1600s, skills were not enough. It was never enough, and it's not enough today.

I think the Historically Responsive Literacy Framework gives more opportunity to prepare teachers and students for anti-oppression and anti-racism for a better humanity. If you're talking about any current event today, you're going to need to think about yourself as related to that current event. You need to become smarter about it, you need to understand the skills, and you need to be able to critique it and interrogate it. All of that is criticality. The framework prepares you for living today, full living, just as it prepared Black people and other abolitionists historically. It prepares you to not contribute to oppression.

In my work, I define oppression in many different scales, including wrongdoing and also violence. It could be a long continuum. And oppression can just be looking at someone in a mean way, or judging them with your eyes. We want our students to have healthy relationships with themselves and with others. We don't want them to treat each other unfairly or wrongly, or oppress one another. As a matter of fact, we want them to disrupt oppression when they see it.

Oppression is a problem of the world. It's the inhumanity of the world. We're trying to help our students leave our schools and make the world a better place. We cannot keep repeating the same history.

So many times we have identical pictures from the past and today, and it almost looks like the same picture of pain and suffering. It's time for a new way forward so that we are not here again in another five, 10, 20 years, looking at pictures across decades that are the same oppression, the same images, the same context. We want to make better and stronger progress. This blueprint is designed to improve the future and hopefully touch the minds, hearts, and social emotional well-being of our students and our teachers so they can live complete and quality lives.

I know that one pedagogical model isn't going to save the world. We need healthcare, we need wellness, we need improvements in so many parts of our society. But this is something that can be within the strand of education if other folks do their work in society that can move us toward those goals.
Q: You have also addressed deficit thinking on the part of teachers, and the traumatic impact it can have on their students. What resources and actions do you recommend for educators who want to understand anti-racism and challenge both internal and systemic biases?
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad: There are a lot of readings and books available, as well as people who are doing this work, but I don't suggest a lot of the books that are out there right now. Whatever you read, you have to really study the author, what they are about, and what they're speaking about. If they're writing about anti-racism, and they don't bring in any Black historic scholarship, I question it, because I don't know how you leave that part out of the puzzle. I also question titles that don't talk about intersectionality of race, class, gender, and Black women's involvement. Black women have been at the center of intersectionality, because they have been oppressed uniquely in so many different categories, so their voices are important, and they have something to say. If that's not a part of the conversation, I really question the text.

With that said, there are a lot of useful readings across young adult literacy, picture books, and professional titles out right now, but I really suggest that teachers and educators go to primary source documents and the root of a lot of this work. Read from people like Mary McLeod Bethune, Carter G. Woodson, Anna Julia Cooper, Maria Stewart, and Frederick Douglass. Try to go back to history. This is important. That's why in Cultivating Genius I introduce each chapter with a historical artifact. You have to cultivate your mind before you act.

You also have to be well. Consider resources in terms of reading for healing, joining healing circles with other educators or friends, and therapy, because this work is really hard and heavy. Educator, author, and activist Bettina Love also suggests anti-racist therapy, because if you are not well, and if you carry the trauma, or if you carry racism inside of you, you cannot move forward with this work. You have to get well. And that's with anything we do in life.

I really suggest starting with the self-wellness first, and then move toward historical readings, and understanding, and then start to think about pedagogy. Write an anti-racist lesson plan or a unit plan using the Historically Responsive Literacy Framework as a starting point, and see how students respond to it. That's the action, and that's a way to start really changing the internal biases and doing the internal work.

As for the systemic changes needed, that's the work I'm trying to tackle along with so many other educators. We're trying to work with publishing companies to make it happen. For example, Bettina Love and her Abolitionist Teaching Network are trying to push for more systemic resources (i.e., curricula, equity standards, frameworks for leadership) for teachers and educators. Right now they're creating a guidebook on returning to school. I think we all have to consider our different energies, our time, and what we're able to do.
Q: Looking ahead to the new academic year in the fall and beyond, what self-reflective questions should educators consider for themselves and their teaching practices?
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad: I think the first question educators need to ask themselves is, "Am I well?" Again, it has to start with ourselves. And if we don't feel well mentally or physically, we have to ask ourselves how we are going to take care of ourselves. Being a teacher is already very difficult. There's no job on earth like it. And all of the changes and uncertainty can produce a lot of anxiety for teachers. We're used to being in control of our classrooms, and we're evaluated on that sense of control. Now that teachers have less control over what will happen with back-to-school, personal wellness has to be a priority.

The second question is, "Am I giving myself grace?" When I work with teachers, I will ask them how their heart is, and how they are feeling. Because of all of the anxiety, they're putting a lot of pressure on themselves. Even though the state tests have gone away for a short time, they're creating new pressures to put on themselves. But we have to show grace. We are living in a time unlike any we have experienced before. Be graceful with yourself. Show mercy for yourself. Say, "You know what, it's OK. I may not have figured it all out today, but tomorrow, I'll come closer to trying."

Then, as teachers think about anti-racism, equity, and historically responsive education, they should ask themselves, "What have I done in my daily life today to be anti-oppressive?" This could include how you treated someone, greeted someone, or spoke to someone on your trail. This is important because anti-oppression needs to be a part of your life. It cannot just be a part of your teaching practices.

Then, teachers should ask themselves how and why they are doing this work. I have to ask myself this every day, because it gets heavy, and it gets overwhelming. It may feel so heavy that you just don't want to do it anymore. But think about how it is going to help your students and help the world. Think about how it will bring wholeness to you. Reminding ourselves of why is powerful.

This is really a starting point. Always keep asking yourself, "What do I know? What am I still trying to understand?" We all have gaps in our knowledge, so if we are honest with ourselves, we can seek knowledge and truth.
Q: Lastly, we want to know: what are you reading right now?
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad: I'm reading On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. I'm a fan of her work, and I just completed an intensive STEM hip-hop literacy camp for kids in grades 6-8 that is grounded in Black literary societies of the 1800s. We gave the students "STEM is LIT(eracies)" goody bags, and On the Come Up was one of the books included.

We wanted to provide literature and other resources that were related to STEM, sound, music, and hip-hop. The camp was a really beautiful experience that helped students pursue joy and intellect. Each day, the students didn't want it to end!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad Discusses the Black Lives Matter Movement and Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this Q&A, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, author of Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy , describes a path forward to help educators weave equity, anti-racism, anti-oppression, cultural responsiveness and the Black Lives Matter movement into pedagogy. Read the full interview below.

# data[].attributes.body
If you want to understand what’s wrong with our public schools, you have to look at what is arguably the most powerful force in shaping them: white parents. A five-part series from Serial Productions, a New York Times Company. Hosted by Chana Joffe-Walt

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you want to understand what’s wrong with our public schools, you have to look at what is arguably the most powerful force in shaping them: white parents. A five-part series from the makers of Serial and The New York Times. Hosted by Chana Joffe-Walt.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.schoolcolorspodcast.com/

# data[].attributes.headline
Talking About Race ~         Ibram X. Kendi

# data[].attributes.subject
Talking About Race ~         Ibram X. Kendi

# data[].attributes.body
Smithsonian
*Thank you, Liz Duffy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
National Museum of African American History and Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Race does not biologically exist, yet how we identify with race is so powerful, it influences our experiences and shapes our lives. In a society that privileges white people and whiteness, racist ideas are considered normal throughout our media, culture, social systems, and institutions. Historically, racist views justified the unfair treatment and oppression of people of color (including enslavement, segregation, internment, etc.). We can be led to believe that racism is only about individual mindsets and actions, yet racist policies also contribute to our polarization. While individual choices are damaging, racist ideas in policy have a wide-spread impact by threatening the equity of our systems and the fairness of our institutions. To create an equal society, we must commit to making unbiased choices and being antiracist in all aspects of our lives.

Being antiracist is fighting against racism. Racism takes several forms and works most often in tandem with at least one other form to reinforce racist ideas, behavior, and policy. Types of racism are:

Individual racism​ refers to the beliefs, attitudes, and actions of individuals that support or perpetuate racism in conscious and unconscious ways. The U.S. cultural narrative about racism typically focuses on individual racism and fails to recognize systemic racism.
Examples include believing in the superiority of white people, not hiring a person of color because "something doesn't feel right," or telling a racist joke.

Interpersonal racism​ occurs between individuals. These are public expressions of racism, often involving slurs, biases, or hateful words or actions.

Institutional racism​ occurs in an organization. These are discriminatory treatments, unfair policies, or biased practices based on race that result in inequitable outcomes for whites over people of color and extend considerably beyond prejudice. These institutional policies often never mention any racial group, but the intent is to create advantages.
Example: A school system where students of color are more frequently distributed into the most crowded classrooms and underfunded schools and out of the higher-resourced schools.

Structural racism​ is the overarching system of racial bias across institutions and society. These systems give privileges to white people resulting in disadvantages to people of color.
Example: Stereotypes of people of color as criminals in mainstream movies and media. ​

No one is born racist or antiracist; these result from the choices we make. Being antiracist results from a conscious decision to make frequent, consistent, equitable choices daily. These choices require ongoing self-awareness and self-reflection as we move through life. In the absence of making antiracist choices, we (un)consciously uphold aspects of white supremacy, white-dominant culture, and unequal institutions and society. Being racist or antiracist is not about who you are; it is about what you do.

To be antiracist is a radical choice in the face of history, requiring a radical reorientation of our consciousness. Ibram Kendi "How to be an Antiracist"

The quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself.

Being Antiracist at the Individual and Interpersonal Level
When we choose to be antiracist, we become actively conscious about race and racism and take actions to end racial inequities in our daily lives. Being antiracist is believing that racism is everyone's problem, and we all have a role to play in stopping it. In " The Racial Healing Handbook," Dr. Anneliese A. Singh reminds us of the importance of being purposeful: "You need the intentional mindset of Yep, this racism thing is everyone's problem-including mine, and I'm going to do something about it."

Being antiracist is different for white people than it is for people of color. For white people, being antiracist evolves with their racial identity development. They must acknowledge and understand their privilege, work to change their internalized racism, and interrupt racism when they see it. For people of color, it means recognizing how race and racism have been internalized, and whether it has been applied to other people of color.

All racial groups struggle under white supremacy. People of color groups are not always united in solidarity. People of color can act by challenging internalized white supremacy and interrupting patterns of prejudice against other racial groups. For everyone, it is an ongoing practice and process.
As a White Person or a Person of Color, Read More About Becoming Antiracist

Stop and Think!

Why do you want to be antiracist? Considering the breadth and depth of racism, committing to being antiracist may feel overwhelming yet small choices made daily can add up to big changes. Reflect on choices you make in your daily life (i.e., who you build relationships with, what media you follow, where you shop). How do these choices reflect being antiracist?

A Questioning Frame of Mind
A commitment to being antiracist manifests in our choices. When we encounter interpersonal racism, whether obvious or covert, there are ways to respond and interrupt it. Asking questions is a powerful tool to seek clarity or offer a new perspective. Below are some suggestions to use in conversations when racist behavior occurs:

Seek clarity: "Tell me more about __________."

Offer an alternative perspective: "Have you ever considered __________."

Speak your truth: "I don't see it the way you do. I see it as __________."

Find common ground: "We don't agree on __________ but we can agree on __________."

Give yourself the time and space you need: "Could we revisit the conversation about __________ tomorrow."

Set boundaries. "Please do not say __________ again to me or around me.

A trigger is something that causes an emotional and or physical reaction which impacts how you respond and or interact with another person or group of people.

As you practice, take note of your responses and ask: How am I processing the experience? What body sensations do I have? What is my emotional reaction? Notice what triggers your response and how it manifests in your body.

Another practical step is to uncover your own bias. In the video below, Verna Myers talks about acknowledging your biases in her Ted Talk:

Being antiracist on the individual and interpersonal levels is only part of the work. To end racism, we must also work to dismantle racist policies at the structural and institutional levels.

Example of Being Antiracist at the Institutional Level
Institutional racism is the policies and practices within institutions that benefit white people to the disadvantage of people of color. An example of institutional racism is how children of color are treated within the U.S. education system. On average, children of color are disciplined more harshly than their white peers. They are also less likely to be identified as gifted and have less access to quality teachers. Racism in schools can and does have severe consequences for students and our future.

When I say antiracist education, I am talking about equipping students, parents, and teachers with the tools needed to combat racism and ethnic discrimination, and to find ways to build a society that includes all people on an equal footing.

Antiracist education is a theory of learning and action to help us do the important work of dismantling racism in schools. It explicitly highlights, critiques, and challenges institutional racism. It addresses how racist beliefs and ideologies structure one-on-one interactions and personal relationships. It also examines and challenges how institutions support and maintain disadvantages and advantages along racial lines.

Antiracist education, while considering class, race, and gender inequity, places race at the center of its analysis. Focusing on race exposes direct links to unequal power, a system of oppression and privilege, and institutional practices.

One of the early formulations of antiracist education was developed by social science researchers, Carol Tator and Frances Henry, in Canada. It lists nine key traits.

Developing routines to make antiracist choices is a daily commitment that must be carried out with intention. The continued efforts of each of us individually can add up to a lasting change in our society. Since racism operates at multiple levels, we have to make antiracist choices at the various levels - individual, interpersonal, and institutional - to eradicate racism from the structures and fabric of our society. In "How to Be an Antiracist," Dr. Ibram Kendi writes, "[We must] believe in the possibility that we can strive to be antiracist from this day forward. Believe in the possibility that we can transform our societies to be antiracist from this day forward. Racist power is not godly. Racist policies are not indestructible. Racial inequities are not inevitable. Racist ideas are not natural to the human mind."

Let's Think

How have racist ideas impacted your daily life? Reflect and process - you may choose to sit in quiet reflection or write in your journal.

EDUCATORS: Read "The Urgent Need for Anti-Racist Education," by Christina Torres. She writes that antiracist education has an important role to play in fighting against hatred and violence. What benefits do you think could result from having discussions with young people about current events involving race and racism?

Let's Talk

The Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University contends that racist policies fuel racist beliefs and behaviors and keep us divided in society.

By yourself, divide two pieces of paper into 4 sections. Write the following categories, one in each section, on the page: Education, Healthcare Treatment, Neighborhoods/Housing, Criminal Justice. Do this for both pages.

On the first sheet, jot down 2-3 racial groups of people you think get the best service/experience/outcomes in America for each category. You can repeat groups.

On the second sheet, jot down 2-3 racial groups of people you think get the worst service/experience/outcomes in America for each category. You can repeat groups.

Now, with a partner discuss what old and newer, you believe might account for these groups' experiences.

With your partner, return to each racial group you've listed, one at a time. Search the internet, look up the racial group, one of the four categories, and the word "policy" (limit your search to U.S. policies and seek out fact-based sources). Browse through the results for things that strike you.

Discuss with your partner:

Was it easy or difficult to find useful information on policies in these categories having to do with race? Why do you think that was?

For those racial groups that you thought had the best service/experience/outcomes, were you able to identify specific policies that helped them? Why yes? Or why not?

How do you think policies can be hidden or difficult to see in operation?

What did you discover that was new to you?

Were you wrong about anything you thought? How did you find out?

Was there anything uncomfortable about this exercise? Why yes? Or why not?

How can our learning about policies, racial groups, and outcomes help support anti-racism efforts?

Let's Act

Watch these two videos on Implicit Bias:

How can you hang out authentically with folks of some common interest, across racial lines?

EDUCATORS: Consider your current classroom or academic space. What one small shift can you do to strive to be more antiracist?

Visit the "Antiracism and America" web series developed by American University's Antiracist Research and Policy Center and The Guardian news outlet.

Pick a story to read. As you reflect on the story, think about what you learned that was new, how the story made you feel, how race shaped the experience of the storyteller and your response. You may choose to process this mentally, with a friend or in writing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
No one is born racist or antiracist; these result from the choices we make. Being antiracist results from a conscious decision to make frequent, consistent, equitable choices daily. These choices require ongoing self-awareness and self-reflection as we move through life.

# data[].attributes.body
The difference between "not racist" and antiracist  *Thank you, Liz Duffy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ibram X. Kendi: The difference between being "not racist" and antiracist

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There is no such thing as being "not racist," says author and historian Ibram X. Kendi. In this vital conversation, he defines the transformative concept of antiracism to help us more clearly recognize, take responsibility for and reject prejudices in our public policies, workplaces and personal beliefs.

# data[].attributes.body
Kwame Alexander, Karyn Parsons, Cornelius Minor, Pam Allyn, Tiffany Jewell, Noni Thomas Lopez-Gordon, International Literacy Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Raise and Teach Anti-Racist Kids | International Literacy Association ကို တိုက်ရိုက်ထုတ်လွှင့်ခဲ့သည်။ | By International Literacy Association | Facebook

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
၉.၂သောင်း views, ၇၀၄ likes, ၁.၁ထောင် loves, ၃.၁ထောင် comments, ၁.၁ထောင် shares, Facebook Watch Videos from International Literacy Association: International Literacy Association ကို...

# data[].attributes.headline
Harvard EdCast: Talking "the Talk" About Race

# data[].attributes.subject
Harvard EdCast: Talking "the Talk" About Race

# data[].attributes.body
Columbia University Assistant Professor Raygine DiAquoi

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How do black parents communicate information to their children about their personal and group identities as it relates to race, intergroup relationships, and their place in the racial hierarchy? It's a delicate and challenging talk to have, says Columbia University Assistant Professor Raygine DiAquoi, Ed.M.'11, Ed.D.'15. But parents of minority children have been having this talk for generations.

"While it's a feature of black life, or a feature of the lives of many minoritized populations, it is also very much a public part of American life," says DiAquoi. "The talk reflects what's happening with us as a society racially."

After the shooting of Trayvon Martin, DiAquoi began to explore how "the talk" - specifically black parents speaking to their sons - has changed over the years, looking at four different periods in American history. Her findings, detailed in the Harvard Educational Review article, Symbols in the Strange Fruit Seeds: What "the Talk" Black Parents Have with Their Sons Tells Us About Racism, were surprising: Despite what seems like progess in our society, "the talk" really hasn't changed. Are we standing still, or worse, moving backwards?

"This has great implications for all of us,"says DiAquoi. "This isn't just a black issue; this is an American issue that I think is unique to America in many ways."

In this edition of the Harvard EdCast, DiAquoi looks at how today's parents have these conversations about race and discrimination with their sons and what educators can do to build on those lessons.

About the Harvard EdCast

The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series of podcasts, available on the Harvard University iTunes U page, that features a 15-20 minute conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Matt Weber and co-produced by Jill Anderson, the Harvard EdCast is a space for educational discourse and openness, focusing on the myriad issues and current events related to the field.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Harvard EdCast: Talking "the Talk" About Race

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How do black parents communicate information to their children about their personal and group identities as it relates to race, intergroup relationships, and their place in the racial hierarchy? It's a delicate and challenging talk to have, says Columbia University Assistant Professor Raygine DiAquoi, Ed.M.'11, Ed.D.'15.

# data[].attributes.headline
Dr. Maya Angelou Shares The Poem, The Slave Market

# data[].attributes.subject
Dr. Maya Angelou Shares The Poem, The Slave Market

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dr. Maya Angelou Shares The Poem, The Slave Market

# data[].attributes.headline
Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi - “Stamped” and the Story of Racism in the U.S. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi - “Stamped” and the Story of Racism in the U.S. 

# data[].attributes.body
Trevor Noah, The Daily Show

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi - “Stamped” and the Story of Racism in the U.S. | The Daily Show

# data[].attributes.body
Dr. Robin DiAngelo, Seattle Channel

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dr. Robin DiAngelo discusses 'White Fragility'

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Be an Antiracist ~ Ibram X. Kendi

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Be an Antiracist ~ Ibram X. Kendi

# data[].attributes.body
The Aspen Institute

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Be an Antiracist ~ Ibram X. Kendi

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Be an Antiracist ~ Ibram X. Kendi

# data[].attributes.body
Waterstones

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

# data[].attributes.headline
Implicit Bias: Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Racism

# data[].attributes.subject
Implicit Bias: Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Racism

# data[].attributes.body
Point of View, PBS - Thank you, Dr. Dana Watts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
POV | Implicit Bias: Peanut Butter, Jelly and Racism | PBS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What does implicit bias have to do with peanut butter?

# data[].attributes.headline
Brené with Ibram X. Kendi on How to Be an AntiracistUnlocking Us with Brené Brown

# data[].attributes.subject
Brené with Ibram X. Kendi on How to Be an AntiracistUnlocking Us with Brené Brown

# data[].attributes.body
Apple Podcasts

# data[].attributes.headline
Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds in Conversation

# data[].attributes.subject
Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds in Conversation

# data[].attributes.body
School Library Journal

# data[].attributes.body
Scene On Radio

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Just what is going on with white people? Police shootings of unarmed African Americans. Acts of domestic terrorism by white supremacists. The renewed embrace of raw, undisguised white-identity politics. Unending racial inequity in schools, housing, criminal justice, and hiring. Some of this feels new, but in truth it's an old story.

Why? Where did the notion of "whiteness" come from? What does it mean? What is whiteness for?

Scene on Radio host and producer John Biewen took a deep dive into these questions, along with an array of leading scholars and regular guest Dr. Chenjerai Kumanyika, in this fourteen-part documentary series, released between February and August 2017. The series editor is Loretta Williams.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Just what is going on with white people? Police shootings of unarmed African Americans. Acts of domestic terrorism by white supremacists. The renewed embrace of raw, undisguised white-identity politics. Unending racial inequity in schools, housing, criminal justice, and hiring. Some of this feels ne

# data[].attributes.body
National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
National Museum of African American History and Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On "Freedom's Eve," or the eve of January 1, 1863, the first Watch Night services took place. On that night, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes all across the country awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. At the stroke of midnight, prayers were answered as all enslaved people in Confederate States were declared legally free. Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched onto plantations and across cities in the south reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation spreading the news of freedom in Confederate States. Only through the Thirteenth Amendment did emancipation end slavery throughout the United States.

But not everyone in Confederate territory would immediately be free. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as " Juneteenth," by the newly freed people in Texas.

The post-emancipation period known as Reconstruction (1865-1877) marked an era of great hope, uncertainty, and struggle for the nation as a whole. Formerly enslaved people immediately sought to reunify families, establish schools, run for political office, push radical legislation and even sue slaveholders for compensation. Given the 200+ years of enslavement, such changes were nothing short of amazing. Not even a generation out of slavery, African Americans were inspired and empowered to transform their lives and their country.

Juneteenth marks our country's second independence day. Although it has long celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans.

The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times. The National Museum of African American History and Cultureis a community space where this spirit of hope lives on. A place where historical events like Juneteenth are shared and new stories with equal urgency are told.

View Our Juneteenth Digital Toolkit

As you celebrate Juneteenth this year, the museum offers additional resources to help you embrace the rich history of Freedom Day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Juneteenth is an often overlooked event in our nation's history. On June 19, 1865, Union troops freed enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay and across Texas some two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

# data[].attributes.body
Congressional Research Service

# data[].attributes.body
Web search collection to illustrate some of the texts we can immerse children in to learn about and discuss Juneteenth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds.

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom

Experience the joy of Juneteenth in this celebration of freedom from the award-winning team of Angela Johnson and E.B. Lewis.Through the eyes of one little girl, All Different Now tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally... Google Books

Originally published : 2014

Genres : Children's literature and Historical Fiction

Jun 17, 2020 · Lewis Publication: 2014 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Through the ...
Duration: 4:11
Posted: Jun 17, 2020

Washington DC (Hagerstown MD), Virginia

From your IP address - Learn more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom - Google Search

# data[].attributes.headline
What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States

# data[].attributes.subject
What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States

# data[].attributes.body
Elizabeth Nix, History.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Juneteenth (short for "June Nineteenth") marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops' arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday. Juneteenth 2023 will occur on Monday, June 19.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House two months earlier in Virginia, but slavery had remained relatively unaffected in Texas-until U.S. General Gordon Granger stood on Texas soil and read General Orders No. 3: "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free."

The Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, had established that all enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion against the Union "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free."

But in reality, the Emancipation Proclamation didn't instantly free any enslaved people. The proclamation only applied to places under Confederate control and not to slave-holding border states or rebel areas already under Union control. However, as Northern troops advanced into the Confederate South, many enslaved people fled behind Union lines.

Juneteenth and Slavery in Texas

In Texas, slavery had continued as the state experienced no large-scale fighting or significant presence of Union troops. Many enslavers from outside the Lone Star State had moved there, as they viewed it as a safe haven for slavery.

After the war came to a close in the spring of 1865, General Granger's arrival in Galveston that June signaled freedom for Texas's 250,000 enslaved people. Although emancipation didn't happen overnight for everyone-in some cases, enslavers withheld the information until after harvest season-celebrations broke out among newly freed Black people, and Juneteenth was born. That December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment.

The year following 1865, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of "Jubilee Day" on June 19. In the ensuing decades, Juneteenth commemorations featured music, barbecues, prayer services and other activities, and as Black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country the Juneteenth tradition spread.

In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday; several others followed suit over the years. In June 2021, Congress passed a resolution establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday; President Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021.

HISTORY Vault: Abraham Lincoln

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Juneteenth (short for "June Nineteenth") is a holiday commemorating this day, which marked an effective end of slavery in the United States.

# data[].attributes.headline
What is Juneteenth? Holiday marking Emancipation Proclamation takes on extra importance in 2020

# data[].attributes.subject
What is Juneteenth? Holiday marking Emancipation Proclamation takes on extra importance in 2020

# data[].attributes.body
N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated Juneteenth's relation to slavery. It celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation, but the Emancipation Proclamation didn't apply to all states in the USA. The 13th Amendment brought an end to slavery.
On June 19, Americans around the country will celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the Emancipation Proclamation in the USA.

This year, the annual celebration of freedom comes as the country grapples with its long-standing history of systemic racism, as well as the fate of its Confederate monuments, flags and symbols amid nationwide protests against police brutality and racism after the death of George Floyd.

"Juneteenth is a unifying holiday. It is the completion of the celebration of freedom in America," said Steve Williams, president of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation.

Juneteenth is often celebrated with joyful community and family gatherings, but many of these events will probably go virtual this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Here is what you should know about Juneteenth:

What is Juneteenth?

On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed a reluctant community in Galveston, Texas, that President Abraham Lincoln had freed enslaved people in rebel states two and a half years earlier. He pressed locals to comply with the directive.

Although Lincoln proclaimed the emancipation of enslaved people, effective Jan. 1, 1863, enslavers were responsible for telling them that they were free, and some ignored the order until Union troops arrived to enforce it, according to Cliff Robinson, founder of Juneteenth.com. Texas was the last Confederate state to have the proclamation announced.

Though the story of Texas' emancipation is the most widely known, Williams said, other significant events in the history of emancipation took place on and around that date. He said the first known Juneteenth celebrations began in 1866 and spread across the country as African Americans migrated to new cities.

Today, 47 states and Washington, D.C., recognize Juneteenth as either a state holiday or ceremonial holiday. Juneteenth celebrations have been seen in episodes of television shows such as "Black-ish" and "Atlanta".

Activists push for wider recognition, including a designation as a national holiday and an acknowledgment by Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange.

"Federal recognition is really what our job is," Williams said.
Juneteenth and reparations: Ta-Nehisi Coates, Danny Glover to testify in Juneteenth House hearing on slavery reparations
Where does the name 'Juneteenth' come from?

Juneteenth is a combination of "June" and "nineteenth," in honor of the day that Granger announced the abolition of slavery in Texas. The holiday is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.

How do people celebrate Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is typically celebrated with educational activities for children, parades, concerts, beauty pageants and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, Williams said.
Juneteenth: Twitter and Square will observe Juneteenth as company holiday, CEO Dorsey says
At cookouts, he said, red food and drink, such as strawberry soda and red velvet cake, are traditional. Red, white and blue are on the Juneteenth flag. The color red symbolizes that "from the middle passage to George Floyd, our blood has been spilled across America," Williams said.

How will Juneteenth be different this year?

Williams said many events will be livestreamed online and in lieu of traditional parades, some organizers have planned caravans.

As states lift coronavirus-related restrictions, Robinson said, it's possible people will still gather physically this year. He urged people to follow social distancing guidelines and wear masks if they do. Robinson said he believes the nationwide protests after Floyd's death will draw more people.

"That certainly will allow and inspire more people to participate in Juneteenth celebrations," Robinson said. "They just have to be made aware that the celebration exists."
What is systemic racism?:What is systemic racism? Here's what it means and how you can help dismantle it
He noted that more companies have started to recognize Juneteenth amid the protests against racism. Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and digital payment platform Square, said both companies will make Juneteenth a company holiday this year at all of their offices across the world.

Hulu is shifting the premiere dates for two original shows, "Love, Victor" and "Taste the Nation," so as not to detract from Juneteenth. The company announced it is taking action to "fight against the injustice" and support the Black Lives Matter movement by donating $5 million to nonprofit organizations, including the NAACP.
In the media: Netflix curates new collection of 'Black Lives Matter' titles, Hulu honors Juneteenth
"The date represents an important turning point for our nation and for human rights, and we believe that now, more than ever, it deserves to have its own day in the spotlight," the tweet read.

President Donald Trump had planned to hold a campaign rally on Juneteenth in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the site of a massacre in 1921 when white men attacked and killed Black residents in a Black business district. Facing backlash over the date, Trump announced Friday night he would move the Tulsa rally one day later.
Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg
"We had previously scheduled our #MAGA Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for June 19th - a big deal," he wrote on his Twitter account. "Unfortunately, however, this would fall on the Juneteenth Holiday. Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests."

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday that he will work with lawmakers to designate Juneteenth an official holiday in the state that was once held the Confederacy's capital. Also Tuesday, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said he would issue an executive order making the day an official city holiday.

Was Juneteenth the end of slavery in the USA?

Though Juneteenth marks the day Texas was informed of the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people there as it had in other secessionist states, it did not apply to Union states, such as Maryland, where there were enslavers that had not seceded in the Civil War. The Thirteenth Amendment, which was ratified in 1865, freed enslaved people everywhere in the USA.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What to know about Juneteenth: Holiday marking Emancipation Proclamation takes on extra importance in 2020

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated Juneteenth's relation to slavery. It celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation, but the Emancipation Proclamation didn't apply to all states in the USA. The 13th Amendment brought an end to slavery. On June 19, Americans around the country will celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the Emancipation Proclamation in the USA.

# data[].attributes.body
Derrick Bryson Taylor, New York Times

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On June 19, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Texas were told they were free. A century and a half later, people across the U.S. continue to celebrate the day, which is now a federal holiday.

# data[].attributes.body
Juneteenth.com

# data[].attributes.body
Henry Louis Gates Jr., PBS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The First Juneteenth

"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere." -General Orders, Number 3; Headquarters District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865

When Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued the above order, he had no idea that, in establishing the Union Army's authority over the people of Texas, he was also establishing the basis for a holiday, "Juneteenth" ("June" plus "nineteenth"), today the most popular annual celebration of emancipation from slavery in the United States. After all, by the time Granger assumed command of the Department of Texas, the Confederate capital in Richmond had fallen; the "Executive" to whom he referred, President Lincoln, was dead; and the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery was well on its way to ratification.

But Granger wasn't just a few months late. The Emancipation Proclamation itself, ending slavery in the Confederacy (at least on paper), had taken effect two-and-a-half years before, and in the interim, close to 200,000 black men had enlisted in the fight. So, formalities aside, wasn't it all over, literally, but the shouting?

It would be easy to think so in our world of immediate communication, but as Granger and the 1,800 bluecoats under him soon found out, news traveled slowly in Texas. Whatever Gen. Robert E. Lee had surrendered in Virginia, the Army of the Trans-Mississippi had held out until late May, and even with its formal surrender on June 2, a number of ex-rebels in the region took to bushwhacking and plunder.

That's not all that plagued the extreme western edge of the former Confederate states. Since the capture of New Orleans in 1862, slave owners in Mississippi, Louisiana and other points east had been migrating to Texas to escape the Union Army's reach. In a hurried re-enactment of the original Middle Passage, more than 150,000 slaves had made the trek west, according to historian Leon Litwack in his book Been in the Storm So Long: The Aftermath of Slavery. As one former slave he quotes recalled, " 'It looked like everybody in the world was going to Texas.' "

When Texas fell and Granger dispatched his now famous order No. 3, it wasn't exactly instant magic for most of the Lone Star State's 250,000 slaves. On plantations, masters had to decide when and how to announce the news - or wait for a government agent to arrive - and it was not uncommon for them to delay until after the harvest. Even in Galveston city, the ex-Confederate mayor flouted the Army by forcing the freed people back to work, as historian Elizabeth Hayes Turner details in her comprehensive essay, "Juneteenth: Emancipation and Memory," in Lone Star Pasts: Memory and History in Texas.

Those who acted on the news did so at their peril. As quoted in Litwack's book, former slave Susan Merritt recalled, " 'You could see lots of niggers hangin' to trees in Sabine bottom right after freedom, 'cause they cotch 'em swimmin' 'cross Sabine River and shoot 'em.' " In one extreme case, according to Hayes Turner, a former slave named Katie Darling continued working for her mistress another six years (She " 'whip me after the war jist like she did 'fore,' " Darling said).

Hardly the recipe for a celebration - which is what makes the story of Juneteenth all the more remarkable. Defying confusion and delay, terror and violence, the newly "freed" black men and women of Texas, with the aid of the Freedmen's Bureau (itself delayed from arriving until September 1865), now had a date to rally around. In one of the most inspiring grassroots efforts of the post-Civil War period, they transformed June 19 from a day of unheeded military orders into their own annual rite, "Juneteenth," beginning one year later in 1866.

" 'The way it was explained to me,' " one heir to the tradition is quoted in Hayes Turner's essay, " 'the 19th of June wasn't the exact day the Negro was freed. But that's the day they told them that they was free ... And my daddy told me that they whooped and hollered and bored holes in trees with augers and stopped it up with [gun] powder and light and that would be their blast for the celebration.' "

Other Contenders

There were other available anniversaries for celebrating emancipation, to be sure, including the following:

* Sept. 22: the day Lincoln issued his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation Order in 1862

* Jan. 1: the day it took effect in 1863

* Jan. 31: the date the 13th Amendment passed Congress in 1865, officially abolishing the institution of slavery

* Dec. 6: the day the 13th Amendment was ratified that year

* April 3: the day Richmond, Va., fell

* April 9: the day Lee surrendered to Ulysses Grant at Appomattox, Va.

* April 16: the day slavery was abolished in the nation's capital in 1862

* May 1: Decoration Day, which, as David Blight movingly recounts in Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory, the former slaves of Charleston, S.C., founded by giving the Union war dead a proper burial at the site of the fallen planter elite's Race Course

* July 4: America's first Independence Day, some "four score and seven years" before President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation

Each of these anniversaries has its celebrants today. Each has also had its share of conflicts and confusion. July 4 is compelling, of course, but it was also problematic for many African Americans, since the country's founders had given in on slavery and their descendants had expanded it through a series of failed "compromises," at the nadir of which Frederick Douglass had made his own famous declaration to the people of Rochester, N.Y., on July 5, 1852: "What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity."

The most logical candidate for commemoration of the slave's freedom was Jan. 1. In fact, the minute Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect at the midpoint of the war, Northern black leaders like Douglass led massive celebrations in midnight jubilees; and on its 20th anniversary in 1883, they gathered again in Washington, D.C., to honor Douglass for all that he and his compatriots had achieved.

Yet even the original Emancipation Day had its drawbacks - not only because it coincided with New Year's Day and the initiation dates of numerous other laws, but also because the underlying proclamation, while of enormous symbolic significance, didn't free all the slaves, only those in the Confederate states in areas liberated by Union troops, and not those in the border states in which slavery remained legal until the ratification of the 13th Amendment. (Historians estimate that about 500,000 slaves - out of a total of 3.9 million - liberated themselves by escaping to Union lines between 1863 and the end of the war; the rest remained in slavery.)

Because of its partial effects, some scholars argue that perhaps the most significant aspect of the Emancipation Proclamation was the authorization of black men to fight in the war, both because their service proved to be crucial to the North's war effort, and because it would be cited as irrefutable proof of the right of blacks to citizenship (which would be granted by the 14th Amendment).

No one in the post-Civil War generation could deny that something fundamental had changed as a result of Lincoln's war measure, but dwelling on it was a separate matter, David Blight explains. Among those in the 'It's time to move on' camp were Episcopal priest and scholar Alexander Crummell, who, in a May 1885 address to the graduates of Storer College, said, "What I would fain have you guard against is not the memory of slavery, but the constant recollection of it, as the commanding thought of a new people." On the other side was Douglass, who insisted on lighting a perpetual flame to "the causes, the incidents, and the results of the late rebellion." After all, he liked to say, the legacy of black people in America could "be traced like that of a wounded man through a crowd by the blood."

Hard as Douglass tried to make emancipation matter every day, Jan. 1 continued to be exalted - and increasingly weighed down by the betrayal of Reconstruction. (As detailed in Plessy v. Ferguson: Who Was Plessy?, the Supreme Court's gift to the 20th anniversary of emancipation was striking down the Civil Rights Act of 1875.) W.E.B. Du Bois used this to biting effect in his Swiftian short story, "A Mild Suggestion" (1912), in which he had his black main character provide a final solution to Jim Crow America's obsession with racial purity: On the next Jan. 1 ("for historical reasons" it would "probably be best," he explained), all blacks should either be invited to dine with whites and poisoned or gathered in large assemblies to be stabbed and shot. "The next morning there would be ten million funerals," Du Bois' protagonist predicted, "and therefore no Negro problem."

Juneteenth Endures

While national black leaders continued to debate the importance of remembering other milestone anniversaries, the freed people of Texas went about the business of celebrating their local version of Emancipation Day. For them, Juneteenth was, from its earliest incarnations, as Hayes Turner and others have recorded, a past that was "usable" as an occasion for gathering lost family members, measuring progress against freedom and inculcating rising generations with the values of self-improvement and racial uplift. This was accomplished through readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, religious sermons and spirituals, the preservation of slave food delicacies (always at the center: the almighty barbecue pit), as well as the incorporation of new games and traditions, from baseball to rodeos and, later, stock car races and overhead flights.

Like a boxer sparring with his rival, year after year Juneteenth was strengthened by the contest its committee members had to wage against the Jim Crow faithful of Texas, who, in the years following Reconstruction, rallied around their version of history in an effort to glorify (and whitewash) past cruelties and defeats. When whites forbade blacks from using their public spaces, black people gathered near rivers and lakes and eventually raised enough money to buy their own celebration sites, among them Emancipation Park in Houston and Booker T. Washington Park in Mexia.

When white leaders like Judge Lewis Fisher of Galveston likened the black freedman ("Rastus," he called him) to "a prairie colt turned into a feed horse [to eat] ignorantly of everything," Juneteenth celebrants dressed in their finest clothes, however poor, trumpeting the universal concerns of citizenship and liberty, with hero-speakers from the Reconstruction era and symbols like the Goddess of Liberty on floats and in living tableaux. And when Houston refused to close its banks on Memorial Day in 1919 (only to do so four days later on Jefferson Davis Day, honoring the former Confederate president), Juneteenth celebrants still did their own remembering, in Hayes Turner's words, to project "identification with American ideals" in "a potent life-giving event ... a joyful retort to messages of overt racism ... a public counter-demonstration to displays of Confederate glorification and a counter-memory to the valorization of the Lost Cause."

Strengthening the holiday's chances at survival was its move across state lines - one person, one family, one carload or train ticket at a time. As Isabel Wilkerson writes in her brilliant book, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration, "The people from Texas took Juneteenth Day to Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, and other places they went." As it spread, the observance was also changing. This was especially true in the 1920s, Turner explains, with the Consumer Age infiltrating black society with advertisements for fancier Juneteenth getups and more elaborate displays of pomp and circumstance.

This did not mean that Juneteenth's advances remained unbroken, however. Despite local committees' best efforts, with each new slight, with each new segregation law, with each new textbook whitewashing and brutal lynching in the South, African Americans felt increasingly disconnected from their history, so that by the time World War II shook the nation, they could no longer faithfully celebrate freedom in a land that still rendered them second-class citizens worthy of dying for their country but not worthy of being honored or treated equally for it. Hence, the wartime Double V campaign.

It is possible that Juneteenth would have vanished from the calendar (at least outside of Texas) had it not been for another remarkable turn of events during the same civil rights movement that had exposed many of the country's shortcomings about race relations. Actually, it occurred at the tail end of the movement, two months after its most prominent leader had been shot down.

As is well-known, Martin Luther King Jr. had been planning a return to the site of his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, this time to lead a Poor People's March emphasizing nagging class inequalities. Following his assassination, it was left to others to carry out the plan, among them his best friend, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, and his widow, Coretta Scott King. When it became clear that the Poor People's March was falling short of its goals, the organizers decided to cut it short on June 19, 1968, well aware that it was now just over a century since the first Juneteenth celebration in Texas.

As William H. Wiggins Jr., a scholar of black folklore and cultural traditions, explained in a 2009 interview with Smithsonian magazine: "[T]hese delegates for the summer took that idea of the [Juneteenth] celebration back to their respective communities. [F]or example, there was one in Milwaukee." Another in Minnesota. It was, in effect, another great black migration. Since then, Wiggins added, Juneteenth "has taken on a life of its own."

Juneteenth Today

Responding to this new energy, in 1979 Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday. (Ironically, the bill was passed on June 7, the anniversary of Homer Plessy's arrest on the East Louisiana line, as covered in Plessy v Ferguson: Who Was Plessy.) Leading the charge was Rep. Al Edwards of Houston, often referred to as "the father of the Juneteenth holiday," who framed it as a "source of strength" for young people, according to Hayes Turner. (As a concession to Lost Cause devotees, Texas reaffirmed its commitment to observing Jan. 19 as Confederate Heroes Day.)

Since then, 41 other states and the District of Columbia have recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday or holiday observance, including Rhode Island earlier this year. "This is similar to what God instructed Joshua to do as he led the Israelites into the Promised Land," Al Edwards told Yahoo in 2007. "A national celebration of Juneteenth, state by state, serves a similar purpose for us. Every year we must remind successive generations that this event triggered a series of events that one by one defines the challenges and responsibilities of successive generations. That's why we need this holiday."

You can follow Edwards' efforts and others' worldwide at juneteenth.com, founded in 1997 by Clifford Robinson of New Orleans. Another organization, the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, founded and chaired by the Rev. Ronald Meyers, is committed to making Juneteenth a federal holiday on a par with Flag and Patriot days. (Note: They are not calling for Juneteenth to be a paid government holiday, like Columbus Day.) "We may have gotten there in different ways and at different times," Meyers told Time magazine in 2008, "but you can't really celebrate freedom in America by just going with the Fourth of July." You can follow his organization's activities at nationaljuneteenth.com.

These days, Juneteenth is an opportunity not only to celebrate but also to speak out. Last year, for example, reported that the U.S. Department of State leveraged the holiday for releasing its 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report, with then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noting, "Today we are celebrating what's called 'Juneteenth' ... But the end of legal slavery in the United States, and in other countries around the world, has not, unfortunately, meant the end of slavery. Today it is estimated as many as 27 million people around the world are victims of modern slavery."

As further proof that Juneteenth is back on the rise, this Wednesday, June 19, Washington, D.C., will be abuzz during the unveiling of a Frederick Douglass statue in the famed U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, thanks to the work of D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton. (Douglass will join three other African Americans in the hall: Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth and Martin Luther King Jr.) No doubt Douglass would be surprised to learn that such an honor had not been scheduled for Jan. 1 (the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation), but glad nevertheless that the country is still finding ways to remember "the causes, the incidents, and the results of the late rebellion."

Postscript

I grew up in West Virginia, many miles from the site of the first Juneteenth, and I never heard of the holiday until I went off to college. But I have come to see the beauty in its unexpected past and persistence. Besides, June 19 is generally a more comfortable day for outdoor family fun - for fine jazz music and barbecue - than Jan. 1, a day short on sunlight. In my article " Should Blacks Collect Racist Memorabilia?" I quoted W.E.B. Du Bois' summation of Black Reconstruction: " The slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery." At the time I failed to appreciate just how apt a description it was.

Of all Emancipation Day observances, Juneteenth falls closest to the summer solstice (this Friday, June 21), the longest day of the year, when the sun, at its zenith, defies the darkness in every state, including those once shadowed by slavery. By choosing to celebrate the last place in the South that freedom touched - reflecting the mystical glow of history and lore, memory and myth, as Ralph Ellison evoked in his posthumous novel, Juneteenth - we remember the shining promise of emancipation, along with the bloody path America took by delaying it and deferring fulfillment of those simple, unanticipating words in Gen. Granger's original order No. 3: that "This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves."

My hope this Juneteenth is that we never forget it.
Fifty of the 100 Amazing Facts will be published on The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross website. Read all 100 Facts on The Root.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is Juneteenth? African American History Blog | The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explains the origins of Juneteenth, the celebration of the end of slavery.

# data[].attributes.body
Amaze Works

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thank you for being part of the AmazeWorks mosaic at our 25 (+1) anniversary event on October 6 and for helping us bring belonging to life! We are overflowing with gratitude for our anti-bias community that has supported us through so much learning and growth. Thank you! We're excited to share ...

# data[].attributes.body
Chicana M(other)work

# data[].attributes.body
Catlin Tucker

# data[].attributes.headline
OWL - Online Learning and Student Resource Center

# data[].attributes.subject
OWL - Online Learning and Student Resource Center

# data[].attributes.body
*Additional social justice resources (from above OWL site)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to O.W.L.S. Online Working & Learning Student Resource Center Curated, free resources for use by students, educators, and parents for all subjects!

# data[].attributes.headline
Social Justice Mathematics and Science Resources K-12

# data[].attributes.subject
Social Justice Mathematics and Science Resources K-12

# data[].attributes.body
Dr. Kari Kokka

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Social Justice Mathematics and Science Curricular Resources for K-12 Teachers 

# data[].attributes.body
Flocabulary

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Racial Justice Resource Guide - Flocabulary

# data[].attributes.body
OWL: Online Working & Learning Student Resource Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
OWL: Online Working & Learning Student Resource Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
OWL: Online Working & Learning Student Resource Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Owls Social Justice page remodel is complete! Pop in to find many free resources on multiple issues today. We still have several more topic sections to add, but there are already many resources...

# data[].attributes.headline
I raise up my voice - not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard...We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. 

# data[].attributes.subject
I raise up my voice - not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard...We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. 

# data[].attributes.body
Malala Yousafzai

# data[].attributes.headline
To be antiracist is a radical choice in the face of history, requiring a radical reorientation of our consciousness.

# data[].attributes.subject
To be antiracist is a radical choice in the face of history, requiring a radical reorientation of our consciousness.

# data[].attributes.body
Ibram X. Kendi

# data[].attributes.headline
“There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race. Scientifically, anthropologically, racism is a construct — a social construct. And it has benefits. Money can be made off of it, and people who don’t like themselves can feel better because of it. It can describe certain kinds of behavior that are wrong or misleading. So it has a social function, racism.”

# data[].attributes.subject
“There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race. Scientifically, anthropologically, racism is a construct — a social construct. And it has benefits. Money can be made off of it, and people who don’t like themselves can feel better because of it. It can describe certain kinds of behavior that are wrong or misleading. So it has a social function, racism.”

# data[].attributes.body
In an interview with Stephen Colbert, author Toni Morrison talks about being pigeonholed as an “African American writer,” when she would really like to be considered an American writer.

# data[].attributes.headline
"Every mother of every race should have felt that. If you are a mother and you are silent about this, f*ck you. I said what I said and we hear your silence!" 

# data[].attributes.subject
"Every mother of every race should have felt that. If you are a mother and you are silent about this, f*ck you. I said what I said and we hear your silence!" 

# data[].attributes.body
Taraji P. Henson, while sharing a quote about how George Floyd called for his mother while being brutally pinned to the ground
*As a Mama, I cannot be silent. LB

# data[].attributes.headline
Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But if we ever hope to move past it, it can’t just be on people of colour to deal with it. It’s up to all of us – Black, white, everyone – no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out. It starts with self-examination and listening to those whose lives are different from our own. It ends with justice, compassion, and empathy that manifests in our lives and on our streets."

# data[].attributes.subject
Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But if we ever hope to move past it, it can’t just be on people of colour to deal with it. It’s up to all of us – Black, white, everyone – no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out. It starts with self-examination and listening to those whose lives are different from our own. It ends with justice, compassion, and empathy that manifests in our lives and on our streets."

# data[].attributes.body
Michelle Obama in a statement following the harrowing death of George Floyd

# data[].attributes.headline
There comes a time when silence is betrayal.

# data[].attributes.subject
There comes a time when silence is betrayal.

# data[].attributes.body
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

# data[].attributes.headline
"There are very few African American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me—at least before I was a senator."

# data[].attributes.subject
"There are very few African American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me—at least before I was a senator."

# data[].attributes.body
President Barack Obama, on Trayvon Martin's death

# data[].attributes.headline
"The very serious function of racism…is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being. Somebody says you have no language and so you spend 20 years proving that you do. Somebody says your head isn’t shaped properly so you have scientists working on the fact that it is. Somebody says that you have no art so you dredge that up. Somebody says that you have no kingdoms and so you dredge that up. None of that is necessary."

# data[].attributes.subject
"The very serious function of racism…is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being. Somebody says you have no language and so you spend 20 years proving that you do. Somebody says your head isn’t shaped properly so you have scientists working on the fact that it is. Somebody says that you have no art so you dredge that up. Somebody says that you have no kingdoms and so you dredge that up. None of that is necessary."

# data[].attributes.body
Toni Morrison, A Humanist View

# data[].attributes.headline
"The Black female is assaulted in her tender years by all those common forces of nature at the same time that she is caught in the tripartite crossfire of masculine prejudice, white illogical hate and Black lack of power. The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and even belligerence. It is seldom accepted as an inevitable outcome of the struggle won by survivors and deserves respect if not enthusiastic acceptance."

# data[].attributes.subject
"The Black female is assaulted in her tender years by all those common forces of nature at the same time that she is caught in the tripartite crossfire of masculine prejudice, white illogical hate and Black lack of power. The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and even belligerence. It is seldom accepted as an inevitable outcome of the struggle won by survivors and deserves respect if not enthusiastic acceptance."

# data[].attributes.body
Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

# data[].attributes.headline
"But all our phrasing—race relations, racial chasm, racial justice, racial profiling, white privilege, even white supremacy—serves to obscure that racism is a visceral experience, that it dislodges brains, blocks airways, rips muscle, extracts organs, cracks bones, breaks teeth. You must never look away from this. You must always remember that the sociology, the history, the economics, the graphs, the charts, the regressions all land, with great violence, upon the body."

# data[].attributes.subject
"But all our phrasing—race relations, racial chasm, racial justice, racial profiling, white privilege, even white supremacy—serves to obscure that racism is a visceral experience, that it dislodges brains, blocks airways, rips muscle, extracts organs, cracks bones, breaks teeth. You must never look away from this. You must always remember that the sociology, the history, the economics, the graphs, the charts, the regressions all land, with great violence, upon the body."

# data[].attributes.body
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me

# data[].attributes.headline
"No matter how big a nation is, it is no stronger than its weakest people, and as long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you might otherwise."

# data[].attributes.subject
"No matter how big a nation is, it is no stronger than its weakest people, and as long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you might otherwise."

# data[].attributes.body
Marion Anderson

# data[].attributes.headline
"It was the last day of school, and I was walking with my dad, preparing to leave. Suddenly, he paused, looked at me intently and said, "Son, you're a black male, and that's two strikes against you." To the general public, anything that I did would be perceived as malicious and deserving of severe punishment and I had to govern myself accordingly. I was seven years old."

# data[].attributes.subject
"It was the last day of school, and I was walking with my dad, preparing to leave. Suddenly, he paused, looked at me intently and said, "Son, you're a black male, and that's two strikes against you." To the general public, anything that I did would be perceived as malicious and deserving of severe punishment and I had to govern myself accordingly. I was seven years old."

# data[].attributes.body
Robert Stephens, 26 years old

# data[].attributes.headline
"I can’t make people not afraid of black people. I don’t know what’s going on. I can’t explain what’s happening in your head. But maybe if I show up every day as a human, a good human, doing wonderful things, loving my family, loving your kids, taking care of things that I care about—maybe, just maybe that work will pick away at the scabs of your discrimination. Maybe that slowly will unravel it. That’s all we have, because we can’t do it for them, because they’re broken. Their brokenness in how they see us is a reflection of this brokenness. And you can’t fix that. All you can do is the work."

# data[].attributes.subject
"I can’t make people not afraid of black people. I don’t know what’s going on. I can’t explain what’s happening in your head. But maybe if I show up every day as a human, a good human, doing wonderful things, loving my family, loving your kids, taking care of things that I care about—maybe, just maybe that work will pick away at the scabs of your discrimination. Maybe that slowly will unravel it. That’s all we have, because we can’t do it for them, because they’re broken. Their brokenness in how they see us is a reflection of this brokenness. And you can’t fix that. All you can do is the work."

# data[].attributes.body
Michelle Obama

# data[].attributes.headline
“And still I urge you to struggle. Struggle for the memory of your ancestors. Struggle for wisdom. Struggle for the warmth of The Mecca. Struggle for your grandmother and grandfather, for your name. But do not struggle for the Dreamers. Hope for them. Pray for them, if you are so moved. But do not pin your struggle on their conversion. The Dreamers will have to learn to struggle themselves, to understand that the field for their Dream, the stage where they have painted themselves white, is the deathbed of us all.” 

# data[].attributes.subject
“And still I urge you to struggle. Struggle for the memory of your ancestors. Struggle for wisdom. Struggle for the warmth of The Mecca. Struggle for your grandmother and grandfather, for your name. But do not struggle for the Dreamers. Hope for them. Pray for them, if you are so moved. But do not pin your struggle on their conversion. The Dreamers will have to learn to struggle themselves, to understand that the field for their Dream, the stage where they have painted themselves white, is the deathbed of us all.” 

# data[].attributes.body
Ta-Nehesi Coates

# data[].attributes.headline
"If there's one thing we know about humans, it's that most of us are followers. Looking for something to be part of to make us feel better about our own selfishness.”  

# data[].attributes.subject
"If there's one thing we know about humans, it's that most of us are followers. Looking for something to be part of to make us feel better about our own selfishness.”  

# data[].attributes.body
Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

# data[].attributes.headline
“Racist ideas cause people to look at an innocent Black face and see a criminal.”  

# data[].attributes.subject
“Racist ideas cause people to look at an innocent Black face and see a criminal.”  

# data[].attributes.body
Jason Reynolds, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning

# data[].attributes.headline
“We can't attack a thing we don't know. That's dangerous. And...foolish. It would be like trying to chop down a tree from the top of it. If we understand how the tree works, how the trunk and roots are where the power lies, and how gravity is on our side, we can attack it, each of us with small axes, and change the face of the the forest.”           

# data[].attributes.subject
“We can't attack a thing we don't know. That's dangerous. And...foolish. It would be like trying to chop down a tree from the top of it. If we understand how the tree works, how the trunk and roots are where the power lies, and how gravity is on our side, we can attack it, each of us with small axes, and change the face of the the forest.”           

# data[].attributes.body
Jason Reynolds, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

# data[].attributes.headline
“To know the past is to know the present. To know the present it to know yourself.” 

# data[].attributes.subject
“To know the past is to know the present. To know the present it to know yourself.” 

# data[].attributes.body
Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

# data[].attributes.body
Laura Meckler, The Washington Post

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
George Floyd's America

At Jack Yates High, No. 88 pinned his dreams on sports

The 1992 Yates High School football team. George Floyd is No. 88 in the top row. (Charles Green)

Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript for the best experience.

HOUSTON - Shortly before the kickoff of the 1992 state championship game, George Floyd, the starting tight end for mighty Jack Yates High School, stepped onto the field at the University of Texas.

As he took in the stadium, packed then with nearly 78,000 seats, Floyd bumped into Ralph Cooper, a sports radio personality who had had him on his show a few times. Over the years, he had gently pressed the basketball and football star to take the school part of school more seriously.

There, surrounded by the state's flagship university and all it had to offer, Floyd wondered aloud whether he should have listened. "Now I see what some of you all were talking about in regards to making that extra effort in the classroom," Cooper recalled Floyd telling him.

At that moment, Floyd's future was already in jeopardy. He had tried and failed at least twice to pass a mandatory state exam. If he couldn't pass it, he wouldn't graduate. A big-time college scholarship would be out of the question.

Floyd had long seen sports as his path out of the poverty, crime and drugs of Houston's Third Ward. At 6 feet 6 inches, he excelled at basketball and then football, and his talents repeatedly gave him a shot at a different life. But, just as often, Floyd's shaky education stood in his way.

Jack Yates High School has long been a source of identity, pride and affection in Houston's Black community. Founded in 1926, it was named for a formerly enslaved man who became an influential minister. Graduates include city leaders and national figures such as broadcaster Roland Martin, actress Phylicia Rashad and her sister, the choreographer Debbie Allen. It has thrived in sports, producing, in 1985, what some say is the best high school team in Texas football history.

But for decades Yates has struggled in its central mission to educate students, a victim of a U.S. educational system that concentrates the poorest, highest-need children together, setting them up for failure.

Floyd at Jack Yates High School, where he was remembered as a middling student and a gentle kid. (Courtesy of Lynn Gallien)

By the time Floyd and his friends arrived in 1989, the city's schools had been officially desegregated, but Yates was as segregated as ever, with a high concentration of students with significant needs and what became an endless stream of teachers and administrators cycling through. There were almost no White students at Yates, and within the Houston Independent School District at that time only 15 percent of students were White, down from about 50 percent when desegregation efforts started in the city in 1970.

Their departure was enabled by a system that allows the suburbs to cordon off their children and tax dollars from city schools. In a rare challenge to those boundary lines, the U.S. Justice Department in 1980 asked a federal court to include 22 Houston suburbs in its school desegregation case - a request that the court denied.

[ The lines that divide: School district boundaries often stymie integration]

Citywide reforms mostly hurt Yates. When Houston sought to redistribute teachers, in 1970, the best Black teachers were sent to White schools, while the least-experienced White teachers went to Black schools, according to teachers, students and administrators who were there at the time.

The Jack Yates High School Marching Band parades through Houston in 1992. (Earlie Hudnall Jr.)

A girl finds a bit of warmth in her brother's Jack Yates High letter jacket in Houston's Third Ward in 1992. (Earlie Hudnall Jr.)

Jack Yates High School in the 1980s. (Earlie Hudnall Jr.)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Jack Yates High School Marching Band parades through Houston in 1992. (Earlie Hudnall Jr.) A girl finds a bit of warmth in her brother's Jack Yates High letter jacket in Houston's Third Ward in 1992. (Earlie Hudnall Jr.) Jack Yates High School in the 1980s. (Earlie Hudnall Jr.)

Then, in 1975, working to avoid mandatory busing of students, the city started a magnet program, hoping to draw students to integrated schools by offering specialized programming. Some students were drawn to the communications magnet established at Yates. But far more, including many middle-class Black families, left for programs elsewhere in the city.

"We were losing all the cream-of-the crop students," said Beverly Ratliff, who was Yates's registrar from 1991 to 2014. "You don't have a lot of people at the top level to balance off those who fall behind."

When Debbie Allen attended Yates, in the mid-1960s, it was "like the high school of your dreams," she said. But she said that her brother, 13 years younger, attended a private school. And she said if she were a student in Houston today, she would enroll in the district's prestigious performing arts magnet school.

In Floyd's senior year of high school, 21 percent of the juniors and seniors at Yates who took the mandatory state test passed all three sections, compared with 43 percent in the district and 54 percent statewide. About half the class took college entrance exams, but almost no one scored at a college-ready level.

It was a school where many students came from poor families, with little support at home, and where teachers were flooded with students with significant needs. So it was that students like Floyd, good kids who didn't cause problems, could skate through academically, able to do the minimum.

In the years after Floyd left Yates, the school continued to struggle, targeted by one superintendent after another for overhaul and reform. In 1994, George W. Bush was elected governor, promising a new era of accountability in education, and Houston Superintendent Rod Paige targeted Yates for improvement.

His handpicked principal, Robert Worthy, found that around 900 students living in the Yates attendance zone were attending other schools. He concluded Yates had become a dumping ground for disgruntled teachers, including some who didn't speak the languages they taught and one who used class time to run a real estate business. He removed nearly half the faculty, replacing many with inexperienced instructors from Teach for America, a favorite of reformers.

"We were loaded with TFA brand-new teachers who had no classroom management skills," Ratliff said. "It didn't work well for Yates."

A spokeswoman for the Houston schools declined to comment but said there have been improvements at Yates in recent years. Among them: the school inaugurated a $75 million building in 2018, and Yates has been designated as an International Baccalaureate world campus school, a rigorous, prestigious program.

Yates basketball players pray before a 2010 playoff game. (Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle/AP)

Yates offensive lineman Larry Richardson holds his helmet during football practice in 2008. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle/AP)

President-elect George W. Bush with his education secretary nominee, Rod Paige, at Kelso Elementary School in Houston in January 2001. Earlier, as Texas governor and Houston schools chief, they targeted low-performing schools for improvement. (Joe Raedle/Newsmakers/Getty Images)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Yates basketball players pray before a 2010 playoff game. (Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle/AP) Yates offensive lineman Larry Richardson holds his helmet during football practice in 2008. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle/AP) President-elect George W. Bush with his education secretary nominee, Rod Paige, at Kelso Elementary School in Houston in January 2001. Earlier, as Texas governor and Houston schools chief, they targeted low-performing schools for improvement. (Joe Raedle/Newsmakers/Getty Images)

Nonetheless, in 2018-2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the school earned a "D" on its state report card. In recent years, Yates has been on a leadership carousel, with seven principals in the past 13 years. And enrollment has been on a steady decline for years. With fewer than 900 students, Yates now competes in the third-tier athletic conference, a precipitous fall from the glory days when Floyd and his friends walked the halls.

Press Enter to skip to end of carousel

George Floyd's America

Carousel - $George Floyd's America: use tab or arrows to navigate

arrow-left arrow-right

Systemic Racism

How systemic racism shaped Floyd's life and hobbled his ambition

Education

At Jack Yates High School, sports - not study - was seen as the ticket out

Housing

A young man's path out of Houston's oldest housing project echoes George Floyd's journey nearly 30 years ago

Prisons

As George Floyd languished behind bars, a Texas town and a private prison profited

Health care

For George Floyd and Black men in recovery, 'everything just piles up'

Policing

George Floyd's frequent encounters with police are uncommon for most Americans- except for other Black men

Perspective

Black Americans are forced to operate our entire lives in battle mode. It's utterly exhausting.

Perspective

I learned early how to survive racism. Now we all need to learn how to fight it.

Perspective

The civil rights era was supposed to drastically change America. It didn't.

End of carousel
For top athletes at Yates, things were easier - for Floyd and also for Dexter Manley, the former Washington Redskins star who graduated in 1977 even though he was unable to read or write.

"One thing about athletes, at every level there were people to help you," Manley said in an interview. "Because football is king in Texas - I mean king - that means those faculty are going to work with the head football coaches. They're going to give you the support. They're going to give me the help."

Teachers asked little of him, he said, satisfied that he turned up for class and even that he sat toward the front. "You're getting a lot of credit for attendance," Manley said. He laughed when asked if he ever was asked to write a paper, and said he'd get "help" from girlfriends on tests.

[ We want to hear your reactions and biggest takeaways from this series.]

Near the end of his all-pro career, Manley testified before a Senate panel on education that he had been illiterate through high school and college. He struggled to read his statement. "The only thing that really made me feel good in schools was athletics," he said through tears. "That built self-esteem and some self-worth in Dexter Manley. Other than that, I had no identity."

"You didn't fail, sir," Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) told him. "The system failed you."

Four months later, George Floyd started high school in that same system.

Washington Redskins football star Dexter Manley before Super Bowl 22 in 1988. A Yates graduate, he could not read or write until after college. (Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images)

'I'm gonna be big'

While Floyd stood out as an athlete almost as soon as he arrived at Yates, he seemed to be paying less attention to his schoolwork. He was a middling student, doing enough to pass but not much more, according to his teachers and coaches. Mostly, they remembered him for being a sweet, gentle kid, always giving hugs, and a jokester in the back of the class who didn't cause problems.

His high school friends said their interests centered on sports, hanging out together and going out for burgers after practice. They don't remember doing much schoolwork at home, especially during sports seasons, and said that would have been especially hard for Floyd, who helped care for younger siblings.

[ Sign up for the About US newsletter, an initiative by The Washington Post to explore issues of identity in the United States.]

The quest for educational equity

Courts and policymakers have attempted to create equal opportunity in schools with mixed results. George Floyd's high school, once segregated, has been subject to several reform attempts.

Press Enter to skip to end of carousel
arrow-left arrow-right

(Ed Kolenovsky/AP)

Brown v. Board of Education declares the practice of racially segregating public schools unconstitutional in 1954. George Floyd's Jack Yates High School had been founded as a "colored school" in 1926 and was legally segregated for decades.

(AP)

A Houston Independent School District desegregation plan begins in 1970. The first step is to mix teachers, with Black teachers going to White schools and vice versa. Students at Yates complained that they lost great Black teachers.

(Bettman Archive)

In 1974, the Supreme Court rules in Milliken v. Bradley that outlying districts may be forced into a desegregation busing plan only if there was a pattern of violation on their part. This decision enabled White flight to the suburbs, and the portion of White students in the Houston Independent School District had fallen from about 50 percent in 1970 to about 15 percent when Floyd arrived at Yates in 1989.

(John Duricka/AP)

In 1975, Houston schools replaced the modest desegregation program with a magnet program meant to draw students to integrated schools. Many top students in the Yates area choose to attend other schools.

(The Denver Post/Getty Images)

In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education issues its report, "A Nation at Risk," which concluded that the United States was falling behind in education. It kicked off an era of reform, with many efforts targeted at schools such as Jack Yates.

(Ron Edmonds/AP)

George W. Bush is elected Texas governor in 1994, promising a new era of accountability in education. Later, he takes those ideas national with the No Child Left Behind Act, which ramps up student testing across the country. State report cards show poor results for Yates.

End of carousel
"We had a lot of great memories," said Jerald Moore. "Of course, great memories don't include math class."

At that time, the crack cocaine epidemic was raging. Kids who had dropped out of school could be seen roaming the neighborhood, selling drugs and stealing cars around Cuney Homes, the low-rise, red-brick public housing project where Floyd grew up, just a couple of blocks from the school.

But Floyd and his buddies - Moore, Vaughn Dickerson, Jonathan Veal and Herbert Mouton - stayed away from drugs and crime, thanks in part to the discipline demanded by sports.

Floyd's sport was basketball, but his friends were all playing football, and "positive peer pressure" got him onto that team too, Veal said. Early on, he was singled out for his talents. Dickerson remembers when the two of them were tapped by the football coach as freshmen to ride to the playoffs with the varsity team.

"That was saying you had potential to make it out of the ghetto," he said. "That was saying you had potential to get a Division 1 scholarship - not only that, but probably make it to the pros."

[ Who was George Floyd? Post Reports explores the experiences of the man who sparked a movement.]

It wasn't easy for Floyd. The Yates style was rough, what Coach Maurice McGowan called "physical" ball, so much so that some other teams were scared to line up against them. But coaches had to "scream and holler" at Floyd to be more aggressive, McGowan said.

"He didn't like the physical part," McGowan said. "It took me the longest time to figure out where we were going to play him."

George Floyd, No. 88, reaches for a pass against a defender in a 1992 regional semifinal game at Houston's Astrodome, a 34-7 victory for Yates High. (Richard Carson/Houston Chronicle)

Floyd, No. 88, with teammates on the sideline during a game against the Booker T. Washington Golden Eagles. (Paul S. Howell/The Houston Chronicle)

Floyd, at left, watches Booker T. Washington quarterback Kevin Austin sidestep fallen players in a 1991 game. (Richard Carson/Houston Chronicle)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: George Floyd, No. 88, reaches for a pass against a defender in a 1992 regional semifinal game at Houston's Astrodome, a 34-7 victory for Yates High. (Richard Carson/Houston Chronicle) Floyd, No. 88, with teammates on the sideline during a game against the Booker T. Washington Golden Eagles. (Paul S. Howell/The Houston Chronicle) Floyd, at left, watches Booker T. Washington quarterback Kevin Austin sidestep fallen players in a 1991 game. (Richard Carson/Houston Chronicle)

Just as he did in class, Floyd was known to goof off on the field. At least once, he avoided blocking a defensive player so he could run into the end zone and get into a TV shot when Moore, who went on to play in the NFL, scored a touchdown. But he had raw athletic talent. In the 1992 championship game, Floyd made three catches for 18 yards. And he was picked that year by the Houston Chronicle for its citywide all-star team.

Floyd had visions of greatness. One night, Veal said, he and Floyd were hanging out on a hill near the football field where they often confided in each other. "Floyd makes a statement," Veal recalled. "This blew my mind. He said, `I'm gonna be big. I'm gonna touch the world.' "

It wasn't always easy to be so dreamy at Yates. Drug-detecting dogs would sometimes roam the halls, sniffing lockers. A student newscast from the mid-1990s discussed problems of graffiti on broken doors in the restrooms, and students recorded several public service announcements warning of the dangers of drugs. At the start of Floyd's junior year, one of their friends, a stellar athlete named Carl Owens, was shot and killed at a dice game. Owens lived across from Floyd in Cuney Homes. "He was like our big brother," said Milton "Poboy" Carney, another classmate who lived in Cuney Homes and sometimes stayed with Floyd's family.

Dickerson, whose brother was with Owens when he died, said his death put a dark cloud over their junior year. "Carl's death was so devastating that to this day, I still think about it."

It could be hard to see a future, said Moore.

Floyd's teammates Jerald Moore, Jonathan Veal, Herbert Mouton and Vaughn Dickerson at Yates in September this year. (Michael Starghill Jr. for The Washington Post)

"We didn't have any examples, any real role models besides just the local older guys who had just regular jobs or drug dealers," he said. "Growing up I didn't see any men doing anything but janitorial work in the apartment complex that I lived in. I may see the mailman, you know. ... Even the doctors didn't look like me. So I didn't think about being a doctor or a lawyer."

As much as he could, Floyd kept the mood light, his friends said. He was gentle and funny, cracking jokes. If the team lost a game, Floyd imposed a rule: They could sulk on the ride home, but that was it.

"He would say something that would just break the mood. You had to laugh. I don't care how upset you were," Veal said. "He just had that spirit about him that would not let you get too down on yourself."

Floyd would sometimes high-step his way down the hallway, imitating the school's celebrated drum majors, his long legs jutting up and down. "He'd have the whole hallway just laughing," said Mouton, the only one of the group to earn a college degree.

Teachers liked him, too, said Bertha Dinkins, who taught government at Yates for 18 years.

"He was a different one. Very quiet," she said. Other athletes could be disruptive in class, but Floyd rarely was. The two bonded, she said, when she told him she, too, had lived in Cuney Homes.

The school kept careful track of academic eligibility for athletes, partly because opponents would sometimes accuse Yates of playing students who were failing, said Ratliff, who as registrar was partly responsible for certifying eligibility. At any given time, some 30 to 40 percent of athletes were "on the bubble," she said, but Floyd always made the cut.

"He passed all his classes," said McGowan, adding, "It wasn't A's and B's."

That was good enough to play football, but not necessarily to graduate in Texas, where students were required to pass a three-part proficiency test. When Floyd was a senior, the test was relatively new and passing rates were low. In 1999, a suit brought by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund asserted that the exam was racially biased against Black and Hispanic students, who as a group scored lower than White students. Over the years, as teachers adjusted and pressure ratcheted up, passing rates rose. By 2002, the last year before the state changed tests, 77 percent of Yates students passed.

Floyd, at left in the middle row, with friends and Yates High football teammates. (Courtesy of Herbert Mouton)

Floyd, left, with Jonathan Veal and Milton "Poboy" Carney in an undated photo. (Courtesy of Herbert Mouton)

Floyd is at left at the back of a group of friends in an undated photo. (Courtesy of Herbert Mouton)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Floyd, at left in the middle row, with friends and Yates High football teammates. (Courtesy of Herbert Mouton) Floyd, left, with Jonathan Veal and Milton "Poboy" Carney in an undated photo. (Courtesy of Herbert Mouton) Floyd is at left at the back of a group of friends in an undated photo. (Courtesy of Herbert Mouton)

By the spring of his senior year, Floyd had failed the exam two or three times. There was one more chance before graduation.

But when Floyd took the test again, he again failed the math section.

After four years at Yates, he couldn't graduate and wouldn't walk across the stage with his friends. Dickerson, Veal, Mouton and Moore - all of his buddies - were headed to college to play football.

"He didn't want to be around anybody no more," Dickerson said. "He felt like he was an outcast. Everybody is going off to college and they're looking at George like `Where you going? What school are you going to?' "

What Dickerson and his friends didn't know was that fall, after high school, Floyd took the Texas state exam again, according to Ratliff, the registrar.

This time, when it was too late to graduate with his friends and too late to get a big-time college scholarship out of high school, Floyd passed the test, and in December 1993, he was awarded his high school diploma.

The Jack Yates High School yearbook from 1993. (Michael Starghill Jr. for The Washington Post)

A new chance in South Florida

He wasn't on the same track as his friends, but sports still gave Floyd a chance.

George Walker, the basketball coach at what was then called South Florida Community College, was from Houston and in search of a power forward. He spoke with the principal at Yates about Floyd.

"They were all pushing for me to take him down to South Florida," he said. "It's pretty good when you're recruiting a kid and the whole community is behind him."

Floyd liked the idea of going to a school near the beach and, without a high school diploma at that point, South Florida was his best option. Walker recalled several talks with Floyd about whether he could pass the GED exam. "He told me, `Coach, I know I can pass the GED.' I took him at this word that he could."

And he did. As with so many other Black athletes, Floyd's talents benefited his school. But Floyd's experience at South Florida was much like Yates - he went to class and he played ball, but he left without a degree.

"This is a system that sells dreams," said Ellen J. Staurowsky, a professor of sports media at Ithaca College. She said coaches say education is important but what they really care about is sports. "The educational bargain is not being delivered to football players and basketball players."

The basketball team at South Florida Community College. George Floyd, fifth from right, wears No. 5. (Courtesy of George Walker)

Leaving South Florida, Floyd once again found opportunity in sports. He was offered a football scholarship at Texas A&M University-Kingsville - at last, he would arrive at a four-year school.

But Floyd had not done well on placement tests, which meant he had to take developmental courses in reading, writing and math. Those courses consumed Floyd's time, but did not count toward the credits required for eligibility, meaning Floyd was able to practice with the team, but not able to play in games.

"The coaches, they might try to help you out but at the end of the day they can only tell you `go here, go there.' They didn't actually help. You're kind of on your own," said Demetrius Lott, who was a friend and teammate of Floyd's. "Once you're ineligible, it's hard to bounce back."

Floyd playing basketball in Houston in 2015. (Nijalon Dunn/Resurrection Houston)

The rules around remedial courses hurt students who need the most help, often Black students who are more likely to arrive from subpar high schools, who might be the first in their family to attend college. The system asks them to manage a full class load, plus remedial courses, plus time-consuming sports activities.

"It's a recipe for disaster," said Ramogi Huma, who played football at the University of California at Los Angeles and is now executive director of the National College Players Association, an advocacy group. He said Floyd's story is evidence that universities are not focused on the best interests of students like him.

"The colleges are pretending students have a real opportunity to graduate," he said. "If they took it seriously, they would count those classes."

The NCAA, which had ratcheted up academic requirements in response to critics, says some remedial courses are counted toward eligibility under today's rules. But Huma argues that not enough of them count, and that doing so would amount to an admission that colleges are recruiting athletes who are not academically qualified, undermining the colleges' argument that players are students first who don't need to be paid.

The billions of dollars universities earn from television contracts and other revenue mostly benefit White coaches and administrators. The mismatch has prompted a rethinking of whether the long-standing bargain - free tuition in exchange for playing sports - is enough. Five states have passed legislation since last year that would let college athletes earn endorsement money, with others considering similar measures.

Kingsville has had particular tensions around how athletes were treated, with some alumni charging that there are too few Black faculty or staff members, while mostly Black athletes are exploited for the money they bring to the university.

"We all did feel like we were being used," said James Guidry, who played football for Kingsville in the late '80s before playing professionally for nine years. He said Black athletes found little support from the university. After football season ended in the fall of his senior year, he said, his coach asked him whether he was coming back in the spring.

"Why would they ask me that?" he said. "It's like, `We don't really need you here, thank you for your four years of service.'"

Memorabilia at Jack Yates High School from George Floyd's years there. (Michael Starghill Jr. for The Washington Post)

Floyd ran into other problems beyond his grades during his college years. In June 1996, he was arrested for domestic battery for allegedly hitting a girlfriend with a mop handle. The case was ultimately dismissed that December, and Floyd was not enrolled at Kingsville that semester.

But he returned the following semester and, by many accounts, was popular and happy in Kingsville. "We talked, we joked, we played video games all night," said DeRon "Smoke" Rutledge. "He was just an easygoing guy who loved to have fun."

Veal remembers coming to visit Floyd at college and seeing how happy he was, though he was frustrated that he wasn't playing. "Man, but I want to play. I want to play," he told Veal. "His mind-set, his personality was almost always positive and optimistic."
Mary Lee Grant, Arelis R. Hernández and Julie Tate contributed to this report.
Press Enter to skip to end of carousel

George Floyd's America

Carousel - $George Floyd's America: use tab or arrows to navigate

arrow-left arrow-right

Systemic Racism

How systemic racism shaped Floyd's life and hobbled his ambition

Education

At Jack Yates High School, sports - not study - was seen as the ticket out

Housing

A young man's path out of Houston's oldest housing project echoes George Floyd's journey nearly 30 years ago

Prisons

As George Floyd languished behind bars, a Texas town and a private prison profited

Health care

For George Floyd and Black men in recovery, 'everything just piles up'

Policing

George Floyd's frequent encounters with police are uncommon for most Americans- except for other Black men

Perspective

Black Americans are forced to operate our entire lives in battle mode. It's utterly exhausting.

Perspective

I learned early how to survive racism. Now we all need to learn how to fight it.

Perspective

The civil rights era was supposed to drastically change America. It didn't.

End of carousel
But Floyd never did play. After two years in Kingsville, he left, again without earning a degree, this time out of options and headed back to Third Ward.

Soon after arriving home, he was arrested again, this time for delivery of a controlled substance. Floyd admitted the offense and was found guilty, his first conviction.

He worked odd jobs and briefly enrolled in the historically Black college across the street from Jack Yates. He joined a collective of hip-hop artists, trying again for fame that could carry him out of Third Ward.

But none of those attempts were very lasting. School was done, collegiate sports were over and Floyd was heading toward an uncertain future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
At Jack Yates High School, sports - not study - was seen as the ticket out

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
George Floyd's America Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript for the best experience. HOUSTON - Shortly before the kickoff of the 1992 state championship game, George Floyd, the starting tight end for mighty Jack Yates High School, stepped onto the field at the University of Texas.

# data[].attributes.body
Muckrack

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. There are a few reasons this might happen:

You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed.

You've disabled cookies in your web browser.

A third-party browser plugin, such as Ghostery or NoScript, is preventing JavaScript from running. Additional information is available in this support article.