Anti-Racist Resources for Early Childhood Educators

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that we are in the midst of a significant shift, I hope it’s a significant shift. Black Lives Matter demonstrations have moved from big cities into small towns and suburbs. Change is being demanded, and as teachers, we have a huge role to play in change.  If you are a follower, you know that Anti-Bias Education has been a focus of mine for many years. However, I’ll be honest; I am still very much learning the difference between it and Anti-Racist Education. Some educators use the terms synonymously, while others caution against doing that because there are specific differences. I am not an expert on either. I am well versed in the Anti-Bias approach, and how to use it in a classroom I am presently figuring out how to ensure my pedagogy uses an Anti-Racist lens. I wanted to share some of the resources I have been reading, experts I have been listening to, and research I have been exploring. This list is long, but it is far from complete. I urge you to make learning about anti-racism as a part of your continuing education and professional development just as you learn about early literacy and play year after year, this is not a one and done topic.

This post contains affiliate links.

Anti-Racist and Anti-Bias Books

Read/ Listen to How To Be An Anti-Racist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi

Me and The White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad

We Want To Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and The Pursuit of Educational Freedom by Dr. Bettina Love

Don’t Look Away; Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms by Iheoma Iruka, Stephanie Curenton, Tonia Durden, and Kerry-Ann Escayg.

Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs by Louise Dernman-Sparks, Debbie LeeKeenan, John Nimmo, and Mariana Souto-Manning

What if All The Kids Are White by Louise Derman-Sparks and Patricia C. Ramsey

Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Dr. Gholdy Muhammed

Early Childhood Focused Webinars, Panels, and Online Courses

Creating Anti-Racist Early Childhood Spaces – National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations ( don’t miss the follow-up Q&A session too)

Abolitionist Teaching And The Future Of Our Schools – Panel with Dr.Bettina Love, Dr. Dena Simmons, and Dr. Gholdy Muhammed.

Cultivating Genius: An Equity Model for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy with Dr.Gholdy Muhammed

Don’t Look Away: Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms – Webinar from edWeb (watch the recording)

 

Podcasts About Anti-Racism in ECE

Podcast: Dr. Kerry-Ann Escayg on Anti-Racism in Early Childhood Education

Podcast: Ijumaa Jordan – A Lesson In Humility: Diving into Anti-Racist Early Education Practices and Policies

 

Research and Professional Development Articles About Anti-Racism in ECE

Research regarding ECE Anti-bias / Anti- Racist by Dr. Kerry-Ann Escayg

“Who’s got the power?”: A critical examination of the anti-bias curriculum by Dr. Kerry-Ann Escayg

If We Aren’t Addressing Racism, We Aren’t Addressing Trauma by Dena Simmons Ed.D

Becoming Upended Learning About Race and Racism with Young Children and Their Families – Kisten Cole and Diandra Verywayne,  Young Children May 2018

An Inclusive and Anti-Bias Framework for Teaching and Learning About Race with Young Children by Beneke, Margaret & Park, Caryn & Taitingfong, Jordan. (2018).

Anti-bias recourses from NAEYC

Anti-Racist Educators to Follow

In addition to all the authors and academics above, here are more educators to follow.

Kelly Wickham Hurst – Kelly’s Twitter is a must follow. She is the teacher behind Being Black At School and an important voice to listen to when it comes to learning about systemic racism in education for students and teachers.

Mamademics – Danielle Slaughter has a distinct voice, and her writing is both beautiful and blunt. She is the educator behind Raising An Advocate, and Black History is American History. 

The Tutu Teacher – Great place for general teaching tips, especially if you teach Kindergarten but specifically fantastic for diverse book suggestions, and how to incorporate more diverse books into ECE lessons.

Here Wee Read – An excellent account filled with diverse books, discussions about inclusion, and so much more.

Ijumaa Jordan – On her page, you will find a lot of information that connects equity to all areas of ECE. What I love about it is that so many Anti-Racist resources are focused on older students, and here you will find more targetted resources, discussions, and information.

Read Like A Rockstar – Naomi O’Brien – Another excellent account with anti-racism resources for the classroom and home.