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Lutter contre les discriminations et le racisme que nous partageons avec vous. Notre collègue Edith Aubin avec qui nous travaillons à l'AIS a aussi ajouté des ressources pour le secondaire.

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Resources and curated shared by Shannon de la  Fuente - LILA

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The role that racial and ethnic identity play with respect to equity and opportunity in education.

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A booklist for white people

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Since Trayvon Martin was murdered in 2012, we have seen a renewed investment from white people in our community who want tools to help gain a foothold in their struggles to understand the ways that racism and white supremacy opperate in their minds, their families, and the larger world. The most recent police killings have renewed the urgency of the struggle in the minds of many white people and we are getting lots of calls and requests for help. Below is a list which is designed to meet a broad variety of reader's needs and experiences. Some of these books, like The Charleston Syllabus address our contemporary moment, some like Waking Up White, How I Shed My Skin, and White Like Me, are first person accounts of how individual white people came to understand themselves as white and to desire an end to white supremacy. These are books we recommend which are all currently in print and available online from us 24/7 or in our store at 1189 Euclid Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30307. (404) 524-0304. We also released a book list for teens and children, which you can find here. There is no time for inaction. We have all the tools we need. Only white people can end white supremacy.

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Understanding and Dismantling Racism: A Booklist for White Readers

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Since Trayvon Martin was murdered in 2012, we have seen a renewed investment from white people in our community who want tools to help gain a foothold in their struggles to understand the ways that racism and white supremacy opperate in their minds, their families, and the larger world.

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Five principles to guide educators as they broach difficult topics in their classrooms - with students of all ages.

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The Daily podcast - American NYT journalist interviews French NYT journalist

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transcript

France, Islam and 'Laïcité'

Hosted by Michael Barbaro; produced by Asthaa Chathurvedi, Rachelle Bonja and Rachel Quester; edited by Lisa Chow; and engineered by Chris Wood.

After the beheading of a teacher in a Paris suburb, the debate over the relationship between government and religion is raging again.

michael barbaro

From The New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily.

Today: In the coming days, lawmakers in France are poised to adopt controversial legislation to combat the threat of Islamist radicals, which the country's president has called, quote, "the enemy of the republic." My colleague, Constant Méheut, on the debate raging there about the role of government in religion.

It's Friday, February 12.

Constant, tell me about Samuel Paty.

constant meheut

Samuel Paty was a history and civics teacher in a suburb north of Paris called Conflans-Saint-Honorine. He was 47 years old. He had been teaching for more than 20 years. And almost all of Paty's former students I talked to told me that he was that type of teacher who was always eager to stimulate their critical thinking, always eager to organize debates.

michael barbaro

Sounds like he was a good teacher.

constant meheut

He was a great teacher. I mean, he was really beloved by his students. And he was always this teacher who, again, according to students I talked to, who basically left his mark. So last October, he goes to class to give his lesson on freedom of expression, which is a lesson he'd given years and years before. And it's actually part of the French National Curriculum. And the way he normally taught this lesson was by challenging students to engage with what could be considered offensive.

And he did that by showing two caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, including one where Prophet Muhammad is naked. And here, you need to understand something about France in general. Over the years, the Muslim population has grown substantially. And today, it's one of the biggest minorities in Western Europe. And this was also the case for this town, Conflans-Saint-Honorine. And so taking that into consideration, Paty told students that if they found the cartoons offensive, they could leave the classroom or look away. And he constituted this kind of a nice gesture. But this gesture was actually seen by several parents as discriminatory, as a way to single out Muslim students.

And so you have some Muslim parents starting to complain to the school director. And after a few days of internal tensions at the school, and after everybody understood that Samuel Paty had actually only been a bit clumsy, perhaps, when he asked students to leave the classroom, well, he apologized. And everything seemed to be back to normal, at least in the school.

michael barbaro

So this felt like a kind of run-of-the-mill case of a teacher offering a provocative lesson about freedom of speech and there being a small controversy in the school. But he apologized and everything seemed to be OK.

constant meheut

Exactly. But -

constant meheut

- on the internet. One angry father complained about the teacher in videos.

constant meheut

For example, he said that his daughter was asked to leave the classroom because she was Muslim, which was not the case. In fact, she was never in the class. And Samuel Paty did not ask Muslim students to leave. He offered it as an option.

constant meheut

And so this father starts to describe what happened in a twisted way, saying that this teacher was acting in a hateful way.

constant meheut

And he caused people to pressure the school to expel the teacher.

So the video goes viral on social media. And it reaches a guy named Abdullakh Anzorov. Anzorov is 18 years old. He was born in Russia. He's Chechen. He's Muslim. He came to France when he was six years old. And he was raised in the French public school system. He was very much a product of this system. And then last year, he started to become radicalized on the internet. He was adhering to a vision of Islam that was very extremist. And so he sees what happened in Conflans-Saint-Honorine and he decides to go there. And he comes to the school where Paty teaches. And he waits for him.

And soon enough, Paty leaves the school to go home. And Anzorov follows him down the street. And after a few hundred meters, he comes after him and he stabs him and he beheads him with a big knife.

michael barbaro

Oh, that's awful.

constant meheut

That's horrific. And after he beheads him, he takes a photo. He publishes it online, on Twitter. And he has a message that is addressed to President Emmanuel Macron of France. And the message reads, "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Abdullah, the Servant of Allah, To Macron, the leader of the infidels, I executed one of your hellhounds who dared to belittle Mohammed, calm his fellows before you are inflicted harsh punishment."

michael barbaro

So this is clearly an act of terrorism in every way.

constant meheut

It is, in every way. And after a few minutes, he is spotted in the street by the police officers and they kill him.

michael barbaro

What is the reaction in France to what happened to Samuel Paty?

constant meheut

People are outraged. People are mourning because it feels that this attack could have struck at their own friends, at their own teachers. And you have to remember that this attack comes on the heels of a string of very deadly attacks that started in 2015.

constant meheut

First was the January 2015 attack against the Charlie Hebdo journalists that left about a dozen people dead.

archived recording 1

Bloodbath engulfed Paris tonight as terror attacks exploded across the French capital. At least six sites were hit -

archived recording 2

Tonight, one at the Stade de France.

archived recording 3

- from a concert hall -

archived recording 4

Two more attacks.

archived recording 5

- to a shopping mall -

archived recording 6

Gunmen with Kalashnikovs reported.

archived recording 7

- to a restaurant.

constant meheut

And then you had the attack in November of 2015 around the Bataclan in and around Paris, striking at cafes, restaurants. And that left more than 100 people dead.

constant meheut

And then over the next couple of years, you had an attack in Nice, with someone driving a truck over a very busy street, leaving more than 50 or so people dead.

constant meheut

And then a string of very specific attacks that felt like France was constantly under this threat of terror attacks.

constant meheut

But in 2019 and in the beginning of 2020, those attacks started to stop. And so this fear started to decrease until the killing of Samuel Paty.

And so the killing not only revives old wounds of terrorism in France, but it also points to a threat that is changing, that is becoming increasingly homegrown. And that actually changes the issue, because you're dealing with people who are self-radicalized, who are unknown to the intelligence services, who have no clear links to terrorist groups. And so it indirectly calls into question the way we respond to those attacks.

For years, French authorities had been pushing ahead on various anti-terrorism measures. But now they're looking at other solutions, other options. They want to go deeper. They want to get to the root of the issue. And this is the moment when the debate lands at a bedrock of French society, at a concept that is really deep inside our national psyche, which is called laïcité.

michael barbaro

And what is laïcité? Am I saying it correctly, laïcité?

constant meheut

Laïcité, yeah. That's fine this way.

michael barbaro

OK.

constant meheut

So laïcité is a principle. And if we wanted to simplify things, I would say that it's about the separation between the state and the church. So this is something that is familiar for Americans - something that we could actually translate by secularism. But in France, it has some sort of a bigger meaning. In France, this idea behind laïcité is that it's about freedom from religion, whereas in the U.S., it's really about freedom of religion.

michael barbaro

Right, and freedom from the government impinging on religion.

constant meheut

Exactly, yeah. In France, there is this idea that it's all about preventing religion from impinging into state affairs.

michael barbaro

OK, so that's fascinating in theory. How does this principle of laïcité actually get applied in France? I know that, Constant, you grew up in France. So I'm guessing you have seen it firsthand.

constant meheut

Yeah. Probably the best place to explain this concept is the school, which are considered a public space. There is this idea in laïcité that students are not allowed to wear ostentatious religious signs in school, because it is a public space. It is a neutral space. So when I was in middle school, I think that was grade eight, and there was a fellow classmate at some point in a class. And he was wearing this cross around his neck.

And our math teacher, if I remember well, just asked him just to hide that cross, just under his t-shirt, right, which is kind of surprising. But, I mean, my classmate agreed. And that was completely fine, actually quite natural, because again, there was this atmosphere that laïcité has to be implemented in the public space. And what else than a better public space than school?

michael barbaro

OK, so what is the history behind this concept? Where exactly does it come from?

constant meheut

You have to go back to the French Revolution, 1789. For centuries, the Catholic Church was incredibly powerful, financially, politically up until the late 1700s. And that's when the French Revolution happened. And it largely put an end to the reign of the Catholic Church in France. And for the next century, for the 19th century, it's pretty much a constant battle between the Church and the state, with this idea that the Catholic Church should not get too much power. This battle is sometimes quite violent.

And it leads to this 1905 law, which was really the first one that rooted into legal terms this principle of laïcité, making sure that religions should not interfere in state affairs - meaning that you are allowed to practice a religion privately, but it shouldn't be this constant presence in the public life. And at the same time, it is expected that the state does not interfere in religious affairs. The state is not there to support any religion, nor to repress any religion.

michael barbaro

So the element of this concept and this 1905 law that feels most distinct, especially to my American ears, is this freedom from religion. And you're saying that comes from this long history of France trying to be free from the power of the Catholic Church. And therefore, this concept and this law, it attempts to address this deep suspicion of a religion's influence on the state.

constant meheut

Right, exactly.

michael barbaro

And so how does this principle of laïcité evolve over time?

constant meheut

Laïcité was largely untouched for most of the 20th century. And that could be because France at the time was largely homogeneous. But that starts to change with an influx of immigrants from Muslim countries. And that leads to the law being first really tested in the '80s and the '90s. In 1989, you had three girls, three young girls in a middle school who refused to take off their headscarves. And because of that, they were expelled by their director.

michael barbaro

Wow.

constant meheut

And at the time, it was kind of a small controversy, at least when it started. But then it really sparks off a whole debate on the wearing of the veil in schools. And there is this decision, this judgment by France's Supreme Court a few months later, that say that wearing headscarves in schools is actually not incompatible with the principle of laïcité.

michael barbaro

Hmm, not incompatible, so it's allowed.

constant meheut

Not incompatible, right. But the debate had taken root in the country. And so in the following years, you have new incidents in schools that are reported, especially in the French press, of young guys who are pressuring young girls to wear a headscarf in school. And that started to worry people. And so the government responds to that new challenge by passing a law in 2004 that bans the wearing of religious signs, of ostentatious religious signs in schools.

michael barbaro

And I'm going to guess, based on my understanding of your age, that when you were in school and your classmate was asked to hide his cross, that that law would have been in practice.

constant meheut

Exactly, right.

michael barbaro

OK, so at this point in the history of laïcité, it feels like France is having to make a choice, right? Do we as a country adjust the way we view this concept of the separation of church and state to accommodate the religious practices of new arrivals, especially Muslims? Or do we force people to change their practices?

constant meheut

Exactly. And the choice that France makes at the time is to force people to accommodate with the French model of integration. And I just mentioned the 2004 law. There is actually a second law that was passed in 2010. And this time, it banned the full face veil in streets, in public spaces, in basically public buildings, with this idea that the full face veil actually breaks with this principle of equality between women and men, because it is some sort of a subjugation of women to men.

michael barbaro

So laïcité is once again codified into French law, and if we're being candid, in a way that targets Muslim religious practices.

constant meheut

Yeah. I mean, again, the 2004 law, the 2010 law, it's all about banning religious signs. But true, we need to be honest, there the real aim is targeting Muslim practices.

michael barbaro

I have to imagine that as this is happening and these laws are accumulating, for some Muslim people in France, this is starting to feel kind of oppressive and maybe even a bit discriminatory and asking them to give up a pretty big part of their identity.

constant meheut

It is. And this is a debate that we have had for the past two decades, basically, trying to make sense of laïcité, whether it is something that actually helps people to integrate into society, or whether it is a tool that oppresses more and more people, and especially Muslim people. It's actually a debate about the model of integration in France, really. Do you assimilate, meaning that you need to change your own practices so that you resemble people? Or do you integrate in a way that allows you to keep your traditions, your behaviors, and that doesn't prompt a backlash from the rest of the society?

michael barbaro

We'll be right back.

So Constant, how does the murder, the horrific killing of Samuel Paty influence this decades-long debate about laïcité?

constant meheut

So President Emmanuel Macron had been working on a package of laws to deal with the growing threat of Muslim radicalism for several months. We need to remember that it's been five years that France has been regularly the target of terrible terrorism attacks. So this attack on Samuel Paty comes on the heels of years of terror attacks in France. And so this attack really creates an incentive for the government to double down on laïcité and to use laïcité as a tool to respond to this growing threat of Muslim radicalism in the country.

And so part of this package is about banning homeschooling for kids over 3 years old, because there's this fear that children who would be educated at home in an atmosphere that is a sort of Islamist environment, it would be a threat for the republic. There is also a legislation that would curb online hate speech, the kind of hate speech that led to the killing of Samuel Paty. And there's also a provision that would reign in community associations, but also religious associations by obliging them to sign declaration of allegiance to so-called values of the republic. And it would also impose stricter controls on their fundings.

michael barbaro

So making religious groups sign a document that says we pledge, essentially, our loyalty to the state.

constant meheut

Yes, exactly.

michael barbaro

And so how are French Muslims responding to this overall package of laws?

constant meheut

Yeah, so you have two reactions, I would say. On the one hand, you have several imams or leading figures of Islam in France who support that bill, saying that they have grown aware of their responsibility to make sure that a peaceful version of Islam is promoted in mosques. And they're thinking that this bill will help them better control and restrict the way Islam is taught in France. On the other hand, you also have Muslims who feel that this law unfairly targets them and kind of conflates Islam with radical Islam. And I think this is the thing they're really worried about, about this new atmosphere, about this new climate that in a way implies that religions can be, and especially Islam, the starting point for separatism and extremism.

michael barbaro

Mhm. So it sounds like in their minds, this law maligns Islam. It sees the religion itself as nurturing radicalism. And they don't agree with that.

constant meheut

Right. And so for Muslim people, it kind of creates this situation where you actually have an opposition between your French citizenship that does not allow you to express your religious beliefs, or at least that asks you not to express them too much - and your religious identity that is seen as opposed to your French identity. Rather than combining those two identities, these law risks dividing them even more.

michael barbaro

Is anyone in France asking themselves whether instead of trying to strengthen laïcité, the country should be rethinking it, and rethinking it in the opposite direction, which is to say making religious immigrants feel welcomed and embraced for their religiousness? And is it possible that that might better serve the goal of assimilation and integration and ultimately making France safer?

constant meheut

Well, it is a question that is very difficult to ask in France, because ultimately, that actually calls into question our very model of integration. France was based on this idea that to integrate people, you assimilate them - meaning that you try to have people looking quite similar having the same culture, having the same historical references, and, I mean, all in all kind of behaving in a homogeneous way. And laïcité was part of that idea.

But as the society in France grows diverse, as multiculturalism is increasing in France, well, this new reality kind of contradicts those ideas of assimilation. And so if you try to think about a new model of laïcité, you actually have to think about a new model of integration. And the question of whether laïcité could fit into this new model of integration that accepts more diversity, I'm not sure that it would work, because it basically contradicts this very idea that we want everyone to be neutral about their religious beliefs and roots.

michael barbaro

Right, so you're saying France isn't quite ready to let go of this concept of assimilation. But I wonder if over time, France is really going to have that choice, if it's really going to be in France's hands to make that decision.

constant meheut

Probably not, because at some point, and President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged it himself, society is becoming more and more multicultural. And so you cannot remain in a model that worked well in the 1960s but that does not fit with the reality in 2021. But so far, and this law is a perfect example of that, it is true that France is kind of clinging on this perhaps ideal of assimilation. But when are people going to question the very way they were raised and educated and the way they integrated immigrants? It's difficult to know when this is going to happen.

michael barbaro

Well, Constant, thank you very much. We appreciate your time.

constant meheut

Thanks, Michael.

michael barbaro

We'll be right back.

Here's what else you need to know today.

michael barbaro

On Thursday, the House Democrats prosecuting former President Trump concluded their case, branding him a danger to American democracy who risks inciting new violence unless he is convicted and barred from holding office.

michael barbaro

The impeachment managers, led by Congressman Jamie Raskin, appealed to senators from both parties to rise above partisanship and hold Trump accountable for his role in the insurrection at the Capitol.

michael barbaro

Trump's defense lawyers will begin making their case for his acquittal later this morning. And -

michael barbaro

In an interview with NBC News on Thursday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden's chief medical adviser for Covid-19, said that most Americans could become eligible for the coronavirus vaccine as soon as April, but that administering it could take several months. Today's episode was produced by Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, and Rachel Quester. It was edited by Lisa Chow and engineered by Chris Wood.

That's it for The Daily. I'm Michael Barbaro. See you on Tuesday after the holiday.

After the beheading of a teacher in a Paris suburb, the debate over the relationship between government and religion is raging again.

Hosted by Michael Barbaro; produced by Asthaa Chathurvedi, Rachelle Bonja and Rachel Quester; edited by Lisa Chow; and engineered by Chris Wood.

"Laïcité," or secularism, the principle that separates religion from the state in France, has long provoked heated dispute in the country. The debate intensified when a teacher, Samuel Paty, was beheaded after showing his class caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad as part of a lesson on freedom of expression.

Since the killing, lawmakers in France have prepared contentious legislation aimed at combating the threat of Islamist radicals and shoring up the principle of laïcité.

But secularism can be troublesome in a diverse country like France. Laws governing religious symbols, which include bans on head scarves in schools, can antagonize France's growing Muslim population in particular.

We look at the roots of secularism and ask whether it works in modern, multicultural France.

Image

A memorial event for the schoolteacher Samuel Paty in Paris in October. His killing was seen as an attack on the very foundation of French citizenship. Credit... Francois Mori/Associated Press

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Transcripts of each episode are available by the next workday. You can find them at the top of the page. Here's how.

Constant Méheut contributed reporting.

The Daily is made by Theo Balcomb, Lisa Tobin, Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Annie Brown, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Larissa Anderson, Wendy Dorr, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, M.J. Davis Lin, Austin Mitchell, Neena Pathak, Dan Powell, Dave Shaw, Sydney Harper, Daniel Guillemette, Hans Buetow, Robert Jimison, Mike Benoist, Bianca Giaever, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Alix Spiegel, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano and Soraya Shockley.

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transcript After the beheading of a teacher in a Paris suburb, the debate over the relationship between government and religion is raging again. michael barbaro From The New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily.

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The arguments against the alleged police brutality in the US were easily translatable to the Australian context.

The Black Lives Matters movement was renewed following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in May this year. And together with US counterparts, tens of thousands of Australians marched across our cities to draw attention to racial profiling, police brutality and the more than 400 Indigenous people who have died in police custody since a royal commission into the problem was held in 1991.

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I think books [...] play a huge role in opening people's eyes and they're a form of activism in their own right, in the fact that they do empower people and show others the lives of people who may not be like themselves.

Research has long shown a link between the books we read and our development of empathy. But more recent research has highlighted it is important we don't see books as immediate fixes to complex social issues, especially when we import these books from other locations and times.

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Read more: 5 Australian books that can help young people understand their place in the world

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But the story stands as a haunting reminder of the inequalities experienced by Black men and the life-altering consequences this can wreak on innocent lives.

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Particularly noteworthy are the chapters by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Celeste Liddle, in which the authors describe both the nature of racism experienced by them from the schoolyard, and the broader historical context on which this racism is based.
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Living on Stolen Land centres Indigenous sovereignty in the conversation about race. Using prose verses such as those titled "Bias" and "Listening", it leads readers through examining unconscious beliefs and moving toward being a genuine ally of Indigenous people.

Author and educator Layla F Saad has suggested when we read texts about social issues like racism, we read for transformation, not merely information.

A range of texts have been developed to support families in having these transformative discussions together. Maxine Beneba Clarkes' " When We Say Black Lives Matter", for instance, is a beautifully illustrated picture book that focuses on the strength and resilience of black children and communities. While texts like Our Home our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs centres on key Indigenous figures to be celebrated.

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Teen summer reads: 5 books to help young people understand racism

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US teenager Trayvon Martin was shot dead in 2012 by a neighbourhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman who was later acquitted of the murder. This saw the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. The racist social and political issues in the US saw the deaths and violence on Black bodies brought front and centre through acts of protest.

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For generations, public schools assimilated immigrant children into French society by instilling the nation's ideals. The beheading of a teacher has raised doubts about whether that model still works.

A memorial to Samuel Paty outside the school where he used to teach in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France. Credit... Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times

ÉVREUX, France - They could have easily shared the same classroom - the immigrant teenager and the veteran teacher known for his commitment to instilling the nation's ideals, in a relationship that had turned waves of newcomers into French citizens.

But Abdoullakh Anzorov, 18, who grew up in France from age 6 and was the product of its public schools, rejected those principles in a horrific crime that shocked and enraged France. Offended by cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad shown in a class on free speech given by the teacher, Samuel Paty, 47, the teenager beheaded him a week ago with a long knife before being gunned down by the police.

France has paid national homage to Mr. Paty because the killing was seen as an attack on the very foundation - the teacher, the public school - of French citizenship. In the anger sweeping the nation, French leaders have promised to redouble their defense of a public educational system that plays an essential role in shaping national identity.

The killing has underscored the increasing challenges to that system as France grows more racially and ethnically diverse. Two or three generations of newcomers have now struggled to integrate into French society, the political establishment agrees.

But the nation, broadly, has balked at the suggestion from critics, many in the Muslim community, that France's model of integration, including its schools, needs an update or an overhaul.

President Emmanuel Macron's emphatic defense of the caricatures has also led to ripples overseas. Several Muslim nations, including Kuwait and Qatar, have begun boycotting French goods in protest. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey questioned Mr. Macron's mental health in a speech, prompting France to recall its ambassador to Turkey.

Image

A portrait of Mr. Paty at a bus stop in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. Credit... Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times

Mr. Anzorov was the latest product of France's public schools to turn against their ideals: Two brothers who went to public schools in 2015 attacked Charlie Hebdo, the satirical magazine that published - and republished last month - caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

Jean-Pierre Obin, a former senior national education official, said that public schools played a leading role in "the cultural assimilation and political integration" of immigrant children who "were turned into good little French" and no longer felt "Italian, Spanish, Portuguese or Polish." Other institutions that also played this role - the Catholic church, unions and political parties - have been weakened, leaving only the schools, he said.

"Today, public schools can't fully do this," Mr. Obin said. "But I don't see another model - especially the Anglo-Saxon model of multiculturalism, which I don't think is more successful."

The French model ran into obstacles when the immigrants were no longer European, white or Roman Catholic. Today about 10 percent of France's population is believed to be Muslim.

The push to assimilate risks engendering a form of xenophobia in the broader population, said Hakim El Karoui, a senior fellow at the Paris-based think tank Institut Montaigne.

"The message is: 'We don't want your otherness because we want you to be like us,'" he said.

The children who fail to assimilate - and often end up lost, feeling that they belong to neither France nor their ancestral countries - embody the doubt "that our model is not the right one," Mr. El Karoui said, a possibility that the French "obviously find unbearable."

It was in schools that immigrant children learned not only proper French, but also how to politely address teachers as "Madame" or "Monsieur." They also absorbed notions like secularism in a country where, much like in the United States, ideals form the basis of nationhood.

At least on paper, Mr. Anzorov seemed a good candidate to fit into French society. A Russian of Chechen descent, he arrived in Paris when he was 6 and entered a public primary school. When he was about 10, his family moved to Évreux, a city in an economically depressed area about 55 miles west of Paris and home to about 50 Chechen families, according to Chechens living in the city.

The Chechens largely kept to themselves in Madeleine, a poor neighborhood with other immigrants, who are mostly from former French colonies and whose integration is often complicated by France's colonial legacy.

Mr. Anzorov attended a middle school called Collège Pablo Neruda that, hewing to the national curriculum, also offered civics lessons on secularism and freedom of expression. He lived in a rent-subsidized, five-story apartment building with his family, with a direct view of the local jail.

"He always passed in front of my place when going home," said Ruslan Ibragimov, 49, a Chechen who arrived in Évreux 18 years ago. "He was always alone, with his backpack. Even when he would see me from afar, he'd come over to greet me. He never talked much."

Never much interested in his studies, Mr. Anzorov was passionate about mixed-martial arts, said a 26-year-old Chechen who also practices the sport. When he was 16 in 2018, Mr. Anzorov lived for a while in Toulouse, where he had an uncle.

There, he joined a sports club that had a Chechen coach and a good reputation among athletes, the 26-year-old said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he said he feared reprisals against Chechens.

"His goal was to fight in the U.F.C.," the 26-year-old said, referring to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a top promoter of mixed martial arts.

Located in a public facility, the club was investigated by the local authorities because some members prayed in the locker room and asked women to cover their arms and legs, according to the French news media.

In a country guided by strict secularism, such actions are a violation of French law and regarded as signs of radicalization by the authorities - and they have led to many sports clubs being placed under surveillance.

But it was not known what, if any, influence the club exerted on Mr. Anzorov, who had not been on any terrorism watch list.

Unsuccessful in Toulouse, Mr. Anzorov came back to Évreux. His father, who specialized in setting up security for construction sites and other businesses, was encouraging his son to join him, Mr. Ibragimov said. The father had recently bought his son a car, he added.

"But he couldn't drive it yet because he still hadn't gotten his driver's license," Mr. Ibragimov said.

It was only in recent months that the teenager had shown signs of radicalization, said the special antiterrorism prosecutor, Jean-François Ricard. Mr. Anzorov's transformation appeared to have played out online, according to an analysis by the French news website Mediapart of a Twitter account that he created in June and that was deleted last week after his death.

His posts on Twitter attacked a wide range of targets - from Jews to Christians to the rulers of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Paty was teaching history and civics at a middle school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a middle-class Paris suburb, at the time of the attack.

"He is the kind of teacher who leaves his mark, by his gentleness and open-mindedness," said Maeva Latil, 21, who joined a tribute in front of the Jacques-Prévert middle school, in a small village south of Paris, where Mr. Paty taught between 2011 and 2018.

In history classes, he used contemporary examples - from Pink Floyd songs to a book on racism by a soccer player - to make his teaching resonate with his students, said Aurélie Davoust, 43, a former literature teacher at Jacques-Prévert.

"With him, there was really this aspect: You don't study history to talk about dead things, you study history to become a citizen," she said.

Mr. Paty was a strong believer in laïcité, the strict secularism that separates religion from the state in France. Ms. Davoust recalled Mr. Paty once asking a young girl wearing a cross around her neck in school to take it off.

"Our democracy was established against the Catholic Church and the monarchy, and laïcité is the way that democracy was organized in France," said Dominique Schnapper, a sociologist and president of the Council of the Wise, a group created by the government in 2018 to reinforce laïcité in public schools.

In a class on freedom of expression - including the right to say blasphemous things about all religions - Mr. Paty used caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, Jesus and rabbis to teach, former students said.

After his transfer a few years ago to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, in a Paris suburb with a more diverse population, he appeared to adjust his approach. When showing caricatures, he began telling students who might be offended that they could leave the classroom or look away.

At the new school, students said he showed mostly caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that had been published by Charlie Hebdo. One of the two shown this month was titled "A star is born" and depicted Muhammad fully nude. That upset many Muslim students and their parents, according to the local chapter of PEEP, a national parents association.

Mr. Paty said he was surprised by the backlash and apologized to students, said Talia, a 13-year-old student who was present at the lecture.

"He told us that he's a teacher, that this class is part of his program, that France is a secular country and so is our school," said Talia, who asked that she be identified by her first name only given the sensitivity of the situation.

One angry father complained about the teacher in videos he uploaded on social media. Enraged, Mr. Anzorov, the Chechen teenager, traveled all the way from Évreux to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, nearly 60 miles, to kill Mr. Paty.

"Did he never have committed teachers? Or did he have them and he didn't hear them?" Ms. Schnapper, the president of the Council of the Wise, said of Mr. Anzorov's years in France's public schools. "We'll never know. But it's a sign of failure."

Antonella Francini contributed reporting.

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A Teacher, His Killer and the Failure of French Integration

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For generations, public schools assimilated immigrant children into French society by instilling the nation's ideals. The beheading of a teacher has raised doubts about whether that model still works. ÉVREUX, France - They could have easily shared the same classroom - the immigrant teenager and the veteran teacher known for his commitment to instilling the nation's ideals, in a relationship that had turned waves of newcomers into French citizens.

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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.

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What Anti-racist Teachers Do Differently

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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.

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The United States has a racism problem. The idea of tackling such complicated and hurtful topics in our homes and classrooms is daunting, but we can't look away. We MUST face it. Fortunately, we live in a time when technology provides resources, such as the anti-racism videos below, designed to support us as we navigate these difficult and painful conversations.

For Parents and Educators

It's crucial that you feel confident and prepared to lead important discussions about what it means to be not only "not racist," but resolutely anti-racist. Here are some resources to help you get ready.

Be Boldly Anti-Racist

Elementary school educator, Naomi O'Brien, asks: "How did I become boldly anti-racist? By following my mom's example. How can you be bold and set an example for your kids and students?"

How to Talk to Kids About Race

In a new episode of Home School, The Atlantic's animated series about parenting, author Jeremy Tisby offers advice on how to have a conversation with children about race, from experiential learning to watching classic animated films.

How I Teach Kids About Racism (Kindergarten and 1st Grade)

This video is about elementary school teachers sharing the lessons they teach each year to introduce the topic of racism to their kindergarten and first grade students.

How Parents Can Help Kids Understand the Protests and Fight Racism

Dr. Janet Taylor shares advice with parents who may be struggling to talk about racism and the unrest that has erupted after the death of George Floyd.

For Kids and Students

Whether you're curled up with your kids at home or leading a group of students, here are some educational anti-racism videos to help get the conversation started.

Let's Talk About Race

The Tutu Teacher made this video for kindergarten students. In the video, she discusses what racism is and how it's impacted the lives of Black and Brown people. She also reads aloud the story Let's Talk about Race.

Sesame Street: Color of Me Song

Sesame Street explores: "What is the color of 'you?' Is your skin color tan, light brown, milky white, or dark dark brown? Whatever color you are, be proud and sing along."

Sesame Street: Song: I Love My Hair

Sesame Street invites children to "...sing along and make the world aware that YOU love your hair!"

Systemic Racism Explained

Systemic racism affects every area of life in the U.S., from incarceration rates to predatory loans, and trying to solve these problems requires changes in major parts of our system. This video offers a closer look at what systemic racism is, and how we can solve it.

Discrimination Explained for Kids

In this video, Pop'n'Olly discover what discrimination means and provide a few examples. They also talk about discrimination and the law.

Sesame Street Explains Racism and Protesting

Sesame Street and CNN worked together to create the "Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism" town hall for kids and families.

Woke Read Alouds: Wings

In this video, Ki reads the story Wings by author/illustrator Christopher Myers. They take readers on a fun, animated, and thoughtful journey through the book, leaving time for think alouds and responses from kids. They also include reading strategies, resources, and tips for parents throughout. This resource serves as a full academic read aloud.

Kids Talk About Segregation

It's been 62 years since Brown v. Board of Education, but the percentage of racially segregated schools in the United States has been growing steadily over the past 15 years. New York has the most segregated schools in the country. This video talks to Bronx 5th graders about what segregation looks like today.

A Kids Book About Racism

This read aloud is, as the title suggests, a kids' book about racism. Inside, you'll find a clear description of what racism is, how it makes people feel when they experience it, and how to spot it when it happens.

A Kids Book About Belonging

This read aloud tackles what it's like when you feel like you belong to a group or family or team and what it's like when you don't. It addresses what it feels like when you don't fit in, or when others don't want you around. This book teaches kids how to belong to themselves and how that helps them belong anywhere.

SAY SOMETHING Read Aloud

This read aloud of SAY SOMETHING helps explain race to kids as well as the importance of speaking up.

Students Learn A Powerful Lesson About Privilege

Using a recycling bin and some scrap paper, this video showcases a powerful exercise about privilege. Do all students have the same opportunities?

Black Parents Explain How to Deal with the Police

Brave parents and their curious kids confront some of life's biggest and most uncomfortable lessons.

Film Kits for Classrooms

These classroom-friendly films and user guides will help you bring social justice topics to life. Incredibly, Teaching Tolerance offers these film kits for FREE for use in K-12 schools, public libraries, schools of education, houses of worship, and youth-serving nonprofit organizations.

Designed for in-service programs, this training tool for early grades educators profiles classrooms in which peace, equity, and justice are guiding themes. (Available for order.)

This film takes viewers to the very communities where heinous acts of violence took place, offering a painful look back at lives lost to lynching and a critical look forward. (Available for streaming only.)

The film tells the story of a courageous group of students and teachers who, along with other activists, fought a nonviolent battle to win voting rights for African Americans in the South. (Available for order.)

This special teachers' edition of the Oscar-winning documentary film tells the heroic story of the young people in Birmingham, Alabama, who brought segregation to its knees. (Available for order.)

A Time for Justice, an Oscar-winning documentary, captures the spirit of the civil rights movement through historical footage and the voices of activists who sat, sang, and marched. (Available for order.)
What anti-racism videos do you feel are important to education? Share in the comments below. Also, 19 Black Teachers on Instagram to Listen To and Learn From.

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21 Anti-Racism Videos To Share With Kids

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The United States has a racism problem. The idea of tackling such complicated and hurtful topics in our homes and classrooms is daunting, but we can't look away. We MUST face it. Fortunately, we live in a time when technology provides resources, such as the anti-racism videos below, designed to support us as we navigate these difficult and painful conversations.

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Dena Simmons

As a social and emotional learning (SEL) practitioner-scholar, I am fortunate to get invitations to support schools and districts all over the United States. When schools and districts learn that I address SEL within the larger sociopolitical context, integrating culturally responsive and SEL practices to ensure equitable student outcomes, some are excited. Too many, however, insist that there is no need to discuss equity or culturally responsive practices; their school population is mostly white. The pushback at these schools reveals an underlying discomfort with talking about race, identity, and difference in our nation's classrooms. I worry about the marginalized students and educators in these schools who are either expected to do the brunt of the race and equity work or who are likely struggling silently.

We cannot afford to wallow in our discomfort regarding issues of race and equity. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported an overwhelming 3,265 incidents of hate or bias in schools throughout the nation in the fall of 2018 alone. I, too, have experienced racial trauma at many of the education institutions where I've worked or studied. Educators have an obligation to confront the harm of racism. That is why we must commit to becoming antiracist educators and to preparing our young people to be antiracist, too. I recommend five actions for teaching for an antiracist future.

1. Engage in Vigilant Self-Awareness

People who are white or perceived as white have more privilege and fewer barriers to resources than Black people and other people of color. If we do not know our power, we can abuse it unintentionally or fail to leverage it toward antiracism. Constant self-reflection enhances our ability to disrupt white privilege when we see or enact it. Some questions to ask yourself include

How does your identity provide or prevent access to necessary resources?

How does your power and privilege show up in your work with students, take up space, or silence others?

What single narratives are you telling yourself about students, and how does that affect grading, behavior management, and other interactions?

Do you and the academic materials you use uphold whiteness or lift up the voices and experiences of people of color?

Studies show that Eurocentric values and content dominate U.S. schooling, so these reflection questions are also relevant to educators of color who may have internalized negative messages about Black or Brown people.

2. Acknowledge Racism and the Ideology of White Supremacy

When we let our discomfort or ignorance shield us from recognizing our country's racist history and present, we are part of the problem. Failing to acknowledge racism not only erases histories, cultures, and identities, but also ignores ongoing differential treatment based on race. For example, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos ignored three decades of research showing students of color are disciplined more harshly than white students when she decided to rescind Obama-era guidelines aimed at discipline equity. In addition, schools and districts have spoon-fed lessons on grit to mostly students of color, suggesting that we must "fix" them by making them grittier so that they can adapt to-rather than disrupt-racism and inequality in schools.

Acknowledging the social construct of race and racism and the ideology of white supremacy recognizes the problem so that we are not harmful in our ignorance and so that, together, we can strive for solutions. For educators of color, the work means continuing to call out racism and recruiting white coconspirators to join in antiracist work.

3. Study and Teach Representative History

No matter what subject you teach, history (including African American history, which is U.S. history) is important. Knowing our country's whole history helps us make sense of how our current education system perpetuates inequity.

For too long, we have taught U.S. history devoid of a true depiction of Black excellence and have focused on erasing the truth of racial oppression and uplifting whiteness. Our curriculum superficially talks about slavery and civil rights (notably, textbook provider McGraw-Hill called enslaved Africans "immigrants" and "workers"), and teaching practices risk traumatizing Black students by enacting mock slave auctions, slave games, and underground railroad games. Alternately, resources such as Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s PBS documentary series on Reconstruction or The New York Times Magazine's 1619 Project provide a comprehensive opportunity to learn and discuss history and race with colleagues and students. The Zinn Education Project and Rethinking Schools also have teaching materials that explore topics like the Tulsa race riots and colonization.

4. Talk About Race with Students

The educators I work with are mostly white (which matches the lack of teacher diversity on a national level) and often share that they do not feel comfortable talking about race. But when we shy away from open conversations about race with young people, we sow the seeds of prejudice by inadvertently sending the message that something is wrong with people from another race.

To open up conversations with young people, use stories from history and literature as a starting point, and ask students to take on the perspective of a character about whom they are reading. Reading literature and role-playing enhance empathy and other social cognitive skills. Teaching Tolerance's resource, "Let's Talk: Discussing Race, Racism, and Other Difficult Topics," includes suggestions for working through discomfort. The Educational Leadership article " Helping Students Discuss Race Openly" also has a great list of steps to begin the conversation. (And the September 2019 issue of this newsletter includes guidance from educator Liz Kleinrock on how to lead students through challenging topics like race.)

5. When You See Racism, Do Something

We have to fight against racism-and other isms and phobias. All students deserve to live and learn in the comfort of their own skin. To combat racism, consider how the academic resources, policies, admissions, hiring, grading, and behavior management practices at your school might be racist. Whom do the practices and policies benefit and whom do they disadvantage? Are Black people and other people of color disproportionately affected negatively by disciplinary, pedagogical, and administrative practices? For example, what hours are family-teacher conferences held? Which families are excluded from these hours? Which students are most disciplined based on dress code or physical appearance? In 2018, a high school wrestler was forced to cut his locks because the referee argued that his hair was not compliant with regulations. Ask yourself whether a particular "rule" is applied to all people or just to some. Engage in vigilant awareness of your implicit bias to ensure that you are not part of the problem, too.

Most important, when we see racism-whether at the individual or policy level-we must have the courage to act. White Fragility author Robin DiAngelo provides guidance for engaging in gentle but firm conversations with offenders that prevents the defensiveness that race conversations inspire. Share data on specific practices and use stories to humanize the data. Build partnerships with racial-justice organizations in your communities to integrate their work in teaching and learning. Form a taskforce to assess data, policies, and practices with an antiracist lens to disrupt systemic decisions that historically have disenfranchised people of color. Be mindful that these efforts should not be carried solely by the people of color in your school, who are living and struggling with racism on a daily basis.

Shape an Antiracist Future

In his book How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi writes, "The opposite of racist isn't 'not racist.' It is 'anti-racist.' ... One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of 'not racist'" (p. 9). Teaching for an antiracist future starts with us, the educators. An antiracist educator actively works to dismantle the structures, policies, institutions, and systems that create barriers and perpetuate race-based inequities for people of color. Educating students to see and respect the humanity and dignity of all people should be a national imperative, especially if we want to heal-and have a future-as a nation.

Dena Simmons (@DenaSimmons) supports schools throughout the nation to build social and emotional learning, culturally responsive practices, and equity ( www.denasimmons.com). She is the author of the forthcoming book White Rules for Black People (St. Martin's Press). Her views are her own.

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Dena Simmons As a social and emotional learning (SEL) practitioner-scholar, I am fortunate to get invitations to support schools and districts all over the United States. When schools and districts learn that I address SEL within the larger sociopolitical context, integrating culturally responsive and SEL practices to ensure equitable student outcomes, some are excited.

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Animated Version of "Something Happened In Our Town"

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Animated Version of "Something Happened In Our Town"

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Story aimed at children to explain police shootings (K and up)

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Animation Series: Something Happened In Our Town (#AtlantisBuild)

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International school communities in the Global South are connected through the curiously unique experience of attending or working at an international school. Many of us find it difficult to explain our very nuanced experiences as students or teachers in said communities, and often find friendship in other individuals who have had similar experiences, who may understand. For reference, an international school can be defined as an educational institution which adopts curricula differing from that of the host country's, with an emphasis on global citizenship.

Those who have attended international schools in the Global South may fondly recall the diversity amongst our graduating classes, as well as the days we spent celebrating cultures other than our own, like Diwali or Chinese New Year. These institutions also provided us with the ability to travel to places far and wide, generally on service trips presented as a means to aid those less fortunate than ourselves. For most, thoughts of international schools conjure up images of racial harmony and tolerance, a utopian society where matters of race simply do not exist; an example of a post-racial society, if you will.

Now, as protestors in the United States march against systemic anti-Black racism and police brutality, some international school students - particularly those living outside of the United States - might wonder what this fight has to do with them. Even more dangerous, they might conclude, "This has nothing to do with me." To that end, we must understand that our upbringing in an international school setting does not mean we are exempt from being racist, either overtly or covertly. Contrarily, our upbringing and success has been contingent on the maintenance of global White supremacy, demonstrated through our ability to assimilate in Western countries, privileging their cultures, languages, and educational systems before our own.

The birth of the international school can be traced back to the migration of European expatriates and diplomats to developing countries in the Global South. Understanding that their time - and in effect, their children's time - in said context would only be temporary, diplomats and expatriates sought to create an educational system comparable to those in their home countries, which would eventually recognize and transfer their children's educational credits when they moved back. And so, the international school was born.

Today, there are more than 11,000 international schools globally, and over 5.6 million students attend such institutions. However, they do not only cater to the children of Western diplomats and expatriates. Today, international schools also function as a pathway to Western higher education for local, wealthy families. As such, admission into Western higher education institutions is a symbol of success, and one many local students in the Global South aspire to.

Access to international schooling in the Global South, however, remains financially exclusive. Most annual international school tuition fees are comparable to annual tuition fees of universities in the United States, which are notoriously high and unaffordable. In comparison to the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in most countries in the Global South, international school tuition fees are simply not feasible for the vast majority of its citizens. Thus, international schooling in the Global South is primarily reserved for the upper class. In effect, the international school system both contributes to and exacerbates global inequality, as only a select few in the Global South are afforded what is considered to be a world-class education.

Sociologists William I. Robinson and Jerry Harris understand this phenomenon as the formation of the transnational capitalist class (TCC). Robinson and Harris contend the TCC transcends national borders. Under the transformative forces of globalization, this shift in ruling class is distinct: "global class formation has involved the accelerated division of the world into a global bourgeoisie and a global proletariat, and has brought changes in the relationship between dominant and subordinate classes" (Robinson and Harris 2000:17). As such, it is paramount that international school students and alumni acknowledge our privilege not only on a local or regional scale, but also on a global scale. We must contextualize our opportunities and achievements within a global context, as well as understand how we benefit from global systems of inequality.

For those with ties to the international school community in the Global South, we must face the reality of our curated existence in the global cities we resided in; we existed in a parallel universe to most, one completely unrepresentative of the lived experience of those less fortunate than us. We found ourselves able to enjoy the thrills of the global cities we resided in without having to acknowledge the staunch wealth inequalities, racism, and structural injustices which also characterized said cities. The gates delineating the school grounds acted as a protective barrier, leaving our campuses untouched from the issues and inequalities that plague our respective societies, which, in turn, allowed us to exist in our constructed racial paradise laden with economic privilege.

In the context of race, international schools in the Global South are often advertised as sites of racial diversity, tolerance, and acceptance. Thus, many in the community believe there is little to no work to be done in reckoning with the racism that exists on international school campuses. This, of course, is false. Worse, it engenders a culture of bystanders to racism, allowing overt and covert racism to exist and remain unchecked. As such, instead of educating a cohort of youth who are more likely to stand up against acts of racism and commit to being anti-racist, international schooling in the Global South creates a culture of complacency, of youth who believe "this doesn't pertain to me," who may fail to identify racist acts as such because it was never explicitly discussed in their educational institutions.

International schools, then, become susceptible to colorblind racism, where folks claim to "not see color." This gives way to racist behavior from those who are either consciously or unconsciously committing acts of racism. This often leads many students of color in such settings to suffer at the hand of racism by their peers, but to stay silent on such issues, as they may lack the language to identify and articulate their experiences.

Other students of color, who may not have personally suffered from racism during their years at their respective international schools, may have experienced their first racist encounters at the Western higher education institutions they attended. They may have been asked, "Why do you speak English so well?" or had racist slurs and epithets directed towards them by their peers. Sometimes, they may have been unaware of the racism directed towards them behind their backs. Regardless of how or when, many students of color have experienced racism firsthand. We should thus be aware that we do not live in a post-racial society, and that the shelter of our international school campuses can only do so much for us. Conversely, this shelter has failed us, as we were unequipped to handle acts of racism head-on, whether directed towards us personally, towards our friends, or towards a stranger, oftentimes while we watched as bystanders.

On the other hand, White students in international schools in the Global South have benefited from the celebration and prioritization of their Whiteness. Many thrived in this very niche space as they were able to draw attention to themselves for traveling to "exotic" islands and countries, the ability to hold basic conversations in their host country's language, or even for having friends of color. Many saw themselves as non-racist for these very reasons, amongst others. The fact of the matter is that the educational institutions they attended were built for them. They were able to enjoy select parts of their host country's culture while still existing in predominantly culturally White spaces. To ignore the social, cultural, and economic privilege of Whiteness in the niche space that is the international school system in the Global South would be entirely negligent, and would fail to acknowledge the structural racism and inequality embedded in such institutions.

In the same vein, many White folks might define themselves as "global citizens" or "third culture kids." However, blurring racial identities under the umbrella of vague terms, such as the aforementioned, fails to acknowledge the variegated lived experiences of international school students, especially in the context of race. It trivializes the privilege of Whiteness in the Global South. For White folks: students, administrators, and teachers, it is important to deeply interrogate what opportunities your Whiteness has afforded you and why. The same is true of half-White folks who are able to adapt and switch when they choose, who have also similarly benefited and continue to benefit. I contend it is essential to avoid using such terms in international spaces, and instead, acknowledge our varied positionalities and how they function to benefit some while harming others.

For the author, as a half-White individual and a product of international schooling in the Global South, I enter adulthood continuing to disentangle the false narratives I've been fed over my years of schooling. Instead, I am committed to acknowledging the international school system as an inherently racist and Eurocentric one. Further, I continue to actively reckon with my own racist beliefs and behaviors, and my own internalized racisms.

To those who may be reading this, we must do better. We must do the work and commit to being anti-racist, as opposed to just "not racist." As you post your graphics on social media, attend your marches, and demand justice for the many innocent Black Americans murdered by a vicious and racist police force, remember your own role in these events. Many of us have comfortably said the n-word, either while singing along to a popular song or in casual conversation. Many of us have expressed racist sentiments against Black people. Many of us didn't know why this was wrong. Some of us still don't. The fact is, the systemic oppression and brutalization of Black people is not a problem specific to the United States; it is a global one, one in which we are all complicit. Black people continue to be discriminated against in Thailand, in South Africa, in Australia, in the United Kingdom, in Germany, in South Korea, in [insert your home country here].

The question we should ask ourselves when we watch the powerful protest of a community angry, hurt, and exhausted over the news of yet another Black life stolen by an inherently corrupt and racist system is not, "What does this have to do with me?" Instead, we must ask ourselves: How am I complicit? How can I grapple with my own racist behaviors and beliefs? How can I further educate myself on this global phenomenon? How can I do better?

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An Open Letter to the International School Community: Our Role in the Black Lives Matter Movement...

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International school communities in the Global South are connected through the curiously unique experience of attending or working at an international school. Many of us find it difficult to explain our very nuanced experiences as students or teachers in said communities, and often find friendship in other individuals who have had similar experiences, who may understand.

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Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Sponsored by PowerSchool and ViewSonic

These last few weeks have been especially difficult for me as the news continues to reflect that racism still exists in 2020. I've witnessed video footage of Ahmaud Arbery shot and killed while jogging, George Floyd murdered by the police, and Christian Cooper harassed while bird watching in Central Park. As we think about the next generation of adults we are influencing, particularly our White students, now more than ever, we need to teach more than kindness.

As an equity advocate, I have lots of conversations about culturally responsive teaching and multicultural education. Not too long ago while I was consulting with an elementary school principal she said, "Multicultural Education is nice, but we are well over 90% White at my school."

A common myth regarding multicultural education is that it is about helping students of color see themselves within the content. But multicultural education is about more than just race: It refers to any form of learning or teaching that incorporates the histories, texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives of people from different cultural backgrounds ( Glossary of Education Reform). And even if the majority of your students are White, it doesn't mean we shouldn't teach from a multicultural perspective.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not advocating for a bunch of Kumbaya moments in the classroom. This is not a post about how we need to teach students to embrace diversity and love each other. It's about the influence we can and should have on our students. Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings taught us that we teach what we value. Therefore, we are part of the problem if we refuse to teach about antiracism and speak out against police brutality. Our students look up to us as adults, and many of our students mimic our behavior. If we are silent around social justice matters, we send a loud message to our students about where we stand as these issues impact many of the communities we serve.

In fact, we need to go beyond multicultural education. In this 2017 interview, Zaretta Hammond differentiates between multicultural education and social justice education, which provides "a lens for the student, really being able to look at the world and seeing where things aren't fair or where injustice exists." To ensure the changes our society is hurting for, we need to give our White students both multicultural and social justice education. Additionally, Dr. James Banks, the father of multicultural education, advocates for educators to teach our students about social and civic action. Ensuring that students engage in multiple perspectives without coupling their learning with civic engagement does not complete the process of developing socially just citizens who are willing to take a stance against the mistreatment of others. We need to help our students find ways they can take action in response to what they have learned.

Going back to the principal I was speaking with about whether there was a need for multicultural education at her school, I was thinking, "This is why multicultural and social justice education is so important!" Even with her assumptions that because there wasn't a lot of racial representation at her school, does that mean the small percentage of students of color don't matter to her? If that's the case, what would her teachers say? Would they support her sentiments?

Why Multicultural Education is 100% Relevant in All-White Schools

"Whiteness" is Complex

When someone asks why multicultural education is needed at a predominately White school, an assumption is being made that White people are a homogenous group. But White people are as heterogeneous as other racial and ethnic groups: there's socioeconomic status, gender and sexual orientation, identity, religion, language, age, and disability, to name a few. All of those represent different cultures. Sometimes, when you're in a dominant culture and used to things being a certain way, you don't necessarily think about your ancestry or heritage and how things have changed over time. And because conditions have changed over time, it may appear that Whiteness is Whiteness, but there are so many different cultures embedded within that broad category.

I think it's essential that we help teach our White students about their ancestors and the origins of when their families first arrived in the United States. The languages, the cultures, the traditions, all those things don't necessarily have to be lost. They can be retrieved.

Let's go back to the 1790s, where the first census was started. With the first US Census, they classified race. The classifying of race allowed those in power to determine or allow a few rights: Who gets the right to get jobs? Who gets the right to marry? Who gets the right to own property? That's how the social construct of race started.

Above is a view of Europeans, or some of the first immigrants, who were coming from various countries. And if you look at the picture, they're White people, right? But they're coming from multiple countries. At this time, there were several languages represented. You had folks that came from Italy, Germany, Russia, England, and so on. There were all types of cultures coming into the United States.

There were also various forms of religions represented when the Europeans began to arrive in the US. In Russia, you had the Orthodox church. In England, you had the Anglican church. When they first came, they weren't willing to give up their culture and become this one White race. They held onto their traditions, values, and beliefs. But we see that over time, things have changed to where White supremacy and racial hierarchies began to form. Today, there are a lot of families who have European origins that may not necessarily speak the language from their original land of ancestry because those things might have been lost over generations.

Multicultural Literacy Is a Separate and Necessary Literacy

The concept of "literacy" is broad. Still, it can be divided into many different sub-categories. One of these is multicultural literacy, the ability to uncover biases relating to culture, and the skills to view the world through different cultural perspectives.

Dr. Robin DiAngelo says, "Historically reinforced ideologies such as individualism and color-blindness have left many White people racially illiterate but racially conscious when perceiving other racialized groups." So because they're in the dominant culture, they don't necessarily have to think about race, but they'll maybe notice racial issues that are not related to Whiteness.

In other words, maybe they might notice police brutality in a Black community. Perhaps they might see issues of race with Islamophobia and discrimination. But we want our students to do more than notice; responding to issues of racism, prejudice, and discrimination is essential.

Having literacy in this area is also key for equipping White students to participate more actively in conversations about racial justice. If they are not regularly exposed to these conversations, they are less likely to speak up on this topic. White friends and colleagues tell me all the time that they want to say something when racism and equity come up, but they often hold back because they don't know what to say or are afraid to say the wrong thing. With a higher level of multicultural literacy, our students will build more confidence.

What We've Been Doing Isn't Enough

Although multicultural education certainly isn't new, it's clear that what we've been doing up to this point hasn't been enough.

As recently as a few weeks ago, there have been instances of White people utilizing the police as a means to address their encounters with people of color. The underlying issue of racism is apparent in many of these instances. Discussing current events and helping White students understand why they should also be upset at discrimination and racism may prevent a continuous cycle of White people remaining silent and complicit when issues happen that do not directly impact them.

These conversations are essential to have. It's also critical to teach students about becoming allies and co-conspirators, especially at the middle and high school levels. It might be a little bit difficult with your first and second graders, and maybe your kindergartners, but I think there are some messages you could still portray to your students even at that age.

What Can Multicultural Education Teach Our White Students?

We've already established multicultural education goes beyond race. There's so much within the concept of "culture," and we must help our White students understand how race can impact them and how they can actively use whatever privilege they have to reduce issues of racism, discrimination, and bigotry.

1. Understanding Their Own Cultural and Ethnic Background

It's not uncommon for White people to say, Oh, I'm just White. I don't have a culture. We need to teach our White students about what their cultural background is and their ethnic backgrounds so they can understand and think about their language and religions going back to their ancestry. Lessons on their culture may help them start to understand how privilege and White supremacy began. So begin with going back and taking some time to help your students understand that. You can also work with students by exploring community history and cultural influence.

One of the things you can teach your students, your White students, is in history. Many White immigrants have been accused of marginalizing other White immigrants. For example, the Irish and Italians were mistreated, discriminated, and marginalized against by other White immigrants. If we can teach our White students how their ancestors might have perpetuated that oppression or perhaps were part of that oppression against each other, maybe that will help them understand a little bit how in 2020, oppression continues to exist to those who are not included in the dominant culture. They can kind of see how the "haves" and the "have nots" happened back then. One of the things we want to do is help students relate items from their background knowledge and be able to bring those to light.

2. Studying Implicit Bias in Everyday Language

Another thing we can do is discuss everyday language. How are words associated with white and black used? Words such as blackmail, blackballed, or blacklisted have different connotations than words like white labeled or whitelisted. We can have students examine how these words may spark negative perceptions based on their meanings and associations.

Consider how words such as "alien" or "immigrant" may trigger the thoughts of someone of Mexican descent. These types of stereotypes in our language may trigger our Latinx community. The same rule applies to phrases like "You should speak up more, you're so quiet" to an Asian student.

The language we use every day may not seem significant because of the implicit biases we have developed in our lives. The words we use daily are influenced by how we were raised, our social circle, and the media. We may not notice how some of the words we use may have adverse effects on particular groups of people (stereotypes, derogatory language, etc.). We can teach students about implicit bias and how to overcome bias in our language usage.

3. Examining Representation in Curriculum and Beyond

Let's take a look at our school curriculum. Have your students investigate how various cultural groups are represented in the school's curriculum. Lead these discussions with your students and have them understand it because a lot of times, that's not a thing we think about. When we are discussing representation in the school's curriculum, allow opportunities for a dialogue beyond heterosexual, cisgender, Christian-based educational norms. Instead, talk about subjects that aren't reflected, such as disabilities, and how they are depicted in the curriculum. How are people from the LGBTQ community portrayed or even acknowledged in the content? Chimamanda Adichie talks about the danger of a single story. We need to make sure that we can bring in various perspectives in our curriculum and instruction.

If students find minimal to no representation of certain groups in the curriculum, discuss ways to bring in a variety of multicultural perspectives. The website We Need Diverse Books is an excellent resource for building a more inclusive classroom library, and Milner published an article that discusses developing a multicultural curriculum for an all-White classroom.

From there, you can expand your communications by discussing popular culture and how various groups are represented in multiple media outlets such as the news, music, movies, and social media. Have them study or research certain groups and how the articles that come up and the titles of those articles. What do the reports say versus other articles about various groups?

4. Understanding and Recognizing Privilege

A combination of multicultural and social justice education can help students see the trouble with implicit racism and how even though they are not doing anything actively racist, they are still benefiting from a legacy of racism. Calling the cops to say that "an African American man is threatening me and my dog" is a result of White privilege. Knowing that Black people have historically been mistreated by law enforcement and using that knowledge to one's advantage is inhumane.

Teaching White students about power and privilege may be a touchy subject for some as White guilt and fragility may seep into the mindset of White teachers and students. However, we must learn to "disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed." Starting at a young age, we can help our students learn to understand that not everyone has access and the same opportunities as others. Students as young as six years old can learn about race and class. And this work doesn't have to be limited to social studies class. We can embed these principles in all subjects, including mathematics.

5. Dismantling Racism

It is not enough to teach White children to embrace racial and cultural diversity. We've got to go beyond cultural competency. "Children must also develop individual and group identities that will recognize and resist the false notions of superiority and racial entitlement" (Derman-Sparks, Ramsey, and Edwards, 2011). Because today we have to teach our students how to be antiracist and how to work to dismantle racism actively.

Invest in meaningful dialogue that brings awareness to issues impacting both local and global communities. Additionally, a social justice-minded educator teaches their students to develop their own socio-cultural consciousness and advocacy skills so they can advocate for themselves and others.

For elementary students, that action may include students committing to do more than not bully or laugh at each other. They may also commit to bystander intervention by stepping in and helping their peers who they see are being mistreated. We can help our students take a stance instead of just teaching them to be kind to each other and not engage in activities that include mistreating others.

For secondary students, action may include writing their school board about their concerns and calls for change. A strong student group organized with a mission and objectives goes a long way toward challenging institutional practices that are unjust toward certain groups. On local and national scales, have students engage in lessons that address mass incarceration, police brutality, civil rights, immigration, racism, healthcare disparities, unequal pay issues, trauma, suicide, drug abuse, and women's rights, and privilege.

Sometimes we teach our students how to be kind to others, embrace diversity, and respect differences. We can go beyond that by teaching our White students how to be antiracist actively and do their part to support advocacy towards social justice and reform. The foundation for teaching our students how to engage in these practices actively is by helping students understand their White racial identity and positionality in society. From there, students may have a better understanding of the need for a multicultural approach in education and what they can do to find their voice and role in creating a socially just society.

Additional Resources
Framing Brave Conversations About Race and Ethnicity 8 Ways Teachers Can Address White Supremacy in the Classroom Teaching About Racism, Antisemitism and White Supremacy How Does Race Affect a Student's Math Education? Curriculum for White Americans to Educate Themselves on Race and Racism White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America Diversity Equity and Inclusion Activity for Project Based Learning Racism No Way: Anti-racism Activities, Years 3-12 How Should I Talk About Race in My Mostly White Classroom?
Learn more from Sheldon Eakins on his website, the Leading Equity Center, where he offers resources, courses, and his podcast, the Leading Equity Podcast.

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Why White Students Need Multicultural and Social Justice Education

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Sponsored by PowerSchool and ViewSonic These last few weeks have been especially difficult for me as the news continues to reflect that racism still exists in 2020. I've witnessed video footage of Ahmaud Arbery shot and killed while jogging, George Floyd murdered by the police, and Christian Cooper harassed while bird watching in Central Park.

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About Kelisa Wing
Kelisa Wing has been in education for 14 years. Her journey into the teaching profession began after she was honorably discharged from the United States Army. She served as a Youth Consultant for the Self-Expression Teen Theater (SETT) under the United Way in Toledo, Ohio. After moving to Germany with her family, she began substitute teaching, then transitioned to a Special Education paraprofessional, was a school secretary, and eventually, an Administrative Officer. She then taught 8th-grade Language Arts and Reading to military-connected students at Faith Middle School in Fort Benning, Georgia, has been an Elementary School Assistant Principal in West Point, New York, and is now a Professional Development Specialist in Virginia. Kelisa honorably served in the U.S. Army for six years and attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. She is the author of 'Conversations' (2006), 'Weeds & Seeds: How To Stay Positive in the Midst of Life's Storms' (2017), 'Promises and Possibilities: Dismantling the School to Prison Pipeline' (2018), 'If I Could: Lessons for Navigating an Unjust World', and a contributing author of 'Becoming a Globally Competent Teacher' (ASCD, 2019). She is a 2017 State Teacher of the Year, a 2016 Association of Supervision, Curriculum, and Development (ASCD) Emerging Leader, and the 2017 University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Edward Parnell Outstanding Alumnus of the Year. She is the only educator on the Education Civil Rights Alliance (ECRA) Steering Committee, and a member of the Leading Educator Ambassadors for Equity (LEAE) with the ECRA. As a member of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY), she has led efforts for mentoring teacher leaders through a partnership with 100Kin10, and she is also a member of ASCD. She is also on the Advisory Board for the Learner Variability Project (LVP) & Digital Promise, ASCD's Global Advisory Council, and the ASCD College Football Playoff Foundation (CFP) Diversifying the Teacher Pipeline Working Group. She speaks both nationally and internationally about discipline reform, equity, student engagement, and many other topics Kelisa holds a bachelor's degree in English from UMUC, a Master of Arts in Secondary Education, and an Educational Specialist degree with a concentration in Curriculum, Instruction, and Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. Kelisa credits her faith in God, and His grace, favor, and mercy as the key to her success. Kelisa lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and children.
Show Highlights

Systemic Racism

Teaching with Standards

Overcoming Fears and Biases

Teaching Black History

Teaching Other Cultures to Students

Connect with Kelisa
Twitter: @kelisa_I2teach

Website: www.kelisawing.com
Additional Resources If I Could: Lessons for Navigating An Unjust World Connect with me on Twitter@sheldoneakins

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LE 142: Making Noise About The Things That Matter with Kelisa Wing

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About Kelisa Wing Kelisa Wing has been in education for 14 years. Her journey into the teaching profession began after she was honorably discharged from the United States Army. She served as a Youth Consultant for the Self-Expression Teen Theater (SETT) under the United Way in Toledo, Ohio.

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By Nunana Nyomi I am both a victim of and a beneficiary from structural racism.
As a black man, I am still dealing with the fresh pain resulting from recent racial injustices culminating with the murder of George Floyd. At the same time, as an international education professional, my livelihood depends on an industry that benefits from and perpetuates structural racism. Wrestling with this dichotomy has led me to the conclusion that international education must make anti-racism a core value. Despite our best intentions, we, in the international education community, must admit that we have not done enough to confront and dismantle the racist structures that underpin many of our societies.

I recognize that there are many fine examples where international education has broken barriers of cultural understanding. However, I invite professionals at international education institutions (schools, universities, and organizations) to pause and reflect with me about just how far our institutions may still have to go to eradicate structural racism. Please note that I am not a spokesperson for all blacks and people of color. These are my personal observations based on my own experience.

International education's dependence on structural racism

International education, in large part, serves a relatively exclusive group of individuals. Many international schools charge tuition amounts only affordable to expats and wealthy locals. This year, international schools have received US $51 billion in tuition revenues. At the tertiary level, predominantly white western countries make up four of the top five host destinations for international students and international students contributed US $41 billion to the economy of the US, the top host destination. International education is so financially dependent on the elite players in a western-dominant global financial system grounded in slavery, (neo)colonialismand hegemony, that we should not be surprised that our institutional stances on diversity have fallen short in achieving racial equity.

Much like oil company statements on climate change, our institutional mission statements read like sanitized PR campaigns distracting from our complicity in maintaining racialized inequity. Our institutional mission statements are centered around words like "interculturalism", "global citizenship", and "international mindedness". The ubiquitous use of these words projects a certain universalism within international education which masks a deeper understanding of cultural differences. The Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC™) describes this as minimization. According to the IDC™, "when minimization exists in organizations, diversity often feels 'not heard'". To address this, our institutions must incorporate anti-racism into their mission statements. Anti-racism seeks to identify and dismantle racist structures and attitudes in order to eliminate racial inequity. By pursuing anti-racism, as opposed to the buzzwords we are used to, international education will truly confront its shortcomings and work proactively to change. What would anti-racism look like at our institutions?

Adopting an anti-racist approach: Four actions institutions should take

Fix the inequities in staff recruitment
An anti-racist approach would look beyond our standard fare celebratory features of the many nationalities represented in our student bodies and examine why this diversity isn't reflected in our staff and leadership. It would force us to address the inequities such as 93% of the leaders in American international schools being white. Anti-racist institutions would eliminate practices such as exclusionary definitions of native English proficiency and nationality restrictions only to western passports for teacher recruitment. As we remove the racist structures which have perpetuated the largely white western staffing of our schools, our institutions will be better equipped to enrich student learning and create cultures of inclusion.
Engage in pedagogy that empowers students to embrace their identities
An anti-racist approach would demand regular intercultural competency training for staff and ensure that teachers know how to apply those skills within the typically diverse classrooms they teach. It would empower students by encouraging them to share their own cultural and linguistic backgrounds instead of imposing a western-dominant English-centric international school monoculture. On a personal note, I regretfully lost my own mother-tongue while growing up internationally due to the perceived pressure to 'fit in' to schools that taught me to assimilate and not celebrate the value of my unique linguistic identity. Our institutions should adopt methods centered on cultural and linguistic identity empowerment such as Dina Mehmedbegovic's autobiographical approach with children and adults. An anti-racist institution would truly value the diversity within its students (and staff) by celebrating the power of their stories and engaging in transformative citizenship education.
Use the power of education to transcend economic inequity
An anti-racist approach would seek to break the systemic racist and socioeconomic inequities inherent in our financial system by providing greater access to education. I am well-aware that our institutions are facing unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, within any challenge there are opportunities. How can we leverage online education to scale up tertiary education access to more people than the roughly 7% of the world's population who are globally mobile international students? How can we collaborate better in sharing research, scholarship, and open-source resources with institutions in the global south? How might we partner with such institutions and scrutinize our own tuition models to provide and enhance access to the world's high achieving low income students? Anti-racist institutions could make this pandemic a watershed moment for international education.
Affirm that Black Lives Matter
An anti-racist approach would recognize the global nature of the public outcry and affirm the Black Lives Matter movement. International education institutions outside of the US have been non-responsive or slow to issue statements of solidarity. When statements have been issued, many fail to explicitly mention that black lives matter or the complicity of their institutions in enabling racial inequity. Our institutions remain out of touch with the transnational nature of black discrimination which spans countries as different from each other as China, France, South Africa, Brazil, India, and the Netherlands just to name a few. How would an anti-racist institution support the well-being of black staff and students currently struggling with the ongoing images of murder and injustice flooding our social media feeds? Many black colleagues are not ok but feel pressured to put on a brave face and get on with their work. How could our institutions start to embody anti-racism by showing care for the blacks in their communities?

Just like many in international education, I have not done enough to push for an anti-racist agenda. At times, I have been comfortable justifying to myself that I am doing my part to further the cause of global citizenship despite this system being built largely for the world's elite. Recent events have reminded me that the cost of remaining silent is too high when working in an industry that shapes the education of so many young minds. Anti-racism has the potential to revolutionize our approach to staff recruitment, pedagogy, and racial inequity. Therefore, it is time for international education to strengthen its mission by adopting anti-racism as a central guiding principle in order to bring about meaningful change.

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International education perpetuates structural racism and anti-racism is the solution

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Nunana's personal story provides us with a powerful starting point for what we can and will do at CIS for ourselves, the communities we serve, and the world at large. The Black Lives Matter movement is a significant catalyst for change and one that we will highlight. We can do better at CIS.

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Hammond distinguishes the differences between culturally responsive education, multicultural education and social justice education. Each is important, but without a focus on building students' brain power, they will experience learning loss.

When it comes to distance learning, applying culturally responsive teaching requires "remixing" education by borrowing from the best practices in how kids learn (Montessori, project-based learning, etc.) in a way that repositions the student as the leader of his own learning. By giving students more agency, the idea is to disrupt old routines around teaching and learning that make the student dependent on the teacher for receiving knowledge.

"It's going to stretch us a little out of our own comfort zones, but it's worth it in the long run if we can get students to continue to do that thinking," said Hammond.

She advises three strategies to help students gain that independence:

1. Deepen background knowledge

Many educators are understandably wondering whether they should teach new content or review familiar material. Hammond encourages educators to do the latter because cognitively dependent learners often have gaps in their background knowledge . "A lot of our students are compliant learners," she said. "They're having a hard time shifting right now [because] they're used to the worksheet, but that doesn't mean they're always processing information."

She advises teachers to help students connect new things they're learning to their brain's existing schema - also known as background knowledge - that comes from home, their community, their interests. Teachers can then give them authentic tasks that help them make meaning and connections. This helps turn new inert information into usable knowledge. "You cannot give another person background knowledge," she explained. "They have to acquire it, but as teachers we can help guide the process." This can be done by building upon student interest.

"Survey your students if you don't know what they like," said Hammond. Ask them what books they enjoy reading or what topics get them super excited. She said It doesn't matter if their interests are broad or narrow; it's important to learn what interests them so that you can use that information to:

Assign non-fiction books that build on student interests.

Create a "Netflix" playlist of documentaries, nature shows, historical events, etc.

Encourage kids and parents to do a walk-about, if that's possible in their community, following social distancing guidelines. Encourage parents and students to seek out community curiosities (landmarks or interesting sights) relevant to students' interest.

With each of these activities, it's important to give the students direction so they know what to look out for. "You have to tell the brain what to pay attention to," Hammond explains. She suggested questions like, "What was your biggest surprise from this book/show?" or thinking routine sentences like "I Used to Think ___. But, now I think ____."

She said to always make sure that students do something with the knowledge as well. She suggested having them share interesting facts they learned either during video conferences or via an audio/video clip. For those students with limited internet access, encourage them to share what they learned with their parents.

2. Cultivate cognitive routines

Growing students' brain power during distance learning starts with building cognitive routines. These routines are essential to processing and hardwiring information in the brain.

"Be the personal trainer of their cognitive development," Hammond said. To do this, she suggested having a routine set of prompts in each packet that become a regular part of the way students think. That way, students begin to think that way even when you're not in the classroom to reinforce that way of thinking.

One example is to ask students to connect the "unknown to the known" or across concepts by asking questions like, " What's the relationship or connection between these things?" or "How does this part fit into the whole? What are the parts of this whole?" These may seem simple, but these questions are critical when it comes to processing information so that students internalize these prompts until they become almost instinctual.

She said students should also be encouraged to sketchnote or doodle to actively process what they're learning as an alternative to note-taking. Sketchnoting can encourage people to make deeper connections to what they're hearing.

3. Build word wealth

Building a student's vocabulary is a key tool in equity strategies for schools. "Kids have different interests in words so find out where their energy is. You can have a differentiated assignment around word collecting, but the idea is to get them actively involved in word consciousness," said Hammond. She said there are many small but high-leverage ways to do this, such as introducing robust word study. A teacher can help students engage in wordplay, word consciousness and word knowledge. This should not happen through a worksheet assignment, but rather begin with building word consciousness of words in their community, home and home language.

Word games like Scrabble, Heads Up, Taboo or even word searches are small familiar but high-leverage activities because they're fun but also require a high cognitive load. You can create your own versions of these games and have students do this in any language. Students can also do word collecting activities like scavenger hunts, or make poetry using magnetic poetry. Students can also do a contrastive analysis, by comparing words they might find in Urban Dictionary to those they might find in a standard dictionary.

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How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning | KQED

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Culturally responsive teaching is a powerful way to help students become independent learners, and it can be especially valuable during distance learning.

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Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources

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Best African American History Apps and Websites | Common Sense Education

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Best African American History Apps and Websites is a list of 18 apps, games, and websites curated by Common Sense Education editors.

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From TCRWP

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for educators, parents, etc.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture

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I want to know

Start your journey by exploring one of the Talking About Race topics.

The scientific consensus is that race has no biological basis - that we are all one race, the human race. Racialized identity, however, is very real. And, in a racialized society, everyone is assigned a racial identity whether you are aware of it or not. Let's broaden our awareness.

Explore Topic

A bias is a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone. Even people who are not deliberately prejudicial may have implicit biases. Let's learn more about this and other types of bias and their real-world impacts.

Explore Topic

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.

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"Not In Our Town: Manhattan Beach"

Not In Our Town presents a portrait of a community grappling with a suspected hate crime after an African American family's home was set on fire in Manhattan Beach, CA. Ronald and Malissia Clinton share their story about the night of the attack, their fear that the attack was racially motivated, and their reaction to the overwhelming community response of support.

"The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging"

Talks at Google with Charles Vogl. The Art of Community is the first book to distill principles from 3,000 years of spiritual traditions for leaders to create belonging in any organization, field or movement. It is written to support mission-driven leadership.

The scientific consensus is that race has no biological basis - that we are all one race, the human race. Racialized identity, however, is very real. And, in a racialized society, everyone is assigned a racial identity whether you are aware of it or not. Let's broaden our awareness.

Explore Topic

A bias is a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone. Even people who are not deliberately prejudicial may have implicit biases. Let's learn more about this and other types of bias and their real-world impacts.

Explore Topic

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.

Explore Topic

"Not In Our Town: Manhattan Beach"

Not In Our Town presents a portrait of a community grappling with a suspected hate crime after an African American family's home was set on fire in Manhattan Beach, CA. Ronald and Malissia Clinton share their story about the night of the attack, their fear that the attack was racially motivated, and their reaction to the overwhelming community response of support.

"The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging"

Talks at Google with Charles Vogl. The Art of Community is the first book to distill principles from 3,000 years of spiritual traditions for leaders to create belonging in any organization, field or movement. It is written to support mission-driven leadership.

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Start your journey by exploring one of the Talking About Race topics. American society developed the notion of race early in its formation to justify its new economic system of capitalism, which depended on the institution of forced labor, especially the enslavement of African peoples.

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created with Grade 6 in mind

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The past few weeks have been riddled with unconscionable incidents of anti-Black racism and police brutality against Black people.

Most notably, George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed Black man, died after being arrested by police outside a store in Minneapolis, Minn. The incident was caught on video and circulated online, sparking protests in major cities across the U.S. and Canada.

Now, Black advocates are demanding consequences for the police involved and tangible change from government leaders. The conversation has consumed the news, even amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
READ MORE: George Floyd death: Protests erupt across U.S., some turn violent
If you have a child, they've probably seen some of this coverage - and they probably have questions. As a parent, how can you use this an opportunity to teach your child about anti-Black racism and how to be an ally?

First, it's crucial to acknowledge that the "race talk" is not an option for Black and non-Black parents of colour, said York University professor Carl James. If you're just realizing you should talk to your kids about race, it's because you have a level of privilege other parents of colour do not.
READ MORE: 'This ain't the way': Protester pleads for violence to stop in powerful video
"Black parents will have had these conversations with their kids as early as four, five or six years old," James said. "These kids have already been given their 'script' - how to talk, how to respond, who to talk to ... the differences in people talking to you."

"That script about Blackness is already something that will be part of that Black child's experience."

The way a white or non-Black parent will talk to their children about anti-Black racism will likely be "totally different."

"If you're a non-Black parent, you need to teach your child first about racism and how every person is capable of being racist in their actions and behaviour," James said. You should also take the time to explain the concept of privilege.

George Floyd death: Trudeau delivers statement on anti-Black racism in House of Commons

With all the recent incidents of anti-Black racism in both the U.S. and Canada, said Tanya Hayles, now is the perfect time to start the conversation with your child. She's the founder of Black Moms Connection, an online resource and non-profit organization for Black parents.

"It's becoming harder to ignore it," Hayles said. "It's really important to name what this is - which is specifically anti-Black racism - and then figure out how to have these conversations."

Canadians have been ignoring the race conversation for far too long, Hayles said.
READ MORE: Regis Korchinski-Paquet's death reinforces need for major mental health, policing reforms: advocates
"In Canada ... we've been very 'holier than thou' and 'we're not as bad as America,' but Black people in Canada have experienced racism," Hayles said.

Ultimately, raising your child as an ally to Black people will only be possible if you educate yourself first.

The first step is recognizing your own privilege, James said. The second step is learning as much as you possibly can about anti-Black racism.

Educate yourself

Educating your child begins first with educating yourself.

This does not mean creating more emotional labour for your Black acquaintances, Hayles emphasized. She uses the analogy of a workplace to illustrate her point.

"(Black people) get hired a lot to be the diversity and inclusion representative for a workplace, but if the workplace culture isn't built around actually being diverse and inclusive, it's really just adding more labour for Black people," Hayles said.

"Don't say 'what should I know?' or 'where should I go?' It's up to you to do the labour."

George Floyd death: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh calls video of Floyd's death 'chilling'

Hayles recently posted a list of teaching resources to the Black Moms Connection website to serve as a starting point for parents.

It includes various online resources, age-by-age guides and children's books.

"Then it's up to you to buy the books. It's up to you to read the posts. It's up to you to listen," Hayles said.

Diverse content

Your kids are already thinking about race, James said, even if you've never talked to them about it.

"From an early age, children are making sense of the world around them. People have a meaning of what different skin colour means based on what they see at home, on TV," James said.

"Parents need to adapt and (help children) interpret skin colour ... to provide the way in which they want their children to understand these meanings."

Hayles agrees: "I think it's about really meeting the kids where they are, but also doing the work to introduce things," she said.
READ MORE: 'Let's walk': Police in some U.S. states are joining George Floyd protestors
Make a point of exposing your child to a wide array of diverse books, television shows, movies and music.

"When my son was born, I tried to make sure that he had a good diversity in books, so that he saw himself represented in positive ways," Hayles said.

"When you go to the store, are you only buying your kid white dolls? Are you only buying your children books with white characters? What are they watching on television?"

Age-appropriate, open and ongoing discussion

Of course, as with any conversation you have with your child, there are ways to make these discussions about anti-Black racism appropriate for your child's age.

"If they see and hear you having a conversation and they want to know what you're talking about, include them in the conversation," Hayles said. However, only offer the amount of information they will be able to understand for their age.

If they're younger, start simple. For example, when discussing Floyd's death with a young child, leave the violence out of the discussion and stick to the facts: Floyd was mistreated because of the colour of his skin.

"Say, 'people are not liked because of what they look like,'" Hayles said. "This is a very simple concept for a five- or six-year-old to understand. Kids understand fairness."

Start by appealing to your child's sense of right and wrong, and go from there. As your children grow older, add in the historical context. Your child's understanding of race will continually evolve, so leave the conversation open as they age.

Ultimately, this is only the beginning of what should be a lifelong education about race relations and anti-Black racism, experts say.

Meghan.Collie@globalnews.ca

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Raising an ally: How to talk to your child about the death of George Floyd, anti-Black racism

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The past few weeks have been riddled with unconscionable incidents of anti-Black racism and police brutality against Black people. Most notably, George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed Black man, died after being arrested by police outside a store in Minneapolis, Minn. The incident was caught on video and circulated online, sparking protests in major cities across the U.S.

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Jason Reynolds and Ibram Kendi, co-authors of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, kicked off SLJ's Day of Dialog. Here is the entire keynote conversation.

Jason Reynolds and Ibram Kendi, co-authors of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, kicked off SLJ's Day of Dialog on May 27, 2020. Here is the entire keynote conversation.

To access other Day of Dialog programs, which are archived, register on the event page.

Read: Nikole Hannah-Jones Talks to Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi About 'Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You'

Get Print. Get Digital. Get Both!

Libraries are always evolving. Stay ahead. Log In.

Jason Reynolds Ibram Kendi #sljdod racism antiracism Black history African Americans

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Jason Reynolds, Ibram Kendi in Conversation | SLJ Day of Dialog 2020

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Jason Reynolds and Ibram Kendi, co-authors of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, kicked off SLJ's Day of Dialog. Here is the entire keynote conversation. Jason Reynolds and Ibram Kendi, co-authors of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You , kicked off SLJ's Day of Dialog on May 27, 2020. Here is the entire keynote conversation.

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"I'm not a racist."

That's what Amy Cooper, a white woman, said when she publicly apologized for calling the police on a black man bird-watching in Central Park.

The words rang especially hollow coming from Cooper. After all, the previous day she had used her position as a white woman to summon police - and the potential for police violence - against editor and birder Christian Cooper after he asked her to put her dog on a leash. "I'm going to tell them there's an African American man threatening my life," she says in a video that quickly went viral.

Not everyone acquires the overnight infamy of Amy Cooper. But her claim of non-racism was a familiar one. If asked, most people would probably say they are not racist. And they're especially likely to say it after they've already done something racist. As Ibram X. Kendi, director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University, notes in his book How to Be an Antiracist, "When racist ideas resound, denials that those ideas are racist typically follow."

But as Kendi also notes, it's not enough to simply be "not racist." "The opposite of 'racist' isn't 'not racist,'" he writes. "It is 'antiracist.'"

The idea of anti-racism has been getting a lot of attention in recent days as Americans around the country rise up against police violence. But the idea is far from new, with roots in decades of civil rights work by black Americans, said Malini Ranganathan, a faculty team lead at the Antiracist Research and Policy Center.

In recent years, thanks to the work of Kendi and others, the term itself has come to be used to describe what it means to actively fight against racism rather than passively claim to be non-racist. Anti-racism involves "taking stock of and eradicating policies that are racist, that have racist outcomes," Ranganathan said, "and making sure that ultimately, we're working towards a much more egalitarian, emancipatory society."

Part of that work is acknowledging our own positions in a white supremacist system. So I should acknowledge that I am a white woman, and as such, I can't talk about what it feels like to experience racism, or to fight against it as a person of color. But it's also not the responsibility of people of color to fix racism, or explain to white people how not to be racist. As Dena Simmons, a scholar and practitioner of social-emotional learning and equity and author of the upcoming book White Rules for Black People, put it, "Don't ask the wounded to do the work."

So I spoke to experts on the topic to help people - including myself - better understand what anti-racism means and what it looks like in practice. "White folks always want to know how they can do better," Simmons said. "I say, start by doing something."

The history and meaning of anti-racism

The concept of anti-racism has its roots in abolition, Ranganathan said - not just the end of slavery but also the call for structural changes in a post-emancipation society, like the eradication of prisons. The idea has "been around throughout the 20th-century civil rights movements" as well, Ranganathan said. More recently, Kendi and other scholars and activists have used the term "anti-racist" specifically to make the point that "it's not sufficient merely to be non-racist," Ranganathan said.

"One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an antiracist," Kendi writes in How to Be an Antiracist, published in 2019. " One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an antiracist. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist."

"There is no in-between safe space of 'not racist,'" Kendi continues. "The claim of 'not racist' neutrality is a mask for racism."

"The opposite of 'racist' isn't 'not racist.' It is 'antiracist.'"

To be an anti-racist, Kendi and others say, requires an understanding of history - an understanding that racial disparities in America have their roots, not in some failing by people of color but in policies that serve to prop up white supremacy. The coronavirus pandemic, during which black and Latinx people in many communities have been disproportionately likely to become ill and die, is just one example. As Kendi writes at the Atlantic, "Why are black (and Latino) people during this pandemic less likely to be working from home; less likely to be insured; more likely to live in trauma-care deserts, lacking access to advanced emergency care; and more likely to live in polluted neighborhoods?"

The answer, he writes, is simple: racism.

Specifically, redlining and other forms of housing discrimination have made black Americans more likely to live in neighborhoods affected by environmental contamination that federal and state officials have been slow to respond to, which increases the rates of chronic illness. Those high rates of chronic illness, in turn, make people more vulnerable to Covid-19. In Flint, Michigan, for example, where much of the majority-black population has been affected by lead-contaminated drinking water, the pandemic is "a crisis on top of a crisis with a side of crisis," Mayor Sheldon Neeley told Vox's Khushbu Shah.

Anti-racism is understanding how years of federal, state, and local policies have placed communities of color in the crises they face today, and calling those policies out for what they are: racist.

It also requires an understanding of one's own position in a racist society, many say, an acknowledgment that you can't simply opt out of living in white supremacy by saying you're "not a racist" - you have to actively fight against it. "Anti-racism is an acknowledgment of privilege in a way that, I think, simply disavowing racism is not," Ranganathan said. "It takes seriously that we all are situated into different matrices of power and privilege, and the first step is to take stock of that and not to disavow it or invisibilize it."

Asked to define anti-racism, writer and middle-school teacher Christina Torres cited Beverly Daniel Tatum's conception of racism as a moving walkway. "We're all on the moving walkway," Torres said. "If you're not racist, you're kind of just standing still on the moving walkway, but you're still complicit in societal racism because you're part of society."

"The only way to be anti-racist is to walk in the other direction," Torres said.

The practice of anti-racism

As for how to actually walk against the tide of racism, experts say one key step is educating yourself. White people "need [to] listen to the things that people of color have been telling them for years," Cornelius Minor, an educator and author of the book We Got This.: Equity, Access, and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be, told Vox. "O ne of white folks' favorite things to do is to claim that they didn't know."

But it's not the job of people of color to educate white people about racism or anti-racism. "I'm the victim of racism, and now you want me to try to solve the problem," Simmons says she recently told colleagues. "The problem does not lie within me, it lies within the system that you benefit from."

Instead, people can seek out the many resources already available on anti-racism. In recent days, many publications, including the Guardian, USA Today, and Time, have posted anti-racist reading lists. Many people have also shared resources on social media.

Resources for those wanting to educate themselves and our children about anti-racism. Please take some time so we can improve this world we're currently living in. I will continue to add resources as I find them. #BlackLivesMatter Anti-Racism Resources https://t.co/TAQZBXjqEl
- Augusta Baker Endowed Chair at the U of SC (@BakerChair) May 30, 2020

Once you've educated yourself, the next step is "to actually take action that benefits the members of your community," Minor said.

On Tuesday, many people posted black squares on Instagram as part of the "Blackout Tuesday" campaign. But some noted that the idea could actually harm the movement for racial justice by clogging the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, which activists use to share actual information, with blank posts. Moreover, as Recode's Rebecca Heilweil reports, some say that "just posting a black square and then logging off gives both brands and nonblack people a way of signaling support on social media without providing any real help."

Beyond just posting something, real action could include talking to friends and relatives about their own racism.

"White folks get really brave on social media, but then really scared when they're around their grandparents," Minor said. "Take that same energy that you got for Twitter, and go sit down with your uncle."

As with other aspects of anti-racism, there are many resources available for talking to white family members about racism - here's one from Teaching Tolerance, and another by Jamilah King at Mother Jones.

For white parents, it's also crucial to teach kids about race and anti-racism. That can be as simple as "pointing out who's in the cartoon and who's not present," Minor said. "Why do we think those people are not here?"

But it also requires thinking about who is in your child's world. "White folks have to actively choose not to live around white folks," Simmons said. For many white people in their daily lives, "You can see folks of color but they're serving your food, they're cleaning your houses," she continued, and so white parents need to put their kids in situations where they can interact with people of color in a meaningful way.

"Let them see the world outside themselves," Simmons said, but "be careful not to be voyeurs."

As with other aspects of anti-racism, there are many resources available for parents. Torres recommends Teaching Tolerance, a website with resources designed for the classroom that could be adapted at home, and the work of anti-bias educator Liz Kleinrock. The New York Times has also compiled a list of books to help parents explain racism and protest to kids.

And beyond educating those in your family and community, anti-racism is also about identifying and fighting racist practices and policies when you see them, Ranganathan said. Policing is an obvious one in this moment, but others include standardized testing that favors white students and air-pollution standards that leave black and Latinx people living in toxic neighborhoods. "To be anti-racist would be to be bold enough to call out these policies as racist," Ranganathan said.

It's also about identifying the teachers, politicians, and thought leaders who are working against these policies. "To be anti-racist would be to give support to these actors, and to throw your weight behind these organizations and these types of conversations," Ranganathan explained.

The work of anti-racism can't stop next month, next year, or when the news cycle moves on. Right now, a lot of white people are paying attention to racism and police violence "because they have no choice," Simmons said. They're stuck at home because of the pandemic, and the protests are all over the media.

But anti-racism can't be something people think about only while it's convenient, Simmons said. "It has to be a commitment that you make."
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"I'm not a racist." That's what Amy Cooper, a white woman, said when she publicly apologized for calling the police on a black man bird-watching in Central Park. The words rang especially hollow coming from Cooper.

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Our children's book lists have been SUPER popular, not least of all in the past week. We hope you find this list useful. Please share this resource forward using the share buttons on the side or bottom of the page. Also, this is one of hundreds of resources we offer and we want to invite you to explore others.

Research from Harvard University suggests that children as young as three years old, when exposed to racism and prejudice, tend to embrace and accept it, even though they might not understand the feelings. By age 5, white children are strongly biased towards whiteness. To counter this bias, experts recommend acknowledging and naming race and racism with children as early and as often as possible. Children's books are one of the most effective and practical tools for initiating these critical conversations; and they can also be used to model what it means to resist and dismantle oppression.​

Beyond addressing issues of race and racism, this children's reading list focuses on taking action. It highlights resistance, resilience and activism; and seeks to empower youth to participate in the ongoing movement for racial justice. These books showcase the diverse ways people of all ages and races have engaged in anti-racist activism, and highlight how race intersects with other issues, such as capitalism, class and colonization. The majority of books center activists of color, whose lives and bodies have been on the front lines of racial justice work, yet whose stories often go untold. The essential work of white activists is also included - to underscore that anti-racist work is not the responsibility of people of color; and exemplify the ways white allies have stood up against racial injustice. This list was curated by critical literacy organizations, The Conscious Kid and American Indians in Children's Literature.

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31 Children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance

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Our children's book lists have been SUPER popular, not least of all in the past week. We hope you find this list useful. Please share this resource forward using the share buttons on the side or bottom of the page. Also, this is one of hundreds of resources we offer and we want to invite you to explore others.

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If you, like many of us, are finding it hard to articulate how to discuss issues of racism, injustice, discrimination and privilege, we'd like to encourage you to take some time to learn and listen.

Take some time to watch some (or all) of these important documentaries about race, racial prejudices and privilege within our society.

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10 Documentaries To Watch About Race Instead Of Asking A Person Of Colour To Explain Things For You

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If you, like many of us, are finding it hard to articulate how to discuss issues of racism, injustice, discrimination and privilege, we'd like to encourage you to take some time to learn and listen. Take some time to watch some (or all) of these important documentaries about race, racial prejudices and privilege within our society.

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One way to start is to ask yourself how you're taking action each day to make a material, visible difference for black people and people of color. "It's not okay to merely be a passive ally. I need accomplices," Mondy told Teen Vogue. "I need white accomplices to use their privilege, and bodies (if they're able) to actively interrupt white supremacy. I need white accomplices who understand that it's not going to be comfortable. I need white accomplices dedicated to listening and supporting people of color. To me, an accomplice understands that sometimes their bodies [being present] can be the difference of a Black person experiencing police brutality."

Taking direct action, like the person who stood between black people and police officers during a Sacramento City Council meeting following the District Attorney's decision to not charge the police officers who killed Stephon Clark, is one way to act on your values and prevent the use of excessive force.

"That's what an accomplice looks like to me. People who recognize that it's going to take a hell of a lot more than tweets to help combat oppression against marginalized communities," says Mondy.

For Sierra, a 21-year-old queer black woman, it's important for white people to de-center themselves, especially in how they vote in electoral politics because, "To be frank, most white allies will be fine no matter who the next president is." However, "Minorities, especially Black women like me, are facing increasingly dangerous situations in America and should be advocated for at the polls," she says, which is why white people should act and vote with more marginalized people in mind.

Confront fellow white people.

As the last election cycle proved, talking openly about politics with friends, family members, and peers is not easy or comfortable. But it shouldn't have to be for us to do the right thing. "Please talk to your family and friends about politics, even if it's uncomfortable. Please use your privilege as a white person to protect people of color," says Jude, a non-binary Latinx creator.

Wandy Felicita, a 24-year-old Latina who works in news, says that one of the best ways white people can use their privilege by actively advocating for black people and people of color at all times. "If you see or know that your classmate or co-worker is being treated unfairly, being paid less, being given more to do without compensation or recognition, speak up for them," she told Teen Vogue. "This includes when you see your peers of color being given 'busywork' that neglects, negates or detracts from the good work they do while others who are less experienced are receiving accolades due to their whiteness."

One way to actively care about what happens to our peers of color is to practice consistent awareness of when we have the power and responsibility to make a change. Wandy Felicita says that when she was in college, the president of a club she was in was a white woman who was always conscious of who was receiving leadership opportunities and roles. Because of this, "she actively advocated for people of color to be well-represented, sought out and accounted for representation in the activities that we did, and directed our group to provide volunteer service to marginalized communities." Speaking up and using time and resources to uplift others who need it more than you do is one of the best ways to be an ally.

Speak up, but know when to be quiet.

It's always necessary to do your own research instead of expecting black people and people of color to explain everything to you, which is incredibly emotionally and mentally laborious on top of the oppression they already experience - in fact, that's the whole point of why white people have a responsibility to stand up against racism. But while it's important to use whatever privilege you have to do that research and share information, sometimes the best thing you can do is know when to step back and be quiet.

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White People Need to Hold Other White People Accountable When it Comes to Racism

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One way to start is to ask yourself how you're taking action each day to make a material, visible difference for black people and people of color. "It's not okay to merely be a passive ally. I need accomplices," Mondy told Teen Vogue.

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Looking for help addressing Charlottesville in class? Dozens of other educators have your back.

In the wake of the racist violence in Virginia that left one protester dead this weekend, teachers took to Twitter with #CharlottesvilleCurriculum to share resources for addressing racism, hate, and history.

The hashtag, started by journalist Melinda Anderson, spurred a crowdsourced list of anti-racist resources. From podcasts to lesson plans, here are a few highlights:

For teachers who are on the fence about what they should discuss in the classroom: This NPR interview.

Paula McAvoy of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Ethics and Education co-wrote a book about the right role for politics in the classroom.

"Young people need to see these as moments within their historical context - need to understand some of the history," she told NPR. Although talking about current events can be difficult, McAvoy says that good teachers don't shy away - they start building curriculum.

For white teachers unsure how to handle conversations about race: This podcast episode.

This episode of Truth for Teachers, a podcast for educators, provides advice for those who want to talk about inequity but need help getting started. Read the full transcript here.

For teachers looking for a comprehensive history lesson: This report.

"This is a history of hate in America - not the natural discord that characterizes a democracy, but the wild, irrational, killing hate that has led men and women throughout our history to extremes of violence against others simply because of their race, nationality, religion or lifestyle," starts a Southern Poverty Law Center's report on the Ku Klux Klan.

The report, from SPLC's Klanwatch initiative, is a critical reminder of the group's influence on modern racism and terrorism in the U.S.

For teachers who are ready to spark deep conversation: This series of lessons.

These 17 lessons, a unit called Decision Making in Times of Injustice from the group Facing History and Ourselves, are helpful for middle through high school teachers looking to connect the Holocaust with modern racism. They aim to outline the rise of the Nazi party while also pushing students to question their own decision making and beliefs.

For teachers curious about how others have addressed Black Lives Matter: This school district profile.

The story of how one New York school district created a "Black Lives Matter" day explains how officials prepared teachers and offers advice for educators looking to do the same.

"To encourage staff participation (which was voluntary) and to showcase that Black Lives Matter is a teachable topic, the committee worked with Stephen LaMorte - [Rochester City School District's] executive director of social studies - to develop an online instructional resource toolkit." That toolkit is here.

The story is produced by Teaching Tolerance, which offers free resources for educators looking to discuss race and ethnicity as well as gender, sexuality, class and immigration.
Teachers, we'd love to know if or how you're tackling these issues. Tell us what you're up to and we'll share a collection of your ideas with readers.

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5 key anti-racism resources for teachers, courtesy of #CharlottesvilleCurriculum

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Looking for help addressing Charlottesville in class? Dozens of other educators have your back. In the wake of the racist violence in Virginia that left one protester dead this weekend, teachers took to Twitter with #CharlottesvilleCurriculum to share resources for addressing racism, hate, and history.

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August 23, 2019

In America we celebrate the past all the time-the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, the Bill of Rights, and so much more. It doesn't matter that these all took place long ago, before we were born, before anybody alive today was born-these historical triumphs make many of us feel good about who we are as Americans, so we eagerly claim them as our own.

The first enslaved people sold in America were brought to Jamestown, Colony of Virginia, in 1619 -almost exactly 400 years ago. We don't like to talk as much about that. But if we ever want to have an honest accounting of who we are as Americans, we can't pick and choose what we wish to remember.

America, after 400 years, don't you feel like it's finally time to honestly discuss the legacy of slavery?

America was built by enslaved people. They built the US Capitol. They built Wall Street. They built the White House. Slavery wasn't just some kind of unfortunate regional quirk-it was an economic engine for the entire country. For more than two centuries, white Americans profited from forced Black labor. So when slavery officially came to an end in 1865, efforts to subject Black lives and communities to state control did not. Jim Crow laws, which emerged a decade or so after the Civil War, effectively legalized segregation in all aspects of American life for the next 100 years. But Jim Crow was even more brutal than that. Jim Crow was a century of state-sponsored terror against Black people intended to maintain the prewar racial hierarchy.

It wasn't until the 1960s, with the passage of the Voting Rights and Fair Housing acts that the Jim Crow era officially ended. The Fair Housing Act (FHA) also finally outlawed redlining, a decades-long strategy used all across the country to effectively deny homeownership to Black Americans. The thing to remember here is that redlining was official government policy -it was the law of the land. In the housing boom of the 1950s, as white America began building wealth in the suburbs, Black people, by law, were deliberately and systematically shut out.

While the FHA made redlining illegal, racism in the mortgage industry didn't go away. Black Americans were hardest hit by the recent subprime mortgage crisis, for example, in part because they were targeted by many subprime mortgage lenders. Similarly, the end of slavery didn't stop former slaveholders from thinking of Black people as slaves. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, but left in a loophole: "except as punishment for crime." States throughout the former Confederacy immediately began drafting laws guaranteed to lead to the arrest of Black people, who were then put back to work (sometimes in prisons that had once been plantations, like Angola in Louisiana) as enslaved people in all but name. The roots of today's mass incarceration are in those Black Codes.

The past matters. There's a direct line from slavery to the fact that the average Black family has only 10 cents for every dollar held by the average white family. There's a direct line from slavery to the fact that Black people, while only 13% of the overall population, make up 40% of the prison population. Slavery isn't something from the distant past-its impact is felt and seen right now, particularly by Black Americans, every single day.

This country has never truly reckoned with slavery (and if some political leaders have their way, we never will), but we can't ever hope to effectively fight systemic racism or transform our broken criminal justice system if we don't truly understand why and how things got to be the way they are.

It's been 400 years since the first enslaved Africans were brought to this country. Four long centuries. It's time for us to face the legacy of slavery head-on.

We need to start with separating myth from fact. Many, if not most, Americans have little understanding of what slavery was really like. We hide from the brutal reality and create myths instead-myths about benevolent slaveowners, about how slavery wasn't really all that bad, about how slavery happened long ago and has nothing to do with us today. The future of this country depends on our ability to embrace the truth about our collective history, even the parts that make us want to look away.

This won't be easy or comfortable. But it's necessary. Ta-Nahisi Coates said that "An America that looks away is ignoring not just the sins of the past but the sins of the present and the certain sins of the future." Looking away isn't an option. Not for any of us. Every citizen, every politician, and even every company must do its part to look at the truth without flinching. In that way, together, we'll continue the fight for a more just and equitable country.

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August 23, 2019 In America we celebrate the past all the time-the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, the Bill of Rights, and so much more. It doesn't matter that these all took place long ago, before we were born, before anybody alive today was born-these historical triumphs make many of us feel good about who we are as Americans, so we eagerly claim them as our own.

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A Kids Book About Racism by Jelani Memory

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Author of White Fragility and a playlist of other Anti-Racism videos

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White Fragility & Other Anti-Racism Videos

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I am not an expert on this topic, I am a black woman who has lived through consistent racism just like all of my black brothers and sisters. I put this list ...

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Leading through trauma and mourning (questions to ask)

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Dear friends,

Today I'm writing to school (and organizational) leaders. You know you need to say something about the murder of George Floyd and the protests. But maybe you worry about "offending" people. Or you worry you won't say the right thing.

Don't waste your energy with those concerns. Not now. It's likely that some people will feel like you said the wrong thing. Speak anyway. In ten years, look back at this time and be glad you said something. Even if it wasn't perfect or right. Even if some people didn't like it.

Let's put aside the general what-you-say about George Floyd's murder and police brutality and protests. Yes, you should say something because you're a leader and a human being. And that's part of your responsibility to your staff and community right now. The other part is to check in with staff.
Here are some questions to ask your people:

What do you need from me? How can I be of service?

How do you hope I'll show up during this time, as the leader of our school/organization?

What would be helpful for me to know about you or your situation so that I can have a deeper understanding of what you're going through?

Is there a question you wish I'd ask you?

How often, and in what way, would you like me to check in with you?

If you identify as white (or not black) you might feel uncomfortable asking these questions to your black staff. Ask them anyway.

If you're black, then supporting staff (especially non-black staff) at this time might feel like a double or triple burden. You may be using a lot of energy just to get through these days and take care of your immediate responsibilities. Reach out to your black staff, check in on them, and perhaps give yourself a pass for a few days - because even though you are the school (or organizational) leader, and yes, you have a responsibility to care for your people, you are also a human being and you get a pass sometimes. Right now is a time to give yourself a pass.

We've all got a lot to learn if we're going to transform our schools, and our world. Perhaps we're at a tipping point right now - in the middle of a pandemic, with our economy collapsing, at the start of summer, in the wake of another state-approved lynching. How do you want to remember yourself as a leader? How will you lead your community toward justice and liberation?

If you are looking for help refining your leadership skills, we're here to help. This is a good place to start.

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Dear friends, Today I'm writing to school (and organizational) leaders. You know you need to say something about the murder of George Floyd and the protests. But maybe you worry about "offending" people. Or you worry you won't say the right thing. Don't waste your energy with those concerns. Not now.

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     I am a retired Professor and High School teacher.  I am also a practicing attorney in New York State.  I taught Advanced Placement US Government, Advanced Placement Comparative Government and traditional High School Government for over ten years.  I know it is important to introduce a fact based, non biased lesson to students that will foster discussions with their family.  For twenty years I have had the opportunity to work with students from Pre-K through Graduate School in both a traditional learning atmosphere and those classes that deviate from neurotypical teaching.  I held my teaching certification in World History/US History/Government and Economics for Middle and High School.   My teaching philosophy is that all students are individuals and unique learners that must have a stimulating educational environment where they can grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. It is my desire to create this type of atmosphere where students can meet their full potential. I will provide a safe environment where students are invited to share their ideas and where mistakes are considered education victories.
     While incorporating the eight learning styles into each class, I believe that there are five essential elements that are conducive to learning. (1) The teacher's role is to act as a guide. (2) Students must have access to hands-on activities. (3) Students should be able to have choices and let their curiosity direct their learning. (4) Students need the opportunity to practice skills in a safe environment. (5) Technology must be incorporated into the school day.

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US Government 101: What is Propaganda? | Small Online Class for Ages 12-18

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I am a retired Professor and High School teacher. I am also a practicing attorney in New York State. I taught Advanced Placement US Government, Advanced Placement Comparative Government and traditional High School Government for over ten years. I know it is important to introduce a fact based, non biased lesson to students that will foster discussions with their family.

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a guide for responses to racist comments - from Oregon Center for Educational Equity

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Every day, educators, administrators and students carry with them attitudes and beliefs that may affect their understanding of a situation, their interactions with others, and their decision-making.

If these beliefs are colored by negative stereotypes or biases, they can lead to misunderstandings and an unhealthy school climate, if not outright hostility or conflict.

Acknowledging, understanding and addressing our own biases is at the core of the work done by Hilario Benzon, a manager in NEA's Human and Civil Rights Department. We caught up with Benzon recently to discuss how bias can affect educators and students, and how anti-bias work is critical in our schools and our communities.

1. Name It

"We can spend a lot of time on people trying to defend why they did it or explaining their intent. But if the impact is the same, and it had a negative impact, that impacts how safe or included students feel in our classrooms."

- Hilario Benzon
NEA Human and Civil Rights Dept.

Bias can manifest itself in many different ways. When an underlying attitude or belief affects your thinking or actions in a way that you may not be aware of, almost subconsciously, it is known as implicit bias. When it is more conscious, and you are aware that you hold this negative belief, and you act on it, it is known as explicit bias.

"A lot of our work on bias talks about unconscious or implicit bias," says Benzon. "One of our most sought-after trainings is one on implicit bias."

He explained that implicit bias could lead to behavior such as unintentional microaggressions or inflammatory statements, directed toward a certain race, gender, ethnicity or other category. For example, if an Asian American who is a native English speaker is regularly told by white colleagues how good his or her English is, that would reflect implicit bias.

"Oftentimes these microagressions are unintentional," says Benzon. "In many cases, it isn't exactly what we want to do, but sometimes the mouth is working faster than the brain."

Explicit bias, on the other hand, would include someone willfully using the N-word or other derogatory terms.

2. Understand how bias can manifest itself in schools and affect students

Benzon says the "Name It. Claim It. Stop It." anti-bias trainings he helps conduct focus on the effect of what people say or do, rather than over-analyzing why they may have said or done it.

"We can spend a lot of time on people trying to defend why they did it or explaining their intent," says Benzon. "But if the impact is the same, and it had a negative impact, that impacts how safe or included students feel in our classrooms."

"If a student doesn't feel accepted or seen or heard in their classroom spaces," he said, "and at a most basic level feel safe, if that's not being met, then it's harder for them to actually be ready and be in a place to learn."

3. Think in terms of "windows and mirrors"

When doing anti-bias training, Benzon says it's useful to think in terms of both "windows and mirrors."

When you look in the mirror, it's personal and interpersonal - you are examining how your own biases may affect your own thinking and how they could affect others.

When you look out the window, on the other hand, that is more about examining structural oppression or racism, including how organizational structures, practices or governing documents may affect implicit or explicit bias. This could include discipline policies, graduation requirements, dress codes, acceptable hairstyles, etc.

"In trainings, we spend a great deal of time talking about institutional and structural racism, including the bias of the media," says Benzon. He cited examples of news coverage about student athletes charged with crimes. "When it's white athletes, they often show students in their suit and tie on the news website. When they show black or brown individuals, they show mug shots."

4. Start with yourself. And simply begin.

When it comes to addressing bias in schools, Benzon says the most common questions he hears from educators are "So what can be done about it?" and "What can I do?"

Going back to the windows and mirrors analogy, he tells them the best place to start is with themselves. Look in that mirror. Start trying to identify and confront your own biases. Google "implicit bias." Read. Talk with colleagues. Go to a training, if possible. Begin addressing bias in yourself first. First steps will lead to next steps and...

"In our trainings," says Benzon, "we are very upfront that it is not about how to change the behavior of students."

When educators go through anti-bias trainings, he explains, one of the biggest changes they see is their ability to identify some of their own biases for the first time. "It's hard to change your own behavior when you don't see it."

5. Get over your own fragility - and focus on students

No one enjoys admitting being wrong. It can be hard for educators to concede that their bias and resulting actions may have negatively affected students. "But it's not about blame and shame," says Benzon. In order to address bias at school and in the classroom, we all need to get past our own egos and fragility and, again, focus on how it affects students. "It's really all about impact."

"By identifying and addressing our own biases as educators, we have the ability to directly impact the engagement of our students. When students are engaged, they are better learners."

- Hilario Benzon
NEA Human and Civil Rights Dept.

When we say things like "I didn't mean to say that" or "That's not what I meant," we can get caught up in our own defensiveness, explaining and rationalizing why we said something, rather than focusing on its effect on others. "Whether we meant to say it or do it or not," says Benzon, "we can agree that these things are impacting other people."

In the end, says Benzon, addressing bias in yourself or in a school community is something that requires practice. With effort and commitment, people get better at it. However, just like practicing for a sport, practice only goes so far. You can read books, you can watch videos, and you can go to trainings. At a certain point, though, you have to jump in. You need to look at and work on your own behavior, you have to call out bias when you see it, and you need to proactively address bias in your own community.

"Having to confront things about ourselves that may be detrimental to students' well-being," says Benzon, "is something that's very hard for some educators to do.

Doing so, however, ultimately creates a better learning environment for all. "By identifying and addressing our own biases as educators, we have the ability to directly impact the engagement of our students. When students are engaged, they are better learners."
To learn more about bringing an anti-bias training to your school or community, visit the professional development website of NEA's Center for Social Justice. RESOURCES

Sign the Pledge - Name It. Claim It. Stop It.
Students have a right to a safe, welcoming, and affirming learning environment in a school that values them - their race, their religion, their sexual orientation and gender. Sign the pledge and take action to make school a positive place for everyone - where we are all respected.

Download the "Confronting White Nationalism in Schools" Toolkit
This toolkit from the Western States Center shares strategies to counter white nationalist organizing through sample scenarios that schools frequently encounter. Whether a student has been found passing out white nationalist flyers or buttons on school property, or more actively advocating for a "white pride" student group, the toolkit offers advice for parents, students, teachers, school administrators, and the wider community.

Online Implicit Bias Training
This online course offers insights into how our minds operate, the origins of implicit associations, and strategies for uncovering and addressing your own biases.

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5 Things Educators Can Do to Address Bias in Their School - NEA EdJustice

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Every day, educators, administrators and students carry with them attitudes and beliefs that may affect their understanding of a situation, their interactions with others, and their decision-making. If these beliefs are colored by negative stereotypes or biases, they can lead to misunderstandings and an unhealthy school climate, if not outright hostility or conflict.

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Teaching about Race and Racism: Lesson Plans and Resources

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As educators, we need to help our students work through these difficult to comprehend events by encouraging them to ask questions, help provide as many answers as possible and open up an honest dialogue that allows students to state their opinions in a safe environment.

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"Ibram Kendi, one of the nation's leading scholars of racism, says education and love are not the answer."

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Since the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many more Black people by white American police officers, the world has seen an outpouring of anger at systemic racism both in the US and in our home countries.

While Black people struggle with their grief and hurt, non-Black people have been showing support on social media and wondering what we can do to make a difference.

To Digital Spy's Black readers: obviously we're not trying to educate you about your own oppression. This is a starting point, a general guide for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of Black oppression, either to understand the historical context better or to be a better ally.

As well as protesting, writing to our MPs to demand justice and donating to anti-racist causes, it's the responsibility of non-Black people to educate themselves about the history of racism and how little has changed in 2020. The more we understand systemic racism, the more we can use white privilege to dismantle it.

If you're not sure where to start, here are 14 films and documentaries you can watch right now. Covering topics from death row to police brutality, these movies might be hard to watch, but it's much harder still to fear for your life because of the colour of your skin. It's up to us all to take a stand, now more than ever.

13th

This Emmy award-winning documentary from Ava DuVernay ( Selma, When They See Us) explores the inequality of the US prison system, where Black prisoners are hugely over-represented.

While the film is named after the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery throughout the United States in 1865, DuVernay argues that slavery has taken on a new form with the mass incarceration of Black people.
WATCH 13TH ON NETFLIX
The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson

Marsha P Johnson was an American gay liberation activist and self-identified "transvestite and drag queen" who used she/her pronouns. She was also a key player in the 1969 Stonewall uprising. Though her untimely death was initially ruled a suicide, this documentary sees activist Victoria Cruz try to find justice for her friend.

As we mark Pride month, it's important to remember that the gains that have been made for LGBTQ+ people come off the back of protests and sacrifices from trans women of colour.
WATCH THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P JOHNSON ON NETFLIX
Just Mercy

Telling the true story of lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson (played by Michael B Jordan), Just Mercy is a heart-wrenching look at the over-representation of Black men on death row.

Sentenced to death despite no evidence or just because they "looked guilty", this film will make you understand how, for many, being Black is enough of a crime to die for.
WATCH JUST MERCY ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
Injustice

Originally released in 2001, this documentary is sadly just as relevant 19 years later.

Focusing on the struggles for justice by the families of people who have died in police custody, beginning with the British case of David Oluwale in 1969, this film shows the wall of secrecy, bureaucracy and lies the grieving families are met with.

Today, not much has changed; Black people are still dying disproportionately in police custody.
WATCH INJUSTICE ON VIMEO
Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap

At 16 minutes long, this episode of season one's Explained looks into how slavery, housing discrimination and systemic inequality can cause a significant racial wealth gap.
WATCH EXPLAINED: THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP ON NETFLIX
Black and Scottish

Racism is not just an American issue, as this BBC watch proves.

Featuring the likes of Ncuti Gatwa ( Sex Education) and other prominent Black Scots, this short documentary sees film-maker Stewart Kyasimire ask, 'what does it really mean to be Black and Scottish?'

An important look into Black British identity, no matter where you live.
WATCH BLACK AND SCOTTISH ON BBC iPLAYER
Shame in the Game

Racism in football is rife, with Black players subjected to racist chants and intense criticism if they choose to walk off the pitch.

This documentary calls for drastic action, featuring moving interviews with players at all levels of English football and shocking undercover footage, urging every football fan to do more to kick racism right off the pitch (visit kickitout.org for more information).
WATCH SHAME THE GAME ON BBC iPLAYER
The Hate U Give

Based on Angie Thomas's YA novel of the same name, The Hate U Give tells the story of Starr, who witnesses her friend shot dead by police after reaching for his hairbrush. While friends and family from Starr's neighbourhood take to the streets to protest, her predominantly white private school friends and boyfriend struggle to understand.

An important watch for how not to use your white privilege.
WATCH THE HATE U GIVE ON NOW TV
When They See Us

Another important watch from Ava DuVernay, this miniseries tells the story of the Central Park 5 - five young Black men falsely accused and prosecuted for the sexual assault of a white woman.

With no evidence or DNA, the group still served sentences ranging from six to 13 years in prison for crimes they didn't commit; another damning story of systemic racism in the judicial system.
WATCH WHEN THEY SEE US ON NETFLIX
Selma

1965, Selma, Alabama.

As Black residents peacefully march for their rights to vote alongside Martin Luther King Jr (played by David Oyelowo), police attack and murder the protestors, using both batons and legislation against them. A telling look into the many, many ways Black people are oppressed.
WATCH SELMA ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
I Am Not Your Negro

Best watched after reading Remember This House, Samuel L Jackson narrates this documentary inspired by author and activist James Baldwin's unfinished manuscript.

The film explores the history of racism in the US through Baldwin's recollections of his friends Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr and Medgar Evers.
WATCH I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
12 Years a Slave

Lupita Nyong'o won an Oscar for her role in this Steve McQueen drama. Based on Solomon Northup's memoirs of being born a free man then sold into slavery in 1841, this film doesn't hold back on the brutal, degrading and fatal reality of slavery.

The way racism and oppression manifests in society may have changed, but the scars of slavery are important to understand.
WATCH 12 YEARS A SLAVE ON NETFLIX
If Beale Street Could Talk

Based on James Baldwin's novel of the same name, this moving story follows a young woman (KiKi Layne) as she fights to clear her lover Fonny's (Stephan James's) name before the birth of their child.

Falsely accused of raping a woman, If Beale Street Could Talk might make you better understand how innocent Black men end up behind bars, while shining a further spotlight on the factors that can lead to false confessions.
WATCH IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
Farming

In '60s and '70s England, Nigerian parents who were working or studying would pay white families to foster their children.

In this complex film, based on the life of actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje ( Suicide Squad, Game of Thrones), we follow Enitan (played by Damson Idris) as he's handed to Ingrid Carpenter (Kate Beckinsale). As Enitan grows up, he internalises the racism of '80s England and joins a skinhead gang. An important look at the sometimes contradictory Black British experience.

WATCH FARMING ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

For more information on how you can support Black Lives Matter, please visit its official website or donate here. Readers can also donate to the UK anti-discrimination group Stand Up To Racism, and the Unite Families & Friends Campaign, which supports those affected by deaths in police, prison and psychiatric custody.

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14 of the best films and documentaries to educate yourself on racism and Black oppression

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Since the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many more Black people by white American police officers, the world has seen an outpouring of anger at systemic racism both in the US and in our home countries.

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International protests in response to the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Tony McDade show the vast reach and profound importance of the Black Lives Matter movement. These resources can help you talk with students about the historical context and mission behind Black Lives Matter and work toward making your school a more affirming, safer space for Black students.

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Teaching Tolerance | Diversity, Equity And Justice

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Teaching Tolerance 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.

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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. 4, 1961: Burglund High School Walkout...

More than McCarthyism: The Attack on Activism Students ...

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

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Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

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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.

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The resources contained in this section have been developed to support the delivery of anti-racism education in the classroom. Included are lesson ideas, activities and stimulus materials which assist students to engage positively with other peoples and cultures and to better understand Australia's cultural diversity and history.
Puzzles and quizzes: Activities which aim to develop students' general knowledge of Australia's cultural diversity and history, human rights, racism and discrimination.

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Anti-racism activities | Years 3-12 - Racism. No Way!

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The resources contained in this section have been developed to support the delivery of anti-racism education in the classroom. Included are lesson ideas, activities and stimulus materials which assist students to engage positively with other peoples and cultures and to better understand Australia's cultural diversity and history.

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Le ministère de l'éducation nationale, garant de la transmission au sein de l'École des valeurs de la République, est engagé contre toutes les formes d'expressions du racisme et de l'antisémitisme.

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Agir contre le racisme et l'antisémitisme

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Le ministère de l'éducation nationale, garant de la transmission au sein de l'École des valeurs de la République, est engagé contre toutes les formes d'expressions du racisme et de l'antisémitisme.

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Un padlet proposé aux profs pour discuter des sujets du racisme et de l'intégration intitulé "la tolérance"; Un grande merci à Marjorie Decriem professeure-documentaliste

à TFS

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Ateliers citoyens CSI : la tolérance et la différence 

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Un padlet en lien avec un atelier de discussion sur les discriminations; Un grande merci à Marjorie Decriem professeure-documentaliste

à TFS

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" Il ne parait pas incongru de se demander si le principe même d'égalité de traitement est respecté, voire si une discrimination négative n'est pas à l'œuvre. "
Rapport de la concertation "Refondons l'école de la République", La Documentation Française, page 14

livret de présentation du réseau et de la question de la discrimination à l'école

Le réseau est né de la volonté d'acteurs de terrain qui ont amorcé un travail sur la discrimination dans le champ scolaire et qui se sont retrouvés dans un séminaire organisé par l'Institut Français de l'Education sur le partenariat éducatif dans les territoires prioritaires. Ils ont décidé de s'engager dans une mise en réseau plus structurée de leur travail sur cette question en s'appuyant sur une coordination de l'IFé, et un financement de l'ACSé pour qui cette thématique est une priorité. Actuellement le réseau s'étend sur douze académies.
Le réseau est ouvert à toute personne qui souhaite s'interroger et s'engager dans une réflexion sur la question des discriminations à l'école.
Ce site de ressources et de partage sur la question des discriminations dans l'institution scolaire, ne prétend ni à l'exhaustivité ni à caractère purement scientifique. Il tente de croiser à la fois les réflexions et préoccupations de citoyens, d'acteurs de terrain avec les différents travaux de recherche, en posant clairement la question des discriminations à l'école, non pas du côté des publics accueillis, mais du côté des pratiques et des fonctionnements ordinaires de l'école : l'école telle qu'elle fonctionne réellement donne-t-elle un accès égal aux savoirs et aux différentes filières en fin de scolarité obligatoire ? Sinon, quels sont les fonctionnements ordinaires du système scolaire qui pourraient se révéler discriminatoires et comment les transformer ?

Ce site aborde des questions problématiques qui peuvent parfois sembler polémiques mais qu'il nous semble important de réfléchir collectivement. Il n'a pas vocation à donner des éléments définitifs mais à être un outil d'échanges et de débats entre les acteurs de l'école. Il pourra donc évoluer afin d'être précisé, clarifié, amendé, ou enrichi.

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Réseau National de Lutte Contre les Discriminations à l'Ecole

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Rapport de la concertation "Refondons l'école de la République", La Documentation Française, page 14 livret de présentation du réseau et de la question de la discrimination à l'école Le réseau est né de la volonté d'acteurs de terrain qui ont amorcé un travail sur la discrimination dans le champ scolaire et qui se sont retrouvés dans un séminaire organisé par l'Institut Français de l'Education sur le partenariat éducatif dans les territoires prioritaires.

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for middle grades

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for middle grades

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for middle grades

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Waking Up White (Debby Irving): A little bit "racism for beginners," this book takes on a narrative form and walks through systemic racism and how it benefits the white author in a clear, accessible manner.

Between the World and Me (Ta-Nehisi Coates): Coates attempts to answer the questions of racism in a letter to his son. He takes the biggest concerns of racist American history and frames them through personal stories of his racial awakening.

White Fragility (Robin Diangelo): Robin Diangelo explains that racial segregation is set up to protect white people from the discomfort experienced when presented with inequity and challenges to white norms. If you identify as progressive or liberal, this is for you. Diangelo spells out how white progressives are responsible for the perpetuation of inequity.

The New Jim Crow (Michelle Alexander): Alexander explains how the United States criminal justice system functions as a system of racial control. By targeting black men through the War on Drugs and other movements that have decimated communities of color, millions of people are permanently relegated to second-class status by a system that formally follows principles of colorblindness.

The Color of Law (Richard Rothstein): Rothstein methodically analyzes laws that have maintained and further facilitated racial segregation and inequity.

Evicted (Matthew Desmond): Based on years of fieldwork, this book follows eight families in Milwaukee and illustrates how our housing system perpetuates economic exploitation that disproportionately impacts communities of color.

Homeward (Bruce Western): Western depicts life upon prison release as former prisoners attempt to reenter society by describing the lives of the formerly incarcerated and demonstrating how poverty, racial inequity, and lack of social support lead to cycles of vulnerability.

Thick: And Other Essays (Tressie McMillan Cottom): Eight essays that blend the personal with political and turn narrative stories into analyses of whiteness, black misogyny, beauty culture, and status-signaling as a means of survival for black women.

Eloquent Rage (Brittney Cooper): Cooper answers the question, "So what if it's true that Black women are angry," spells out why Black women have the right to be, and explains just why anger is a powerful source of energy.

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A reading list in the wake of the killing of George Floyd

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Waking Up White (Debby Irving) : A little bit "racism for beginners," this book takes on a narrative form and walks through systemic racism and how it benefits the white author in a clear, accessible manner. Between the World and Me (Ta-Nehisi Coates) : Coates attempts to answer the questions of racism in a letter to his son.

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Common Sense Media improves the lives of kids and families by providing independent reviews, age ratings, & other information about all types of media.

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Alyssa Powell/Business Insider

Representation matters: Exposure to different people and beliefs encourages empathy, acceptance, and perspective-taking.

When you encourage diversity in your children's books early, you facilitate their social-emotional intelligence.

Here are 13 children's books that feature protagonists of color and explore themes like empowerment, sharing, empathy, and cultural pride.

Undoing generations of systemic, damaging attitudes toward people of color is an enormous undertaking that is paramount to their health, safety, and quality of life. One small way you can contribute to this ongoing movement is by encouraging your children to talk and think about race. My family lives in a diverse city, but I still feel day-to-day as though we are not always exposed to or doing our most to talk about diversity or racism. This is why I make sure my children's library is full of books that feature protagonists of color, so they see and hear the things that make us similar and different.

This list includes some of the books that my children - almost 2 and 5 years old - enjoy reading. Sometimes a character's background is central to the story. Other times, it's not a focus at all.

The value of representation in your child's library is substantial. These stories frequently explore salient themes like empowerment, sharing, empathy, mental health, and cultural pride. Unlike other popular children's books, the main characters in these stories are more likely to be portrayed in STEM or leadership roles. And these books give voice to authors and illustrators of color who are typically underrepresented in the literary world. There are 11 and 5 on this list, respectively.

The books below are diverse, informative, and vividly illustrated - all the best things a picture book for children can be. Some of the titles came into our lives organically and have been enjoyed over and over. Some are new acquisitions that were thoroughly researched based on recommendations by teachers. They were all chosen because of the beauty of their characters, inside and out. If your toddler can handle non-board books, introduce these (and others like them!) as early as you can.

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13 books for young children that feature protagonists of color

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Representation matters: Exposure to different people and beliefs encourages empathy, acceptance, and perspective-taking. When you encourage diversity in your children's books early, you facilitate their social-emotional intelligence. Here are 13 children's books that feature protagonists of color and explore themes like empowerment, sharing, empathy, and cultural pride.

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Storytelling has played a crucial role in Black American history. Andrea Collier, a Black author and multimedia journalist from Lansing, Michigan, spoke recently on the importance of storytelling within the Black community.

"Stories, including the razor-edged ones of lynchings and segregation, are the ties that bind us. So are the stories of being brought up in segregated neighborhoods, traveling through the South knowing where you could and couldn't go. There is no question that storytelling for black America is a way of saying I am here and I matter," she wrote for UC Berkeley's Greater Good Magazine.

Recounting the stories told by marginalized members of the Black community to get even the smallest glimpse of their historical and present-day struggles is one piece of an infinitely complex puzzle, but it is an imperative one.

Before we can take action, we need to create the space to listen and learn from Black voices. "Not being racist" is simply not enough. It's time to use our voices, be advocates, and serve as allies for change. Those of us who are non-Black will never fully understand the struggles of our friends of the Black community, but we can educate ourselves so that we can stand with them in their continued fight for equality.

We all have a duty to remember their names and remember their stories. Read on for a collection of documentaries and dramas that highlight the stories of Black voices. We vow to remember them and to remind others of their impact. Let's get to work:

Documentaries

Where to stream: Netflix, Amazon Prime

Let It Fall is a documentary that takes a cold, hard look at the time period of 1982 to 1992 in L.A.-a decade of police brutality and racial injustice that led to the Rodney King riots of 1992. Accounts are taken from those who lived through and survived the events as the film traces the underlying domino effect that fueled the Los Angeles uprising.

Where to stream: Netflix, Amazon Prime

This piece follows the police force in Oakland, California in its two-year attempt to rebuild trust and peace amongst their community. Black voices from the film describe an out of control history of police brutality and misconduct against the Black community in their area as the police department works to acknowledge their wrongs, take responsibility for the actions of past officers, and rewrite the script starting from the ground up.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

The Central Park Five exposes the horrifying injustice that was served to five Black and Latino teens (Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise) in a 1989 crime. The story follows a weak investigation and police pressure to quickly solve a crime that led to the false conviction of five innocent Harlem teenagers.

Where to stream: Netflix, Youtube

The name of this film refers to the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution. The Amendment states: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." This documentary takes a close look at the "loophole" of the "except as a punishment for crime" portion of the statement that has been exploited over the years and has contributed to the mass incarceration of Black persons.

Where to stream: Netflix

This documentary tells the account of the chilling 1992 murder of William Ford, Jr., a 24-year-old Black teacher and brother to Strong Island's director, Yance Ford. William Ford was shot in the chest by 19-year-old white auto shop employee Mark Reilly and the tragic story takes a more than unfortunate turn as Mr. Ford becomes the prime suspect in his own murder. Yance Ford tells his family's story of the biased circumstances that surrounded William Ford's murder while reclaiming his brother's memory.

Where to stream: HBO Max

On November 23 2012, 17-year-old Black male Jordan Davis and his friends pulled into a gas station. Minutes later, 10 shots were fired by a 45-year-old white male by the name of Michael Dunn who was motivated by the teens listening to loud rap music. This documentary highlights the events leading up to the shooting, the trial, the role of media, and subsequent protests that followed Davis's death.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime, Hulu

Whose Streets? is a documentary film about the murder of an unarmed Black man by the name of Michael Brown, and the Ferguson uprising. This film takes you to the front line of protests in Missouri and allows an emotional, behind-the-scenes look as activists tell their stories.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

This 2016 documentary is based on James Baldwin's unfinished manuscript of Remember This House, which was to be a tribute to late influential civil rights leaders that he considered friends. Baldwin was an eloquent writer who used his artistic talent to tackle racism and racial injustice and, in the film, his words are narrated beautifully by Samuel L. Jackson. The documentary helps to bring light to Baldwin's contributions and directly compares Baldwin's accounts of violence and discrimination to the injustice we still see to this day.

Where to stream: Netflix

What Happened, Miss Simone? is a biographical documentary highlighting the life and work of Nina Simone, a black female musician and activist who rose to fame during the 1960s. Simone's story is a tale of fiercely met oppression-in music, in family life, and in the greater world.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution gives a firsthand look at the Black Panther Party who fearlessly rose in the 1960s to serve to protect members of the Black community in the face of racial injustice. The film showcases the growth of the movement and the group's use of the media to abolish oppression and to ensure protection for Black persons despite pushback from traditional law enforcement and beyond.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

This film is a beautiful biographical documentary highlighting the strong light that is Maya Angelou. Angelou was a writer, dancer, singer, actress, and activist who found her voice after experiencing sexual trauma at seven years old. Her work, including the monumental literary feat I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, has inspired generations around the world.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

Dispatches from Cleveland is a film that tells the account of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, a Black Cleveland native who was fatally shot in the park by a 26-year old white police officer in 2014 for carrying a toy gun. In the film, residents of Cleveland come together in protest to seek justice amongst the city which boasts a long-standing history of police misconduct and social injustice.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime, HBO Max

This iconic 1994 documentary follows the story of two black, inner-city Chicago teenagers who push past social and physical barriers to work towards their dream of playing in the NBA. The film was shot over the course of five years and is a coming-of-age tale of the two boys as they ambitiously fight for their dreams amongst social, racial, economical, and relational pressures.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

Freedom Riders is the tale of Black activists who challenged segregation head-on via the Freedom Rides of 1961. Though nonviolent, the groups were met with an overwhelming amount of police arrests and brutality from white protesters. The movement gained media attention for the Civil Rights Movement and further fueled the fight for freedom for the Black community.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime, HBO Max

Four Little Girls is a documentary that tells the heartbreaking story of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing of 1963 that led to the death of four young girls between the ages of 11 and 14: Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair. The film, directed by Spike Lee, is a heartwrenching account of the events and a memoriam for the four innocent lives lost.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

Dark Girls is a documentary that explores bias against Black women in the world, in our nation, and within the Black community. It highlights the experiences of Black women who struggle with colorism and self-esteem and their journey to find acceptance from others and from themselves.

Where to stream: Netflix

This documentary recounts the life and death of Marsha P. Johnson, a transgender Black woman who was a central activist for the LGBT community. When her body was found in the Hudson River in 1992, many who knew and loved her believed that her death was a murder. The film highlights Johnson's impact on her community and beyond, brings present-day volume to her voice, and brings attention to the ongoing fight for Black/Trans justice of past and current generations.

18. True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality

Where to stream: HBO Go

True Justice is the story of Bryan Stevenson's fight for equality and the launch of the Equal Justice Initiative. Stevenson is a lawyer who has devoted his life to defending those who the criminal justice system has failed. He advocates for his clients who have been "broken by bias, trauma, and discrimination," fights for justice, and works towards making the dream of a more equitable criminal justice system a reality.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

Black 14 features the accounts of 14 Black athletes who played football at the University of Wyoming in 1969. Before a game against the Brigham Young University Cougars (a Mormon-based institution that was receiving attention for racist practices), the group asked their coach if they could stand in solidarity by donning black armbands. With little to no conversation, they were simply dismissed from the team. Black 14 tells the story of the unsung civil rights heroes that sacrificed their dreams of professional football and education for justice and equality.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

If you're looking for insight into the Black Lives Matter movement, this is the place to start. This documentary highlights the rise of the movement in response to the 2012 fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin by a white male in what the man later claimed to be "self-defense." The film gives detailed accounts by the BLM founders and digs deeply into what it represents.

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime

KIKI explores the existence of the Kiki scene-a safe haven for LGBTQ Youth of Color to explore their uniqueness through performance and to escape racial rejection and homophobia. The film boasts a feel-good tone and highlights the lives of those finding their voice among social oppression.

Where to stream: Netflix, Amazon Prime

LA 92 provides a moment-by-moment retelling of the Los Angeles riots that occurred in response to the filmed, violent beating of Rodney King in 1991. The police officers in the case were found not guilty, which served as yet another wake-up call for our nation that "freedom was not yet a reality in the United States."

Films and series:

Where to stream: Hulu

The Hate U Give, based on the bestselling novel The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas,follows Starr Carter, a Black teenager who balances life in her home neighborhood with her prep school life where she plays "Starr version two." When her childhood best friend is shot at the hands of a white police officer, Starr's two worlds collide and her life is shattered. She works to find her voice as she mourns and seeks change in the face of injustice.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime

Selma showcases the Selma to Montgomery marches by Black activists, lead by Martin Luther King, Jr., in the relentless yet peaceful conquest for equal voting rights. The film is an emotionally powerful portrayal of one of the most influential triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement.

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime

The film Hidden Figures is based on a true story and adapted from the novel Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. The movie tells the untold story of three real-life NASA mathematicians: Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, as they work tirelessly to launch a man into space and claim their seat at the table.

Where to stream: Netflix

Mudbound is a film set in Jim Crow Mississippi during WWII. It tells a tale of a white family and a Black family living on the same farmland. The film exposes challenges of the time era which largely include overt and violent racism, sexism, and post-traumatic stress disorder of returning veterans.

Where to stream: Netflix

When They See Us is Netflix's limited series that recounts the story of the Central Park Five. The series is based on the true story in which five Harlem teens are wrongly accused of raping and beating a white female jogger and brings up the issues of coerced, false confessions, racial injustice, and the failings of our criminal justice system.

Where to stream: Netflix, Amazon Prime

Dear White People is the Netflix series spinoff on the film by the same name by Justin Simien. The series is considered a comedy in nature as it follows the accounts of students attending a predominately white Ivy League institution. It brings attention to racism, cultural injustice, and activism in the modern age.

Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon Prime

If Beale Street Could Talk is the emotional drama adapted from James Baldwin's 1974 book by the same name. It follows a young black couple, Tish and Fonny, in 1970s Harlem and the events surrounding the wrongful accusation that Fonny assaulted a white woman. It's a story of injustice, love, and the struggle to prove a man's innocence.

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29 Movies & Documentaries to Watch to Educate Yourself on Racial Injustice

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Storytelling has played a crucial role in Black American history. Andrea Collier, a Black author and multimedia journalist from Lansing, Michigan, spoke recently on the importance of storytelling within the Black community. "Stories, including the razor-edged ones of lynchings and segregation, are the ties that bind us.

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Recent events have shaken me to my core, and the nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd suggest that people across the country are similarly shaken. These are dark times, but if there's anything that seems like a glimmer of light to me at the moment, it's the fact that so many teachers are reflecting on how to fight racism:

"I'm a white educator, where do I start?"

"How can I help?"

"What if I get it wrong?"

For me, a black educator and mother to a black 16-year-old who has reached the appearance if not the legal age of manhood, these questions stir hope. Folks who don't look like me are embracing the idea that the fight for equity has to be everyone's fight. But fighting racism is a big job, and when the fires of outrage cool, we teachers will be confronted with the reality of planning deadlines, testing schedules, and another hundred things that are all in a day's work. The difficult work of equity may become just another item on a desk crowded with to-do lists.

What Can Teachers Do?

The answer, an old joke: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, of course-and achieving equity is no different. Take small bites that can have big impact and don't worry about getting it wrong sometimes, as you inevitably will. If you keep going, you can do something that brings about change.

Reading: Even if you only have 10 minutes, you can learn something to help you create a more equitable classroom. Websites like Teaching Tolerance, the NEA's EdJustice, and KQED's Mindshift feature resources for lesson planning as well as lessons for you as a teacher. Teaching Tolerance is the perfect place to start, whether you want to use bias-free language to teach tolerance through reading with young learners or plan a social action campaign with high school students.

In addition to a rich collection of K-12 classroom resources, the website features self-guided PD, on-demand webinars, and podcasts that may enable you to earn a certificate-check with your administration first. Those can easily be broken up into small chunks of time. And note that many of the site's feature articles list recommended actions at the bottom.

If your goal is to understand the black community better, sites designed for black audiences like The Root, The Undefeated, and Huffington Post's Black Voices are good places to start. These non-mainstream media outlets feature content by minority and minority-supporting journalists. You'll find content on topics not covered in mainstream media, like coverage of historically black colleges and universities, news about black brands and influencers, and stories like this one on MIT's first black female student body president in its 159-year history. If you're teaching black children who are generally inundated by media that does not reflect them, these are priceless ways you can enrich your current events and show-and-tell circles.

Watching: You can improve your cultural competence and learn about Black Lives Matter by watching " 4 Black Lives Matter Myths Debunked" on YouTube, which will answer quite a few questions on social justice issues, probably including some you didn't even know you had. And if you want help in having real discussions on complex issues with young children, the YouTube show LivingRoomProtest will lead you through conversations on being black, politics, pride, and even death and the afterlife-try the episode " Education Is a Human Right " for starters.

If you want entertainment with a cultural component, Netflix has a host of shows that cater to a black audience, as well as original content that regularly features diverse character lineups. Hulu has not only a small curated selection of Black Stories but also six seasons of the binge-worthy, socially conscious Black-ish and its spin-off prequel Mixed-ish. While Black-ish might be a little campy, it tackles real issues surrounding racism, bias, and social justice issues that arise within the black community.

Scrolling through social media: This can also be a high-yield way to learn more about black culture, antiracist strategies, and teaching through a socially conscious lens. Following organizations like EduColor and hashtags like #BlackTeachersMatter and #Equity will yield content from educators who either teach people of color, are people of color, or both. And consider visiting a black church, which you can do even now online: The Potter's House of Fort Worth's Pastor Patrick E. Winfield II, for example, is an educator who regularly addresses social issues. Even if religion isn't your thing, the black church is a good place to go to gain culturally relevant perspectives.

Taking action: For the civic-minded, the Kellogg Foundation has put together a website that lets you create your own personal plan to support, donate, or volunteer in the way you find most relevant. This site can help you focus your attention on one or two civic tasks with broader impact.

Social action is also a great way to involve students, which multiplies your impact. You can teach students how to write emails or letters by asking them to write to your local government in favor of policy changes banning the eight most deadly policing strategies listed at 8 Can't Wait, which has ideas on how to call or email your government yourself-there's a script you can use or adapt.

Looking within: Finally, and perhaps most importantly, take inventory of your feelings. It's normal to be most comfortable around people who are like you. It's just not good when that makes you and those like you an "us" and those who aren't like you a "them." Use a journal to sort through your personal feelings on racism or read books that provide perspective on systemic inequities and bias. These long-haul strategies will produce change in you while you take more immediate action in other ways.

The devastating events of the last days have left me shaken. I have felt anger, fear, grief-so many emotions. But I have also felt buoyed by the great outpouring of support from my less melanated colleagues who want to listen, learn, and find out how to do better. So many of them are already doing amazing things with diverse students. This piece is dedicated to them. They give me hope that this time, we will fight racism together and bring about lasting change.

Don't stop now. How do you eat an elephant? One small bite at a time.

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A Guide to Equity and Antiracism for Educators

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Recent events have shaken me to my core, and the nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd suggest that people across the country are similarly shaken. These are dark times, but if there's anything that seems like a glimmer of light to me at the moment, it's the fact that so many teachers are reflecting on how to fight racism: "I'm a white educator, where do I start?"

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specific tools included

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We are watching the #BlackLivesMatter protests, justice crisis, and turbulent events unfold by the minute in America. We are outraged by the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many other Black people who have been continuously disproportionately impacted by racism and oppression in this country.

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The Mind of the Village: Understanding Our Implicit Biases Kerner Commission 50 years later - NPR The Loving Generation

In 1967, the Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia overturned all laws outlawing interracial marriage. The Loving Generation tells the story of a generation of Americans born to one black parent and one white parent. Their narratives provide a fascinating and unique window into the borderland between "blackness" and "whiteness", and, in some cases, explode fixed ideas about race and identity.

Seeing White: A 14-part documentary series exploring whiteness in America - where it came from, what it means, and how it works

focuses on the ongoing fight for racial and economic justice
in the age of Trump, and strategies for building the movement for real and lasting change.
The show features dialogue with some of the nation's leading scholars, artists and activists.
Three episodes are already available:

Episode 1: Filmmaker Qasim Basir
Tim speaks with writer/director Qasim Basir about his award-winning films Mooz-lum and
Destined and what it means to be both Black and Muslim in post 9-11 America.

Episode 2: Former Skinhead Christian Picciolini
Tim talks to Christian Picciolina about his years as a Nazi skinhead and white supremacist
and how he now works to help racists leave the hate behind.

Episode 3: Activist/Educator Tia Oso
Tim and Tia Oso, formerly of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, discuss movement
building strategies and the centrality of Black folks to progressive politics.

Available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Podomatic, Patreon, and SpeakOutNow.org

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Podcasts The Mind of the Village: Understanding Our Implicit Biases Kerner Commission 50 years later - NPR The Loving Generation In 1967, the Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia overturned all laws outlawing interracial marriage. The Loving Generationtells the story of a generation of Americans born to one black parent and one white parent.

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Book, movie recommendations, and more

Protests raged across the world this weekend over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis. But tensions over the deaths of other black Americans like Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor were mounting just before Floyd's death.

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A Detailed List of Anti-Racism Resources

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Book, movie recommendations, and more Protests raged across the world this weekend over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis. But tensions over the deaths of other black Americans like Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor were mounting just before Floyd's death.

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Common Sense Media Resources About Race and Racism

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We've gathered together all our articles and lists of media recommendations to help parents, educators, and others spark important conversations. Advice from Common Sense Media editors.

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By Mia Birdsong

All children need to learn about oppression so they can identify it and contextualize it. But racism and white supremacy (and sexism, homophobia, etc.) can be painful and scary concepts for kids-especially when they match up with their lived experiences. They have to know that there are people actively working to fight against these systems. Anytime we are sharing the realities of oppression, we must include the ways in which people experiencing oppression fight back.

Children need ways to understand their own agency as well, though kids of color and white kids should understand their roles differently. In talking about resistance, we give children examples of what it looks like to be agents of change. We show them that people who experience oppression are not powerless or mere victims. They can do something.

Access downloads for this and all our Action Guides by completing the form below!

1) Start with books.

I love using children's books as a vehicle for introducing topics to kids. There are some great books that teach kids (and adults) about real Freedom Fighters. Henry's Freedom Box, Toussaint L'ouverture: The Fight for Haiti's Freedom, The Streets Are Free, Little Rock Nine.

2) Be present.

Fighting for liberation is still happening! There are a lot of folks who are doing the important work of fighting oppression today. Black Youth Project 100, 18 Million Rising, Presente.

3) Pay attention to gender.

Kids are much more likely to hear about cismen-King, Chavez, Peltier, Itliong-and not as much about the women and trans folks who have always been as critical in making change happen.

4) Include artists and musicians.

Every political movement has its art forms. And art and music are easy ways for children to connect to movements for freedom. You can even make political art together! Fela Kuti, Melanie Cervantes, Gordon Parks, LaToya Ruby Frazier.

5) Include youth.

Some of our most important Freedom Fighters were young people. Resistance is not just for grown ups, and plenty of children and young adults have been part of some of our most important struggles. Ruby Bridges, Malala Yousafzai, The Children's Crusade.

6) Encourage activism.

From writing a letter to a representative to joining a march to organizing an action, there are so many ways for kids to make a real difference-beyond feel-good actions like coat drives and park clean-up.

7) Mindfully include white people.

We have to eliminate the White Savior role, which centers whiteness and portrays people of color as victims. But white kids should know that they can play an important support role when it comes to fighting racism. Emphasize and prioritize the efforts of people of color, but include white allies too. John Brown, Viola Liuzzo, James Ian Tyson.

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7 Ways to Highlight Resistance Efforts When Discussing Oppression with Children

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By Mia Birdsong All children need to learn about oppression so they can identify it and contextualize it. But racism and white supremacy (and sexism, homophobia, etc.) can be painful and scary concepts for kids-especially when they match up with their lived experiences.

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How to Talk Honestly With Children About Racism | Parenting Tips & Advice | PBS KIDS for Parents

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Talking with young children about race and racism is tough and important. Here are ideas to help you prepare for conversations, ask questions, and model anti-racist behavior.

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Ava DuVernay (Koury Angelo/Getty Images for Hollywood Reporter)

So you want to be an ally but don't know where to start? First of all, thank you and welcome. This is an ever growing community of people who refuse to accept Black death and institutionalized racism as the norm. This community takes measurable steps, is intentional about their day-to-day interactions, and is committed to self-education. Where to begin? Look no further than the below starter pack of TV shows, documentaries, films, TED talks, and books that can ground your activism and ensure you're offering this movement more than lip service. Grab an accountability partner (or start a group!) as a way of debriefing what you learn and ensuring you stick with it.

There's no better day than today! Here's your anti-racist starter pack.

TV Series

1. Netflix's When They See Us: Ava DuVernay's When They See Us stopped the world when she told the stories of the (now) Exonerated Five. This is a cautionary tale for some on the dangers of making the narrative match a racist agenda and insight into the fear of Black families across the country, and world.

2. OWN's Queen Sugar: Queen Sugar shares the beauty and complexity in family, legacy, and justice through the warmth of a Black family. Over the course of the seasons, we become even more exposed to Black rural advocacy and the power in land ownership.

3. The Black LGBTQ+ community is no stranger to over-policing and brutal violence and FX's Pose (available on Netflix):Pose gives us a front row seat to the resilience and ingenuity of Ballroom culture and the fight for autonomy and safety.

4. Dear White People (available on Netflix):Dear White People has drawn controversy from many who have been afraid to push past the title, but it's great insight to the inner workings of Black student activists and their campus experiences.

Related: 40 Ways White Women Can Help Fight Racism
Documentaries

Many cite Netflix's 13th by Ava DuVernay: The New Jim Crow (book by Michelle Alexander) as what woke them up to the extreme injustice in our criminal justice system and arguably 13th would be the documentary version of that, exposing how deep-rooted institutionalized racism is.
Related: Self-Care for Black Women Activists Right Now

1. The Black Liberation movement of the late 20th century is riddled with stereotypes and propaganda causing many to believe that the movement died following the assassinations of Malcolm X and The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975: Martin Luther King Jr. This documentary sets the record straight from the source with powerful interviews and recollections.

2. It's important that we never lose sight of the legacy of police violence. To understand the righteous anger of the Black community, learn more about the LA riots following the LA92 (available on Netflix):Rodney King trial.

Related: Beyoncé, LeBron James, Viola Davis, Taylor Swift and More Celebs Demand Justice for George Floyd
Movies and Short Films

1. Since 2016, many have become hyper-aware of the deep rifts that exist in American society and others have always known that we have very different experiences of this country. Higher Learning (directed by John Singleton):Higher Learning will surprise you in how relevant it is to today and showing some of the hurdles to achieving a "post-racial" society.

2. Eric Garner and Do The Right Thing (directed by Spike Lee): George Floyd have both drawn connections to a fiction character who preceded them both: Radio Raheem of Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing. The film masterfully highlights where unrest stems from and what leads to the rage felt in uprisings and rebellions.

Related: Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian West, LeBron James and More Demand Justice for the Murder of Ahmaud Arbery
TED Talks

1. Bryan Stevenson's We Need To Talk About An Injustice:Bryan Stevenson is one of the leading racial justice advocates, working with people incarcerated on death row. If anyone can diagnose recent injustices and understand the steps forward it would be him.

2. Kimberle Crenshaw on The Urgency of Intersectionality: Following 2016, 'intersectionality' became quite the buzzword, yet gets used out of context often by both the Right and Left alike. Hear from the black woman who coined the term in the '80s as to how we use intersectionality to defend Black women.

3. Baratunde Thurston on How To Deconstruct Racism, One Headline At A Time: Racism isn't funny, but in this TED talk you'll learn about the pervasive nature of racism and laugh out loud way more times than you'll be able to count.

4. T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison on The Trauma of Systemic Racism is Killing Black Women:Racism is traumatic. Oftentimes we are focused so much on legislative changes and urgent calls to action, that we neglect the emotional well being of Black people everywhere facing PTSD from this cyclical violence. Dive more into self-care as radical preservation with this joint TED talk.

5. Verna Meyers on How To Overcome Our Biases? Walk Towards Them: #AllLivesMatter is the new color blind and both terms are proof that people fear being accused of biases more than they feel committed to addressing them. Let's lose the shame and take bold steps deeper into your allyship.

6. Heather McGhee's Racism Has A Cost for Everyone:My liberation is bound in yours. This is not a feel good statement but a reality when it comes to how racism impacts policy, budgets, and prevents us from achieving a society that works for us all

7. The Human Stories Beyond Mass Incarceration:We can never lose sight of the people behind the statistics and in this powerful TED talk, you'll be reminded of why we fight this fight.

8. Marlon Peterson's Am I Not Human?: Marlon Peterson is formerly incarcerated and one of the leading national experts on alternatives to incarceration. Learn about why we desperately need more empathy when it comes to addressing harm.

9. Emma Harrison's From Reform to Abolition: The Future of the U.S. Prison System: More than ever before, people are Googling abolition and exploring what a society without prisons looks like. Have questions about why we can't reform these systems or what this looks like in reality? Listen up!

10. Rayna Gordon's Don't Be A Savior, Be An Ally:Sometimes with the best intentions we still fall short. Hear from Rayna about thoughtful allyship that seeks to uplift and support not take over or "save."

Related: 25 Anti-Racist Instagram Accounts to Follow for Listening, Learning and Action-Taking
Books

1. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson: You've likely heard the story of someone who served decades in prison for a crime they didn't commit. How does that happen and how do we ensure people don't disappear behind the bars and into bureaucratic systems that value process more than justice?

2. Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward: America often equates Black to mean urban America when more of us live in "middle America" and the deep South than anywhere else. Ward is a literary artist who spins the stories of Black men in Mississippi with so much love and a deep desire to protect those she loves.

3. Free Cyntoia by Cyntoia Brown-Long: Everyone from Rihanna to Kim Kardashian was tweeting about Cyntoia Brown-Long, the young woman incarcerated for defending herself against her abuser and a sexual predator. Cyntoia's story is one that many women share-and this book sheds light on how systems set up to protect us, fail us time and time again.

4. Born A Crime by Trevor Noah: Noah's book reads like an episode of his late night show which is to say it's informative, compelling, and well researched. This is a must read for those looking to understand race and class.

5. Unafraid of the Dark by Rosemary L Bray: Racism feels like this big scary monster which can make some of us feel like we don't know where to begin in dismantling it and others feel it's not relevant to them at all. Bray sets the record straight with these vignettes and anecdotes about what racism looks like in practice but also how police interventions can work to alleviate the pressures.

6. How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective by Keeanga Yamahtta-Taylor: "Listen to Black women!" Want to learn what Black women from movements past have to say about justice and freedom? Look no further than this foundational manifesto.

7. Children of Blood and Bones by Tomi Adeyemi: Science fiction is a powerful tool for exploring problems from the distance we normally aren't afforded with day-to-day life. This first part of the electric new trilogy explores issues of fear, revenge, and what it takes to build a new future.

8. When They Call You A Terrorist by Patrisse Khan Cullors: Cullors co-founded Black Lives Matter over five years ago alongside two other Black women organizers. Years later, she reflected on her own journey to that moment and what it means to be labeled a terrorist by the government that has sought to erase you and those you love.

9. Let's Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice by Paul Butler: This Harvard Law grad turned prosecutor went from high-powered attorney to wrongfully accused Black man in one day. What that experience taught him is cemented through this book and will tell you all you need to know about this rigged system.

10. Pushout by Monique Morris: Black girls and women are often left out of the conversation when it comes to criminal justice reform but Morris reiterates exactly how Black girls are oversexualized, more likely to be described as aggressive, and more frequently suspended or expelled, leading to this school-to-prison pipeline we hear so much about.

Read 55 MLK Jr. quotes that still resonate today.

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The Anti-Racist Starter Pack: 40 TV Series, Documentaries, Movies, TED Talks, and Books to Add to Your List

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So you want to be an ally but don't know where to start? First of all, thank you and welcome. This is an ever growing community of people who refuse to accept Black death and institutionalized racism as the norm. This community takes measurable steps, is intentional about their day-to-day interactions, and is committed to [...]

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Ibram X. Kendi on books to help America transcend its racist heritage.

Credit... Joan Wong

No one becomes "not racist," despite a tendency by Americans to identify themselves that way. We can only strive to be "antiracist" on a daily basis, to continually rededicate ourselves to the lifelong task of overcoming our country's racist heritage.

We learn early the racist notion that white people have more because they are more; that people of color have less because they are less. I had internalized this worldview by my high school graduation, seeing myself and my race as less than other people and blaming other blacks for racial inequities.

To build a nation of equal opportunity for everyone, we need to dismantle this spurious legacy of our common upbringing. One of the best ways to do this is by reading books. Not books that reinforce old ideas about who we think we are, what we think America is, what we think racism is. Instead, we need to read books that are difficult or unorthodox, that don't go down easily. Books that force us to confront our self-serving beliefs and make us aware that "I'm not racist" is a slogan of denial.

The reading list below is composed of just such books - a combination of classics, relatively obscure works and a few of recent vintage. Think of it as a stepladder to antiracism, each step addressing a different stage of the journey toward destroying racism's insidious hold on all of us.

Biology

No book destabilized my fraught notions of racial distinction and hierarchy - the belief that each race had different genes, diseases and natural abilities - more than this vigorous critique of the "biopolitics of race." Roberts, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, shows unequivocally that all people are indeed created equal, despite political and economic special interests that keep trying to persuade us otherwise.

New Press, 2011

Ethnicity

Some of the same forces have led Americans to believe that the recent success of black immigrants from the Caribbean proves either that racism does not exist or that the gap between African-Americans and other groups in income and wealth is their own fault. But Model's meticulous study, emphasizing the self-selecting nature of the West Indians who emigrate to the United States, argues otherwise, showing me, a native of racially diverse New York City, how such notions - the foundation of ethnic racism - are unsupported by the facts.

Russell Sage Foundation, 2008

Body

"Black" and "criminal" are as wedded in America as "star" and "spangled." Muhammad's book traces these ideas to the late 19th century, when racist policies led to the disproportionate arrest and incarceration of blacks, igniting urban whites' fears and bequeathing tenaciously racist stereotypes.

Harvard University, 2010

Culture

Of course, the black body exists within a wider black culture - one Hurston portrayed with grace and insight in this seminal novel. She defies racist Americans who would standardize the cultures of white people or sanitize, eroticize, erase or assimilate those of blacks.

1937

Behavior

"We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame," Hughes wrote nearly 100 years ago. "We know we are beautiful. And ugly too." We are all imperfectly human, and these imperfections are also markers of human equality.
The Nation, June 23, 1926

Color

Beautiful and hard-working black people come in all shades. If dark people have less it is not because they are less, a moral eloquently conveyed in these two classic novels, stirring explorations of colorism.

1970 | 1929

Whiteness

Malcolm X began by adoring whiteness, grew to hate white people and, ultimately, despised the false concept of white superiority - a killer of people of color. And not only them: low- and middle-income white people too, as Metzl's timely book shows, with its look at Trump-era policies that have unraveled the Affordable Care Act and contributed to rising gun suicide rates and lowered life expectancies.

1965 | Basic Books, 2019

Blackness

Just as Metzl explains how seemingly pro-white policies are killing whites, Forman explains how blacks themselves abetted the mass incarceration of other blacks, beginning in the 1970s. Amid rising crime rates, black mayors, judges, prosecutors and police chiefs embraced tough-on-crime policies that they promoted as pro-black with tragic consequences for black America.

Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2017 ( Read the review.)

Class

Black America has been economically devastated by what Robinson calls racial capitalism. He chastises white Marxists (and black capitalists) for failing to acknowledge capitalism's racial character, and for embracing as sufficient an interpretation of history founded on a European vision of class struggle.

Zed Press, 1983

Spaces

As racial capitalism deprives black communities of resources, assimilationists ignore or gentrify these same spaces in the name of "development" and "integration." To be antiracist is not only to promote equity among racial groups, but also among their spaces, something the black power movement of the 1960s and 1970s understood well, as Joseph's chronicle makes clear.

Holt, 2006

Gender

I began my career studying, and too often admiring, activists who demanded black (male) power over black communities, including over black women, whom they placed on pedestals and under their feet. Black feminist literature, including these anthologies, helps us recognize black women "as human, levelly human," as the Combahee River Collective demanded to be seen in 1977.

Haymarket, 2017 | Ballantine, 2018 ( Read our profile of Glory Edim.)

Sexuality

I grew up in a Christian household thinking there was something abnormal and immoral about queer blacks. My racialized transphobia made Mock's memoir an agonizing read - just as my racialized homophobia made Lorde's essays and speeches a challenge. But pain often precedes healing.

Atria, 2014 | Crossing Press, 1984

By not running from the books that pain us, we can allow them to transform us. I ran from antiracist books most of my life. But now I can't stop running after them - scrutinizing myself and my society, and in the process changing both.
Ibram X. Kendi, a professor and director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University, is the National Book Award-winning author of "Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America" and the forthcoming "How to Be an Antiracist." Follow New York Times Books on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, sign up for our newsletter or our literary calendar. And listen to us on the Book Review podcast.

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Ibram X. Kendi on books to help America transcend its racist heritage. No one becomes "not racist," despite a tendency by Americans to identify themselves that way. We can only strive to be "antiracist" on a daily basis, to continually rededicate ourselves to the lifelong task of overcoming our country's racist heritage.

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Talking to Children Authentically about Race and Racism

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The country is going through "a great racial reckoning," as Tomi Obaro writes, and a big part of that is contending with the overwhelming whiteness of the publishing world. As we're discussing pay disparity among Black and white writers - and sharing books about anti-racism, books by Black authors, and Black-owned bookstores where you can buy them - it's important to pay attention to the influencers, too. BuzzFeed Books chatted with 24 Black bookstagrammers about how they use Instagram to share their love of books, and what they're reading these days:

About me: I'm Nigerian American - which you may have been able to guess from my name! I'm originally from California, but have lived in NYC for the past nine years. A few random things I love are: nail polish, handwritten notes, donuts, journaling, photography, and Milton, my cat.

What followers can expect: I read mostly fiction across a variety of genres, including romance, YA, fantasy, and more. I've also been working on reading more nonfiction and have discovered that I really enjoy memoirs. I'll post what I'm currently reading, books that I've recently added to my TBR, and reviews of books I've read. On my Stories, I also like to share bits of my life - what I'm making in the kitchen, spreads from my bullet journal, and more.

A recent book I loved: The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon was such an enjoyable read! I am so here for a romance book with representation (both of the main characters are people of color). I really loved the way that the author tackled topics such as the importance of female friendship and the difficulties of being a woman, and specifically a woman of color, in the tech industry.

About me: I'm a 26-year-old native New Yorker, currently residing in the beautiful city of Atlanta. My love for reading began at a very young age. Whether it was visiting my local library, browsing through the Barnes & Noble Jr. section, or participating in the annual Scholastic Book Fairs, I have always had a passion for reading and books.

What followers can expect: I mostly read young adult contemporary fiction and fantasy, contemporary fiction, and contemporary romance - but I also like to mix it up from time to time with a good memoir or adult fantasy. I mostly share books that I'm currently reading, anticipated reads, and mini reviews. Full reviews can be found on my blog Eat Travel Read.

About me: I'm obsessed with books and travel. I'm the type of person who travels with at least three books on hand and buys copies of international versions of books that I love. I've always been a prolific reader and I was definitely one of those kids who rewatched Matilda an unhealthy amount of times and was best friends with my local librarian. (She would always save the latest Magic Tree House book for me, bless her soul.)

What followers can expect: I mainly read fantasy, young adult, and occasionally adult fiction. My posts usually consist of what I'm currently reading, books that I'm excited about, and my travel adventures. I frequently ask for book recommendations for myself because I'm constantly trying to find amazing books and evolve as a reader.

A recent book I loved: One of my goals as a Black bookstagrammer is to use my space to highlight more Black authors, because there are some incredible books out there by Black authors that just don't get enough love. One book that I've recently decided to reread is This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins, which is such a powerful and raw read about what it means to grow up as a Black woman in America. Highly recommend picking it up.

About me: I live and work in Delaware. I love books, basketball, and villains.

What followers can expect: The best in African American literature as well as literature from the African Diaspora. I've also created two challenges that ask readers to consider the backlist: #2BooksUnder50Reviews asks readers to read and review two books (or more) during the calendar year with less than 50 reviews on Goodreads, that were published in 2018 or earlier. #10Books10Decades asks ask readers to read books published in 10 different decades throughout the calendar year and review those. Both of these challenges are fun and are a great way to honor those authors who paved the way for the new authors we have the pleasure of reading now. Plus certain books qualify both challenges!

A recent book I loved: Stateway's Garden by Jasmon Drain. It's a debut short story collection that takes place in the (now gone) Chicago neighborhood of Stateway Gardens during the 1980s. I loved this book mainly for the characters that aren't trying to impress us - humans who are living life according to their ambitions who happen to be Black. The stories were authentic, relatable, understated, restrained, and impactful. It also helps that the stories are linked. Stateway's Garden is a great entry point for those wary of short stories, since the collection is "novelistic in scope" to quote its description. (Read Reggie's full review here.)

About me: I'm a born AND raised New Yorker. (Yes, there is a difference.) My love for books comes from my mom. When I was younger she would read to me every night before I went to sleep. Once I learned how to read and got my own library card, I was unstoppable! Growing up I read a lot of Fear Street books by R.L. Stine and I still have the books in a special bin for my future kids.

What followers can expect: A diverse reading experience. I'm a big advocate for diversity and inclusion, and do my best to feature BIPOC authors, stories, and marginalized groups. I consider myself to be a genre-hopper, and my posting style is very simple - nothing fancy, and that works for me. We all can't be blessed in the elaborate photo-taking department!

A recent book I loved: I listened to the audiobook of Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds over the weekend and it was very haunting. Several days have passed and I am still thinking about this book. I highly recommend that everyone reads or listens to this story.

About me: I'm a mother of three, and I think as mothers it's important that we carve out time for ourselves when possible. Before self-isolation life, I'd spend my alone time in a local coffee shop with my current read. I highlight, underline, write in, dog ear, and draw hearts in my books - they're mine and I love to love in them. I think anyone who thinks audiobooks don't count as reading should kick rocks. I love my local library. The workers at my Barnes & Noble know my name because I'm there so much - even when I send my husband to pick up a book, they know it's for me.

What followers can expect: Falling4romance is where I share my love for romance. I used to take most of my photos at my local coffee shop, but the pandemic forced me to switch it up, which I was nervous about; sometimes it feels as though Instagram wants you to figure out your style and stick with it. I love my at home posts, though! I love for my feed to reflect me. I also blog, post videos on YouTube, am part of the amazing Reading Women team, and contribute posts to my favorite romance website, Frolic Media.

About me: My name is Enobong, which means "God's gift" in the Ibibio language of Nigeria. Both my parents are Nigerian but I was born and raised in the UK and now live in Chicago.

What followers can expect: I read widely and broadly, posting reviews and recommendations for fiction, nonfiction, literary, children's - whatever I'm in the mood for. I've always made it a point to read books by Nigerian authors and Black British authors, but I'm currently working my way through the works of prominent African American authors, and I plan to read from authors from throughout the African continent. While my page is mostly about books, it isn't all about books: I used to be a professional dancer, so every now and then I see if my body will still contort into the shapes I used to bend it into several times a week, and take pictures of that. And of course, there are lots of cameos from my cat, Motley.

A recent book I loved: Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture by Emma Dabiri. In this debut, BBC presenter and Guardian contributor Emma Dabiri explores the underlying issues of racism tangled up in conversations surrounding Black hair.⁠ She situates her own personal hair story within the wider history of how African hair has been perceived from before the European invasion of Africa 'til now. Written in a style that will challenge you yet also create the illusion of a casual conversation with a friend, Twisted brings new perspective to the topic of Black hair.⁠ (Read Enobong's full review here, or on her blog.)

About me: I'm a lifelong reader who is super passionate about book collecting, independent bookstores, literacy, and sharing the joys of the reading life. I love talking about books on social media and via my weekly newsletter, BiblioLifestyle, because I don't have friends in real life who love reading or who read as voraciously as us bookstagrammers do!

What followers can expect: Features of the books I'm currently reading, book reviews, book hauls, plus book collections and collectible editions I've recently acquired. You will also find my Summer Reading Guide, tips and articles about the reading life, book lists, gift guides, and lots of fun stuff.

A recent book I loved: It's always so hard selecting one book - I tend to give at least three book recommendations at any given time. A recent read that I highly recommend is Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud. I literally read well over a hundred books in preparation for our 2020 Summer Reading Guide and this was a stand out novel for me. It was absolutely brilliant - the writing is beautiful, captivating and hilarious at times. This novel also made my Minimalist Reads list of six books I recommend if you're only planning to pick up a few reads this summer! (Read Victoria's full review here.)

About me: I'm a 28-year-old history teacher from North Carolina. I absolutely love reading and use it as a tool to engage with my students. I believe that you're never too old to fall in love with a book or a fandom, and I try to instill that in my students. Along with books, some of my favorite things are Korean dramas, Korean music, and coffee.

What followers can expect: I am completely obsessed with bookish merchandise, young adult books, fantasy novels, and all things Shadowhunters, so the majority of my posts will fall into one of those categories. I love engaging with my followers - I use bookstagram not only to get book recommendations, but also to connect and make friendships with other book lovers out there.

A recent book I loved: A Phoenix First Must Burn, the short story collection edited by Patrice Caldwell. There is no feeling like reading a book and seeing yourself in the story - being able to imagine that you could be this beautiful, mystical being, with radiant dark skin and curly natural hair. Many of the stories wove in different aspects of Black culture, things that I didn't know, and things that I grew up with intimately. I loved all the stories in this book, some more than others, but overall they were all amazing. (Read Alecia's full review here.)

About me: I'm 25 years old, raised near Baltimore, and recently moved to the outskirts of Los Angeles. I drink a million cups of tea per day just because. And when I'm not reading, you can catch me watching Hercules (the most underrated Disney movie ever).

What followers can expect: My feed is bright and warm and welcoming to the eye, but if you look a little closer, it's full of a lot of books that are actually pretty dark. I love unpredictable plot twists, sick villains, and books that make me want to sleep with the lights on - but on the other hand, I also love to consume stories that make me cry. My posts are a combination of books new to my collection, books I'm currently reading, and reviews.

A recent book I loved: This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. I picked it up on a complete whim and fell in love. It includes adventure, mystery, and a pinch of magic. It's beautiful and will definitely stand the test of time!

About me: I'm a lifelong reader living in Northern Virginia trying to read as many amazing stories as I can. My bookstagram is a place to share that journey with other book lovers.

What followers can expect: I enjoy reading across multiple genres. One of the most exciting things about being a reader, besides reading all those shiny new book releases, is discovering "new to me" authors, and digging in the stacks reading books from the past 20 to 30 years. Followers can also expect a few book haul and book review IGTV videos every now and then. I LOVE talking about books. It never gets old.

A recent book I loved: I've read some really great books in 2020 thus far, but one of my most recent favorite reads was In West Mills by De'Shawn Charles Winslow. The main character, Knot, TOOK ME THROUGH IT! At times I felt like her best friend who just wanted to slap some sense into her, times when I felt like a nosy neighbor watching all the mess she stirs up or falls into; there were moments when I felt like a young girl who wanted to connect with Knot because in some strange way I admired her independence, spunk, and her "I'm gonna do things my way" attitude. That book took me on a ride and I'm still thinking about it. It's truly something special.⁣ (Read Naomi's full review here.)⁣

About me: I just turned 25 and I've been on bookstagram since 2018. Besides books, I love Japanese idols, anime, manga, and movies. (Genki is actually the name of my favorite idol Iwahashi Genki from the group King & Prince, but it also means "happy" or "energetic" in Japanese.)

What followers can expect: I'm a romance reader through and through - just about every book I post about is a romance. I also read young adult, but only if I hear there is an epic romance for our main character. I mainly read books in the contemporary or historical genre, but I sometimes read light fantasy and have made it a goal to branch out of my comfort zone this year. You should expect to see a post from me every day with either a review of a book I recently loved, a book I'm excited about, a manga recommendation, or a fandom post about Japanese male idols.

Recent book I loved: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune was such a delight to read. The main character Linus is a chubby 40-year-old man who has been a caseworker for magical children for the last 17 years. He is then sent off on a special mission to observe a school with especially "dangerous" children. He has a very subtle but unbelievably sweet romance with the headmaster there - a lanky, tall, and handsome 45-year-old man. The children in this book captured my heart, and it felt like an instant classic once I finished it. It was everything I needed during quarantine and more! (Read De'Siree's full review here.)

About me: I'm a 27-year-old native Texan who just moved back to Dallas after spending the last five years in New York City! My mom is a teacher, so growing up I was always reading something - a short book, a store receipt, even the backs of cereal boxes - and my passion for reading has never gone away. I started my bookstagram simply to get people to read more. "More" can mean one book a year or 50, but I believe that books are an accessible way for people to experience different cultures, worlds, and ideals.

What followers can expect: My page has more of a lifestyle feel because I believe books can fit into multiple aspects of our lives, whether it be self-care, education, or pure enjoyment. I also understand that not everyone has time to research what books to read or maybe they don't know where to start, so I keep short reviews by genre in the highlights section of my page. Although my favorite genres are thriller/mystery and sci-fi, I try to keep my reading well rounded so I also feature contemporary and non-fiction.

A recent book I loved: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. The novel follows two teenage sisters living on opposite ends of the world who only find out each other exists when their father dies in a plane crash. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any book written by Elizabeth Acevedo. Her stories cover relationships, self-image, and self-exploration within the Black and Latinx communities in a beautiful and extremely relatable way.

About me: I read EVERYTHING. I love all genres and don't necessarily have a favorite.

What followers can expect: I post when and how I feel, usually without props. I usually post real-life captions, including the current goings-on in my life, and what I'm currently reading and/or will be reading in the future. What you can expect from my account is love. I love and support my fellow readers as loud as I possibly can.

Recent book I loved: Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams has just made it to one of my top reads this year. I related so much to Queenie. It's crazy how we pick up a book and it's just THE right time. This book features protests and the Black Lives Matter movement. By the ending, I'd shed more than my fair share of tears. (Read Lex's full review here.)

About me: I'm a 28-year-old bookworm from the beautiful windy city of Chicago! If I'm not reading a book, I can be found taking pictures of books and making quite the mess in the process! Outside of books, I can be found dancing it out to my favorite tunes (Betty Who, anyone?), or watching action movies and classic films like Singin' in the Rain.

What followers can expect: I like to think that I have a wide variety of tastes in books (I dabble in the occasional historical fiction or fantasy novel), but followers can expect to see lots of YA contemporary (with a smattering of YA fantasy!) surrounded by bright colors and flowers on my page. Come for the flowery pics, stay for the fun book chats!

A recent book I loved: The Tales From Verania series by TJ Klune; I listened to three of the four books in less than a week! The whole series is hilarious and wonderful - though it's probably not for younger readers.

About me: I'm a 26-year-old book-loving millennial from the Bay Area in California. I have always loved reading since I was a little kid - and although I took a little bit of a break from reading when I had my first daughter just due to being busy, I have truly started being able to find my love for reading again, ever since I've found this amazing little corner on the internet known as bookstagram.

What followers can expect: Being a mom has taught me that I cannot completely control everything, not even my own social media schedule. I try to post at least a few times a week but anything can happen to throw off the schedule. What I can guarantee is my posts are completely real and unscripted. My favorite genre is definitely fantasy and science fiction, but a lot of other genres are sprinkled in there. One thing I am determined to do this year is read and promote a lot more Black authors - especially considering I aspire to be one myself.

About me: I'm a writer and esteemed leader of a book club, Booktube channel, and book blog.

What followers can expect: I feature a variety of books on my bookstagram page, including backlist books and new releases, with a focus on books by Black authors. I do a #FridayReads IGTV video every Friday where I announce what I'm reading on Friday and the weekend. I also do a live book chat every three weeks with another Black bookstagrammer called christikhia. I host the #readsoullit photo challenge in February in honor of Black American authors and in October for Black UK authors; the rest of the year the hashtag is for Black authors from all over the diaspora. I also host two to three group read-alongs during the year - in July, I'll be hosting a read-along of Kintu by Ugandan writer Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi.

About me: I am a Bookstagrammer, blogger, and PhD student at St. John's University with a concentration in literacy and at-risk youth - but most importantly, I'm a classroom teacher. I am here to share my love of books and to encourage others to fall in love with books, too!

What followers can expect: I cover all genres because I'm a high school teacher and full-time graduate student. I post reviews, giveaways, reading challenges, reading memes, quotes, and more.

A recent book I loved: My favorite recommendations for YA would be anything Tiffany Jackson and Nic Stone. My book of the year so far is These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card, because of the suspense! I could not help but be sucked in from the beginning, and wanted to reach back as far as I could into the lives of each family member. (Read Crystal's full review here.)
Some of these responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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Want To Read More Black Authors? These Bookstagrammers Can Help

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The country is going through "a great racial reckoning," as Tomi Obaro writes, and a big part of that is contending with the overwhelming whiteness of the publishing world. As we're discussing pay disparity among Black and white writers - and sharing books about anti-racism, books by Black authors, and Black-owned bookstores where you can buy them - it's important to pay attention to the influencers, too.

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The other night during story time with my preschooler, I read Floyd Cooper's Juneteenth for Mazie. The book is a bit too advanced for a 3-year-old, but she was fascinated by the illustrations nonetheless. Reading this book got me thinking about Juneteenth and what I learned about it, including when I learned about it: It wasn't in school. How fantastic that there are books on the subject out there for young readers-but what about the kids whose parents aren't choosing those books?

I have found that many people, including many adults, don't know about Juneteenth at all. The name combines the words June and nineteenth, the day in 1865 when enslaved Texans in Galveston were informed that slavery was over. This anniversary is celebrated in many communities across the United States, but clearly this day deserves more attention. The emancipation story most people in the United States learn centers around President AbrahamLincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which only freed enslaved people as Union troops occupied parts of the South later in the Civil War. (Constitutionally speaking, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery.) Learning the history of Juneteenth can help illustrate the complexity of this time in our history.

On that summer day in 1865-a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation and over two months after General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox-Major General Gordon Granger, commander of the U.S. Army's Department of Texas, delivered the news to perhaps the very last enslaved people to learn they were free. After reading from General Order Number 3 that "all slaves are free," Major General Granger continued, "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."

Absolute equality. While a few million enslaved folks had learned at various times over the previous couple of years that they were free-and no doubt rejoiced at the news-this day was different. As the last to learn of their absolute equality with their former masters, these enslaved men, women and children were major characters in the end of one story filled with longstanding oppression and the beginning of a powerful new story filled with the hope for equality. This watershed moment, between the two stories, has been missing from our collective understanding of this country's history and presents a fuller picture of freedom. It's no wonder that these newly freed people met the announcement with cheers, shouts and celebrations-celebrations that have continued every year since.

Yet, as we all know, the promise of absolute equality was not realized with emancipation and remains elusive; oppression lingers in many of our institutions. But Juneteenth was and still is worthy of celebration and remembrance. Through children's books, through the annual celebrations that began with formerly enslaved Texans and through our classroom teaching, we should all have Juneteenth on our radar. It should be part of our collective knowledge of freedom struggles in this country so that today's youth can continue the fight to ensure that the promise of absolute equality is realized.
Bell is a writer and associate editor for Teaching Tolerance.

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Teaching Tolerance 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.

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May 31 marks the 90th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Riot. You can be excused if you've never heard of it. Despite being the bloodiest attack on African-American citizens in U.S. history, the riot was almost completely ignored by most history books for about 75 years. Only recently has the event received the attention it deserves.

In 1921, the Greenwood section of Tulsa, Okla., was one of the most prosperous black neighborhoods in the country. Greenwood's nickname was "the Negro Wall Street." The discovery of oil in Tulsa in 1901 turned the city into a boomtown. In the 1910s, Tulsa's economic good times coincided with an exodus of African Americans from the Deep South called the Great Migration. Oklahoma was a Jim Crow state. But blacks wanted to cash in on the state's oil wealth like everyone else.

There was one problem: The speedy arrival of so many blacks-as well as immigrants from overseas - provoked fear among many of Oklahoma's whites. A great number of them had come from the South or the conservative Midwest. The 1910s witnessed a resurrection of the Ku Klux Klan nationally, and Oklahoma joined the trend enthusiastically. Soon after the riot, Tulsa would report more than 2,000 people had signed up with the Klan.

The riot started on May 31, 1921, in the way many racial disturbances did at the time - with an accusation that a black man assaulted a white woman. Whites gathered to lynch the 19-year-old being accused. But they were surprised when local African Americans, some of them veterans of World War I, moved to defend him with guns. One white man tried to disarm a black man. They struggled. A shot was fired. The riot was on.

Blacks protected their homes and businesses as best they could. But they were badly outnumbered. Within 24 hours, a 42-block area was burned. At least 300 people were killed - most of them black - but the true death toll could be much higher. About 10,000 people were left homeless, and more than 1,000 homes and businesses were destroyed. Greenwood never really recovered.

The end of Tulsa's white riot was the beginning of a massive cover-up. The event was almost completely ignored by most journalists and historians. Official documents, police records and photographs disappeared. People who participated refused to talk about it. Local newspapers from the time vanished. It was as if the worst single incident of racial violence in U.S. history had never taken place.

That began to change about 15 years ago, as African Americans - who had never forgotten - and historians began to demand an accounting. Today, teachers can find many resources. This two-part news story, found here and here, is a good introduction. And this slide show can give students an idea of what Greenwood was like before and after the riot.

The Tulsa Race Riot is just one chapter of American history that has been deliberately ignored because it involves race. Many students are surprised to find that that familiar landmarks were once sites for lynchings, that racial segregation was once prevalent locally or that the Ku Klux Klan once had a big following in their city. This Teaching Tolerance article can show you how to help students uncover their forgotten past.
Price is managing editor of Teaching Tolerance.

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May 31 marks the 90th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Riot. You can be excused if you've never heard of it. Despite being the bloodiest attack on African-American citizens in U.S. history, the riot was almost completely ignored by most history books for about 75 years.

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Educators are facing the intimidating reality of remote classrooms this fall; many are also looking for new ways to promote antiracism because familiar methods may have seemed more authentic, manageable, or accessible in an in-person classroom. We would like to offer some ideas for how humanities teachers in particular can use texts that use sound-podcasts, speeches, interviews, music, and the like-to integrate antiracist content into online classrooms.

Texts written with sound offer a number of high-value benefits to a remote classroom, including being organically accessible to English language learners and students with learning challenges like dyslexia, as well as being simple and affordable. Working with sound also allows educators to teach necessary skills in new and exciting ways that invite both intellectual play and literacy with digital tools. However, while all of these features are important, one of the most essential things about sound texts is their capacity to promote antiracism in the classroom.

Communicating Respect for Many Varieties of English

This is particularly evident when we note that many sound genres, most notably interviews, podcasts, and music, are most effective when they integrate the use of diverse varieties of English, code-switching, other languages, or accents: Many sound texts feature these culturally inclusive language usages in ways that respect, celebrate, and learn from all voices. When we ask our students to study speakers and texts using diverse varieties of English, we communicate respect for a wide array of cultures and backgrounds, affirming their scholarly and human value.

Humanizing Diverse Voices

Additionally, reading and writing printed digital words can result in a dehumanizing experience for our students, as this can make it easy to forget the person behind the words. We see this in caustic comments on social media, online videos, or anonymous discussion boards. When working remotely, using sound texts helps students remember the people they are engaging with online, particularly when wrestling with the challenging and sensitive topics of antiracism. Sound is also a powerful tool for promoting antiracism because students are acutely aware of the individual author's connection to the sound text.

Erin Anderson identifies the human voice as a unique and powerful sound because it is "produced by and emitted from the human body. Inevitably, when we hear a voice, we hear a body." Sound as a mode has the unique ability to humanize the author and remind our students that they are part of a larger community.

Engaging Emotionally

The nature of sound, with its use of music, sound effects, and human voices, also encourages students to engage emotionally with the content of the text, promoting empathy and open-mindedness. The personal connection we want students to have with antiracism work in our classrooms becomes that much easier when they can emotionally connect with the texts. When we are not physically in the same room there to nurture that, sound texts do a lot of the heavy lifting for us.

Getting Started With Sound Texts

If you're interested in using the mode of sound to foster antiracism in your own remote classroom, we've assembled a list of powerful sound texts in a variety of genres, all of which honor and empower Black voices and/or Black experiences. All of these texts meet some or all of the following qualifications, which we propose as guidance to help when choosing antiracist sound texts. The texts should:

highlight the history and accomplishments of different marginalized communities, recognizing that it's important that we don't show only struggles and pain;

be authored by members of the community explored in the text; and/or

feature diverse varieties of English, code-switching, accents, or multiple languages.

Not all of these selections in the list will work for each disciplinary classroom, but there should be something here for everyone.

Podcasts

Audio Memoirs

Poetry

Speeches

Interviews

Excerpts from a 1964 interview between Martin Luther King Jr. and writer Robert Penn Warren

NPR interview with Ibram X. Kendi

Audio Drama

Music

Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit" (violent content: only use this in addition to stories celebrating Black success and accomplishments)

Beyoncé's "Freedom," featuring Kendrick Lamar

Cynthia Erivo singing "I'm Here" from The Color Purple

The most important thing to remember when using these (and other) materials to foster antiracism in your remote classroom is that while many texts have the potential to be antiracist, the way in which educators teach and discuss the text-and the ways in which we conduct our classrooms-is where the meaningful change happens. Antiracism is much larger than any one assignment or list of resources; it is a mindset and culture that must be intentionally and carefully promoted.

As many of us look to the reality of remote classrooms in this coming fall, we believe that the mode of sound is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal to promote an antiracist, empathetic, and relational learning experience for our students.

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Using Sound Texts in Antiracist Teaching

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Educators are facing the intimidating reality of remote classrooms this fall; many are also looking for new ways to promote antiracism because familiar methods may have seemed more authentic, manageable, or accessible in an in-person classroom.

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Black History Month Slides

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Comment parler du racisme et de la discrimination aux enfants

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Comment parler du racisme et de la discrimination aux enfants

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Comment parler du racisme et de la discrimination aux enfants ?

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Tu t’interroges sur ce que signifient les mots racisme, antisémitisme et discrimination ? Tu te demandes à quelles situ…

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C'est quoi le racisme, un jour une question

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C'est quoi le racisme, un jour une question

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C'est quoi le racisme ? - 1 jour, 1 question

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Manon te propose une sélection de livres pour parler du racisme aux enfants, des tout petits jusqu'aux adolescents.

Tu n'es sans doute pas passée à côté de l'actualité ces dernières semaines. : les manifestations #BlackLivesMatter protestent contre les violences policières et le racisme systémique, aux États-Unis mais aussi en France et partout dans le monde.

Et tu te demandes peut-être comment parler de racisme à ton ou tes enfant(s), avec les bons mots, pour que le message soit le plus clair possible. Mais si tu n'as pas ces mots, d'autres peuvent les avoir pour toi.

C'est pour ça que je te propose une petite sélection de livres qui peuvent expliquer à ton grumeau ce qu'est le racisme, ce que ça implique, et comment grandir sans différencier les êtres humains, quelle que soit leur couleur de peau.

De Laura Nsafou avec les illustrations de Barbara Brun, aux éditions Bilibok. Voici le résumé :
" Adé est une jolie petite fille à la peau noire, aux grands yeux bruns et aux cheveux crépus. Une chevelure magnifique et fournie, qui lui vaut néanmoins de nombreuses moqueries à l'école, les autres enfants lui disant notamment qu'ils ont l'impression qu'elle a " comme un million de papillons noirs sur la tête ". Adé aime les fleurs, les papillons, les éclairs au chocolat et poser des questions. Un jour qu'elle est en compagnie de sa mère et de ses tantes, elle les interroge donc sur ses cheveux sans cesse raillés. Grâce à elles, elle va découvrir en douceur la beauté de ces papillons endormis sur sa tête, jusqu'à leur envol final. Un ouvrage qui invite à la tolérance, l'acceptation de soi et vise à introduire un peu de diversité dans la littérature jeunesse. "
C'est un très beau livre, tant au niveau des illustrations que de l'histoire, qui traite d'une problématique dont les personnes blanches n'ont pas forcément conscience : les cheveux afro.

Il est écrit avec beaucoup de tolérance, parle du harcèlement dont peuvent être victimes les enfants noirs à l'école et dans leur quotidien, et peuvent amener les enfants non-noirs à déconstruire les préjugés qu'ils pourraient avoir, tout en permettant aux enfants noirs d'apprendre à s'aimer dans une société en grand manque d'inclusion.

L'autrice, Laura Nsafou avait confié à Télérama :

Mon livre est aussi une réponse au harcèlement scolaire que j'ai vécu petite, que ce soit au sujet de ma couleur de peau, de mon faciès ou de mes cheveux. Ça arrive encore très fréquemment à plein de petites filles noires.

" Chez les caribous, on rencontre toutes sortes d'individus : les trop timides, ceux qui se trouvent toujours trop petits, ceux qui ne voient pas plus loin que le bout de leur nez... De page en page, les images étonnantes et poétiques se succèdent, suscitant le rire et la réflexion. Car personne ne s'y trompera, ces drôles de caribous nous parlent avant tout... de nous ! " " C'est une histoire de formation et de tolérance autour de deux soeurs jumelles à la teinte de peau de couleur pourtant différente. Au cours d'une partie de cache-cache prolongée jusqu'à la nuit tombée, celle à la peau plus foncée découvrira que sa beauté, sans être semblable à celle de sa soeur, est bien réelle. Une formidable histoire de réconciliation sur la sororité et l'acceptation de soi peu courante en littérature jeunesse. "
Encore un bon bouquin de Laura Nsafou et Barbara Brun aux éditions Cambourakis, qui est sorti après Comme un million de papillons noirs. L'autrice livre une subtile approche des différences qui peuvent exister entre les humains, en reprenant les codes du conte africain, tout en tendresse et poésie. Après avoir parlé des cheveux des personnes noires dans son premier ouvrage, elle parle dans celui-ci de la couleur de peau. Sororité, tolérance, acceptation et bienveillance : tout est là.

Pour les enfants de 4 à 8 ans, de Carine Lesage-Prévot aux éditions Broché.
" Clément est un adorable petit rat, mais il est né tout blanc ! Tous ses frères et soeurs sont bruns comme sa maman. Chez lui, il se sent si différent... De l'autre côté du pré, une petite ratone brune est née dans une famille où tous les autres sont blancs comme Clément... Au travers d'une jolie et tendre histoire, les enfants découvriront que l'important n'est pas l'apparence ni la couleur de la peau, mais bien qui l'on est vraiment. mots-clés : tolérance, différence, racisme, éducation positive et bienveillante. "
L'autrice, Carine Lesage-Prévot, est professeure des écoles spécialisée. Elle a les bons mots pour délivrer un message plein de bienveillance et très positif sur la différence et son acceptation, le tout sans stigmatisation, à l'attention des plus petits.

Le Racisme expliqué à ma fille

Un ouvrage de Tahar Ben Jelloun aux éditions Poche, pour les enfants plus grands et leurs parents.

L'auteur, qui avait obtenu le prix Goncourt en 1987 pour La nuit sacrée, explique :

Un enfant est curieux. Il pose beaucoup de questions et il attend des réponses précises et convaincantes. On ne triche pas avec les questions d'un enfant. C'est en m'accompagnant à une manifestation contre un projet de loi sur l'immigration que ma fille m'a interrogé sur le racisme. Nous avons beaucoup parlé.

Les enfants sont mieux placés que quiconque pour comprendre qu'on ne naît pas raciste mais qu'on le devient. Parfois. Ce livre qui essaie de répondre aux questions de ma fille s'adresse aux enfants qui n'ont pas encore de préjugés et veulent comprendre. Quant aux adultes qui le liront, j'espère qu'il les aidera à répondre aux questions, plus embarrassantes qu'on ne le croit, de leurs propres enfants.

Ce livre est un dialogue entre un père et sa fille. Elle pose des questions et il répond, avec franchise, sincérité et simplicité. Définitions, faits, Histoire, Tahar Ben Jelloun ne juge pas mais explique beaucoup, tente de comprendre ce qui peut amener à la haine et la peur de l'autre.

Cet ouvrage prouve que plus on connaît la culture de l'autre, moins on en a peur, et plus la vie ensemble est facile et évidente. Selon l'auteur, et je partage son opinion : si la peur disparaît, le racisme aussi.

N'hésite pas, dans les commentaires, à partager les livres que tu connais et qui sont dans cette thématique. Tout commence par l'éducation, on ne le sait que trop, et on peut apprendre avec les mots des autres pour aider à faire passer des messages de tolérance et de bienveillance.

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5 lives pour expliquer le racisme aux enfants

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Tu n'es sans doute pas passée à côté de l'actualité ces dernières semaines. : les manifestations #BlackLivesMatter protestent contre les violences policières et le racisme systémique, aux États-Unis mais aussi en France et partout dans le monde.

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Fiche pédagogique Film "GreenBook"

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Dossier pédagogique

Green Book : sur les routes du Sud raconte l'histoire vraie du périple vécu par le pianiste noir Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) et son chauffeur Tony " Lip " (Viggo Mortensen) dans l'Amérique de la ségrégation. Entre comédie et road movie, le film propose une histoire d'amitié drôle et émouvante, dont la simplicité apparente ne doit pas faire oublier l'élégance de la mise en scène et la profondeur du propos. À travers l'amitié improbable entre les deux hommes, c'est un pan d'histoire et une réflexion sur la tolérance et l'ouverture que le film nous propose. Notre dossier pédagogique (à compléter par les fiches d'activité "anglais") propose une analyse du film, quelques repères, et un entretien avec l'américaniste Sylvie Laurent.

Green Book : sur les routes du Sud

Sur le même sujet

Dossier pédagogique et fiches d'activité

Dossier pédagogique et fiches d'activité

Dossier pédagogique et fiches d'activité

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Dossier pédagogique Green Book : sur les routes du Sud raconte l'histoire vraie du périple vécu par le pianiste noir Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) et son chauffeur Tony " Lip " (Viggo Mortensen) dans l'Amérique de la ségrégation.

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Ciné Poème - Harmony

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Eduquer contre le racisme - Activités et pistes pédagogiques

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2 great books by Ta-Nehisi Coates: Between the World and me and The Beautiful Struggle.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD

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EARLY CHILDHOOD

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As early childhood professionals strive to make their programs more inclusive for the students and families they serve, addressing racial equity and equality is an important step on the path to inclusivity. This list of webinars, articles, books, and other resources can help support your program's efforts to be more inclusive of all students.

Resources

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Early Childhood Anti-Racism Resources | Brookes Publishing Co.

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As early childhood professionals strive to make their programs more inclusive for the students and families they serve, addressing racial equity and equality is an important step on the path to inclusivity. This list of webinars, articles, books, and other resources can help support your program's efforts to be more inclusive of all students.

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How can I teach from a social justice perspective?

How can I go beyond awareness of an injustice to action and problem-solving with my students?

What are effective strategies I can use with multilingual students seeking to learn English?

Do you need a session for your staff on issues of social justice, education, diversity, and/or multiculturalism?

Do you wish someone would brainstorm with you about lesson/unit planning and offer feedback?

Our Purpose

We aim to address the national issue of effectively teaching in multicultural and multilingual classrooms and communities. We believe that a culturally sustaining pedagogy can be practiced through targeted professional development.

Contact us with your questions and ideas.

Watch some of Roberto's work with Andover Bread Loaf, an outreach program in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Where to go next: Purchase our materials! Dive deeper into our writing Want to work with us directly? Check out our offerings Learn more about who we are Some of the places where we've presented before or been featured:

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How can I teach from a social justice perspective? How can I go beyond awareness of an injustice to action and problem-solving with my students? What are effective strategies I can use with multilingual students seeking to learn English? Do you need a session for your staff on issues of social justice, education, diversity, and/or multiculturalism?

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The podcast series - Nice White Parents

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Episode One: The Book of Statuses (Published 2020)

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From Serial and The New York Times: “Nice White Parents” looks at the 60-year relationship between white parents and the public school down the block.