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earn from qualifying purchases. That means that I make a small
commission if you purchase the book referred to below but
it’s at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!)
As an Amazon Associate I
earn from qualifying purchases. That means that I make a small
commission if you purchase the book referred to below but
it’s at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!)
BOOK REVIEW
Earlier this summer, I read How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. Since I read mostly fiction and history books, I was not familiar with this this book or the author until the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. I hoped the book would provide me with a deeper understanding of racism in the U.S. and what white allies can do to support people of color. In that, I was not disappointed.
What
I most enjoyed was how Kendi uses his personal experiences to
illustrate and explain the larger concepts he discusses, especially
because the writing at times is dry and the rhetorical style
repetitive. Fortunately, each chapter is devoted to just one particular
social construct so I could read the book at a deliberative pace.
Those bite-sized pieces make it easier to digest the ideas being
discussed. I also liked that each chapter starts off defining the words
or phrases that Kendi focuses on. He then offers historical
background, references to contemporary culture, statistics, and personal
experiences to support the points he wants to make.
As
an educator, I was naturally drawn to Kendi’s anecdotes from his grade
school years and his time in high school and college. They underscored
how the concepts he talks about play out in real life. I was
particularly struck by a story in Chapter 3, Biology, he told about when
he was in 3rd grade and he stuck up for a little girl in his class who
was ignored by their teacher.
an educator, I was naturally drawn to Kendi’s anecdotes from his grade
school years and his time in high school and college. They underscored
how the concepts he talks about play out in real life. I was
particularly struck by a story in Chapter 3, Biology, he told about when
he was in 3rd grade and he stuck up for a little girl in his class who
was ignored by their teacher.
The amount of research Kendi must have done to write How to Be an Antiracist
is impressive. I came away with a much greater appreciation of how
systemic racism permeates American society. I highly recommend this
book and think that all educators who have students of color in their
classes should read it. In fact, it would be a great choice for a
book-study group.
is impressive. I came away with a much greater appreciation of how
systemic racism permeates American society. I highly recommend this
book and think that all educators who have students of color in their
classes should read it. In fact, it would be a great choice for a
book-study group.
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| Click HERE to download this free resource |
LESSON PLAN
Last fall, I was honored to participate in and write a blog post for the #ItsTimeToTalkRacism
campaign after the mass shooting of mostly Latinx people in El Paso,
Texas, in August 2019. Sadly, another victim, Memo Garcia, succumbed to
his injuries in April, bringing the total number of people murdered to
23.
campaign after the mass shooting of mostly Latinx people in El Paso,
Texas, in August 2019. Sadly, another victim, Memo Garcia, succumbed to
his injuries in April, bringing the total number of people murdered to
23.
Chrissy Beltran, who organized the blog post campaign, has written a follow-up blog post and created a lesson
that addresses what children can do when they see racism occurring.
Her lesson can be used with students in a wide range of grades.
that addresses what children can do when they see racism occurring.
Her lesson can be used with students in a wide range of grades.
WEBINARS
Finally, TeachersPayTeachers has organized free anti-racist and social webinars for educators.
It’s a series of 6 webinars; the first was with a group of Black TpT
teacher-authors discussing their experiences as teachers and school
administrators. The other videos are with outside experts who discuss
how educators can implement anti-racist teaching in their own
practice.
It’s a series of 6 webinars; the first was with a group of Black TpT
teacher-authors discussing their experiences as teachers and school
administrators. The other videos are with outside experts who discuss
how educators can implement anti-racist teaching in their own
practice.
The first three have already been show but are
available online. The next one will be shown on September 3rd. You can
register for that and find links to all of the videos HERE. (You may need to scroll halfway down the page to get to the info about the webinar series.)
available online. The next one will be shown on September 3rd. You can
register for that and find links to all of the videos HERE. (You may need to scroll halfway down the page to get to the info about the webinar series.)
TpT
just announced that you can now download certificates of participation
after viewing each webinar. You may be able to use them for
professional development purposes but check with your school district
since policies differ from place to place.
just announced that you can now download certificates of participation
after viewing each webinar. You may be able to use them for
professional development purposes but check with your school district
since policies differ from place to place.
I hope you find these resources helpful as the new school year gets underway.
